maps museum

our library has had a really awesome reading program this year where if you do certain library programs or check out certain times of books you earn free things.  last month by checking out some select history books, the kids earned free passes to a local museum that were only good today.  i had to go to a three hour training for church this morning but when i got home i ate a quick lunch before taking the bigs to check it out. (matt stayed home with a sleeping manning.)

when we got to the maps (military aviation preservation society) museum it was raining.  (it has been raining most of the day.)  we didn't really do more with the outside exhibits than peek at them on our way in and from the half-open hanger door.

there were a few things that the kids could touch.  the first was a huge gun (i am sorry but i missed the actual name).  the kids had a great time raising/lowering and rotating the gun.

there were lots of volunteer tour guides around and one helped us with getting into the cockpit of a russian fighter jet (manufactured in poland).  he was trying to encourage them to sit down but mason wouldn't even get in and the other two would not sit down.  on the way home madelyn told me that she wouldn't sit down because it smelled really bad in there.

we all thought that it was pretty neat to see the inside of a goodyear blimp!  we see them flying all of the time so the kids were very familiar with this one.  this actual one had been in a crash and 'totaled' so that is how it came to be at the maps museum.

our guide then took us into a room with a lot of military history.  the kids really enjoyed it until maddux started melting down (he got embarrassed when he accidentally rubbed boogers all over a display case and just couldn't recover).  i carried him while he calmed down and then he fell asleep!  our guide never stopped talking or lost his stride.  he was extremely friendly and knowledgeable (all of the guides are veterans) but there was more depth than the kids could take in.  he did try to include them, ask them questions and try to only tell about the exhibits they were showing interest in but it was still a lot.  and maddux is just shy of 40 pounds of sleeping deadweight.  i was really struggling.  i figure i held him for at least 30 minutes, but it was probably a little longer.

another cock-pit but i can't remember what it was called.

this plane was flown by a woman who went up with her small daughter.  a horse named billy gave them their speed to get airborne.  

it was a very nice and interesting facility.  we were already talking about taking some of the visiting grandparents - maybe on a day it wasn't raining.

i am so glad that we were able to go for free (they kindly waved my admission when we got there).  love.