Bloomington Adventure

Today, Janis and I went to Bloomington to visit Gin Gin and check out the Discovery Children's Museum.  We had a lovely day.  I think car car rides provide a great opportunity for conversation (and naps for little ones) and it was really nice to have some time to enjoy each other's company.  She is a very loving, compassionate person who would do anything for others.  I really enjoyed our time together today!  Here's the scoop from our adventure!

I didn't get any great pictures of Beckett with Gin Gin, but that was probably because he was running all over the house!  It looks like he is teaching her how to program the remote control here...  She had some nice fruit and a coffeecake for us, and we got to look at old pictures while we were there.

We had a lunch date at a fabulous Calzone place - and I've already forgotten the name - just downtown on Beaufort, which is a neat area with some eclectic shops. Janis and I both appreciate that unique side of college towns.

GRANDMA!  LET'S EAT!  Janis had a chicken fajita calzone and we had the construction calzone.  (Seemed fitting.)  They were both delicious, although Grandma's was filled with jalapenos, which was a spicy surprise.  Beckett loved the mushrooms and green peppers in ours. (And of course the meat - pepperoni and sausage.)

Starting with salad??

Nah, let's go for the good stuff.

As we walked by a used book store (did I mention it was a cool area?), the works of Samuel Beckett were displayed in the window.  Love it.

At the entrance to the museum, Beckett spotted the construction machines, including a backhoe, crane, and skidster.  So much for the museum! (This will come up again later...)

Right away, B got two animals (hand-sized) and began running around, looking for where to start. (As long as he didn't have to let go of the two animals.)

In the mirror room, he took a tumble and we were down to one hand-sized animal.

Happy!

I love this shot.  It's a mirrored-tunnel, and he thought it was funny.

Round and round - it's Avanti's pizza delivery truck! Mom and Dad talk about eating there in college.

This was on the "farm floor" - at least that's what Janis and I called it.  These three cows were set up as milking stations. Beckett said, MOOO and went over toward them...and then realized they were HUGE and came back for reinforcements.

Not too far from the cows was a farm with tractors and ramps.  I love how he's on his tippy-toes to reach the tractor.

Grandma helps him find some animals!

Insert SNORT, SNORT, SNORT, SMILE.

This cool contraption was a lot like the thing in Little Rock - it's a wind tunnel and kids can put balls or scarfs in it and they whip around and shoot back out.

Here, Beckett is beginning to figure out what to do.

He stuck this cloth in and it shot around the maze and blew out at the top, landing right back on the top of his head!

Now it's on - all three at once!  We were sure it would get clogged and we'd have some 'splainin to do.

The top floor was the "artsy" floor - music, plays, painting, crafts, guitars, puppets, etc.  Here, Beckett channels the movie BIG and brings new meaning to Twinkle Toes.

This was so neat, but the picture doesn't do it justice.  Kids could paint on the "glass" wall and then squirt the paint off with water bottles. 

Another view of the window-paint design. (Taken with care for detail just in case we need some winter projects around the Hild Ranch...Shonn??? )

Top floor: Window... Any guesses what he's spied below? Hint: It was foreshadowed...



Conductor Beckett at the railroad tracks.  Janis took this with her phone - it turned out great!  He loves his Thomas the Train book, which was a gift from Mike and Amy, and he says "WOOOO! WOOOO!"

We left Bloomington around 2:30 and Beckett was asleep around 2:32.  We talked all the way back to Decatur and then headed home.  It was SUCH a fun day with Grandma!