Discovery Place

Waiting for the train to take us to the Discovery Place. This was a highlight for Everest. We only rode it 5 blocks, but it was worth it.

Look how happy he is.


This was very cool. Both boys spent a lot of time playing the drums. It was just a bucket, some pots and pans, and rubber drum sticks.
There was a VERY COOL water table for little and big ones. You can see the different levels of the table. They each had different water toys that were appropriate for each age. Leaf spent the majority of the time (almost 2 hours) at the water table. He was SOAKED. But he had so much fun it didn't matter. It doesn't look like it in this picture, but the water table was packed with kids the whole time we were there.
Leaf playing in the water. Look at his shirt.
Everest got into the fun, with the highest part of the water table. They had clear pvc pipe for the kids to build different channels for the water. Everest got all the tubes to flow into the water wheel.
Leaf taking a turn on the drums.
Everest the mad scientist. There was a rocket you could launch. You had to pump a handle to build up the pressure and then hit the button and see how far and fast it would go.
We took a break in the middle of playing to catch a 15 minute 3-D film on turtles.
Everest had fun with this contraption too. You sit down hard onto the seat and it pushes a metal piece up the tube to ring the bell. Leaf tried too, but he was too small.
Everest built a castle (Leaf helped, but he wondered away when I got the camera out). You can see the giant light bright table in the background. Very cool!

We LOVED the Discovery place (even though the majority of it was closed for renovations- the Kidscience room was enough for us). If we would have been there longer, we would have visited this museum again...and again.

Fountains in Charlotte

This was my first visit to Charlotte NC, even though I lived in NC for 5 years (many eons ago). If you have never been there, it is a beautiful city. They are doing a lot of construction, reconstruction and beautification. It was a great place for the family or alone. We found plenty to do with the kids and Nathan and I got to enjoy a little of the night life (thanks to Teresa-we love you).

We went to dinner at a place that had lights all around the building. When you touched them, they lit up and played different sounds or music. The boys had a great time exploring all the different sounds.

This was a raised seating area near a lot of food places. Everest thought it was great. He pretended it was his firetruck...surprise, surprise.

Everywhere we went there was art or fountains. Everest wanted to touch the water of every fountain we passed. I am sure if it would have been a little warmer, he would have "accidentally" gotten into each and every one of them.
Everest and Mama, enjoying a walk and the sites of Charlotte.
This one, he actually tried to lick while I was taking the picture. When he was younger, I would have freaked, but now...well I have 2 with another on the way. I have learned that nagging him about things isn't the way to go, dirty water might make him sick, but maybe he won't do it again. Then again, he is 4, it might take a few times to get it through his head.

He liked this fountain, he wanted to walk up it. The other side has holes where the water runs down the wall. A fountain that looks totally different from each side, how cool is that!
This fountain is in front of the NASCAR hall of fame. We stayed in a hotel right beside it. It is not open yet, but even to a non race fan, it looks cool. If it was open, we would have checked it out.
We have a lot more fountain pictures, and a lot of fountains we didn't photograph. There was so much to do, I would love to go again. But next time we are flying, I don't care if the tickets are triple what they usually are (just because of spring break). If you get a chance to visit Charlotte Let me know what you think.