A Natural Adventure

Today we went to Martin's Park in North Oklahoma City. I had signed the girls up for a "Eat Your Backyard" class this afternoon, but when we got there, we found out the class was actually earlier in the morning. We were all very disappointed. The girls were going to be learning which plants and trees were edible and which were poisonous. They were also going to get to sample a selection of backyard treats.

At first I thought that we had made this trip for nothing until we discovered the Nature Discovery room. It was full of science displays, projects, and hands-on activities. The girls enjoyed observing objects underneath the microscope. There were also reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

Kiahna enjoyed getting to touch everything without being told "NO, NO, NO!!!" At one point, I even let her walk around "by herself". She didn't know she was being watched! I realized once again that she really is not a baby any more.

After we got finished with the discovery room, we walked on a few of the outside trails. Our nature adventure was cut short because Kiahna had a dirty diaper and the diaper bag got left at home. We decided to hike it on over to Walmart for some diapers. We also decided to get the girls an ice cream cone at McDonald's since they were so disappointed in not getting to eat leaves and plants. When it was all said and done, they still were able to come home with a full belly!

Field Trip Day

Today we visited 3 different museums. At noon we started at Harns Homestead. TJ went with us because he didn't have to start work until 2:00 PM. Harns Homestead is basically a collection of historical buildings such as a mansion, work house, barn, stable, and school house.

Niah and I have been reading several books written about this era of time. Seeing these historic artifacts up close in person made the stories come alive.

The mansion was considered one of the finest in those days. I did not see the sign "NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY PLEASE" until after I had taken a few. I think the flash damages the wallpaper coloring.

The girls were interested in the school house. The seats did not look very comfortable. We read a list of rules for both the teacher and the students. The rules seemed very harsh. I probably would have had many lashes for breaking the rules!

We had a picnic lunch underneath the trees. Aliya raved about the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches--she said, "Mama, these are SOOO GOOD!" Niah was not as impressed--she had to take a sack lunch almost everyday of school for the past several years! Kiahna was just happy to have chips for lunch!

After lunch we visited the barn and the farm house. Then TJ had to leave for work, and we continued on to the Myriad Botanical Gardens. Aliya loved the waterfalls and streams, Niah was thrilled to see a real coconut and banana tree, and Kiahna loved the butterflies.

We sat on a bench to rest, but Kiahna wanted to sit on the stairs instead!

After we walked around the outside pond and gardens, we decided to walk up to the Oklahoma Memorial Museum. This museum was not as much fun as the others. It was very devastating to walk through and remember the tragedy that happened on April 19, 1995.

We were not allowed to take pictures inside the museum. If you haven't been to the museum, I would recommend it--but make sure you bring some Kleenex! The hardest part for me was listening to the stories of the parents who lost their children in the bombing. Most of the children that were in the daycare did not survive.

Even though the museum is a difficult reminder of a very tragic event, it also is a reminder of the value of life itself. I am thankful that my children are a live in the pictures and not just represented by a bronze chair. I need to always remember that.

Go Fish!

Aliya has been learning her alphabet, and what better way to learn than to play games? We had so much fun fishing for the alphabet letters! We had to be careful not to catch the sharks! I am sure that the neighbors were wondering what was going on with all the noise that we were making!