Louisiana Art and Science Museum, Baton Rouge

Okay, if you _ever_ get a chance to see this exhibit, do it!  Even if you have to drive an hour and a half, like we did, do it.  Yes, our gas is just as expensive as yours (except our CA, HI, and AK friends you all definitely have it worse), it's still worth it.  They are obsessive about not touching anything, and no pictures are allowed except in the puppet show room, but there is quite a lot of fun to be had.  We are so grateful to have spent money wisely on memberships to; various museums, zoo, aquarium etc., before the money crunch because now we can enjoy all the wonders for a year to come and by the time we need to renew we'll be filthy rich with the money tree in the backyard :o)  It's great that we can purchase a yearly family membership for the same or less as getting in for one day, most times anyway.  The best part is that most memberships are reciprocal to at least one other location in MS and because we are so close to the border we can jaunt that way as well.  I love it!  

Anyway, the kids had a blast making their own puppet show and watching Hasmin and I dance to Fraggle Rock music like we were three year olds again.  Ahh what memories it brought back. Did you know that Oscar the Grouch was purple upon conception, orange in the first season of Sesame Street, and then finally green?  They have Jim's actual notes and rough sketches, which were what the puppeteers used  to make the puppets.  I thought it would have been a much more polished image used but in fact all of his work jumped from rough sketch to finished product and he was there every step of the way.  It was almost like looking into the mind of a fabulously creative genius!  Oh, and the old commercials he used to do, I could watch them for hours.  I am not joking, we were all busting a gut, kids and adults alike.  Can you tell I liked it :o)  Our one regret was that we ran out of time to see the Ancient Egypt and interactive solar system exhibits, or take in a show at the planetarium.  Hmm, maybe more like three regrets, plenty more to take in next time!

We made a day of it, attending a couple of free seminars at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine on raptors and dogs guts beforehand, and eating a picnic lunch on campus in between. We were literally looking at dogs guts with all the various inedible things they choose to eat; balls, toys, volleyball netting, and so on.  The kids got to use high-tech equipment to search for candy inside a dogs intestines.  Okay, it was really a huge garbage can filled with packaging peanuts and candy, but they really did get to use the endoscope and navigate their way around to find what they were looking for)  I was out with Addie for Jake and Ellie's turns so I was only able to get a picture of Zack, one is better than none.  

Everyone had a blast and we even got to dodge a couple of really huge thunder storms, getting a little wet in the process.  Walking along the mississippi riverwalk from parking to the museum was probably the highlight though.  What is it about kids running freely that captures the soul? I suppose it's the part in all of us that yearns to just run; no rules, direction, or words, just shrieking, laughing, wonderful running to nowhere in particular at all.  I love kids :o)