One year and still counting

Happy first birthday, Felix!

A Space Shuttle

Last year we went to the National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The Space Shuttle Discovery now calls the museum home, so we had to take another trip to see it.

This shuttle has been to space! And it shows. On the left is the Discovery. On the right is the Enterprise. The Enterprise, which was used for tests on the ground and in the atmosphere looks like a glorified model next to the Discovery.

The tiles on the space shuttle got a lot of love from the tour guides. We heard bits of three separate tours, and they were all discussing these glorious tiles. They provided protection against the extreme temperatures encountered when reentering the atmosphere. Tiles would have to be replaced after they were worn out. The black tiles are the ones that have never been through reentry.

Pictures with a baby to give some perspective on scale.

The Space Shuttle Discovery flew 39 missions, covering 149 million miles in its 5,830 orbits and spent 365 days in space. It flew more missions than any other space shuttle.

Seeing the space shuttle in person was pretty impressive. For me and Nate, it was a chance to see one of the symbols of the era of our childhood.

Day 2 in Philadelphia

We didn't make it to the Barnes Museum, so we saw the Gates of Hell at the Rodin and then the Please Touch Museum. Beckett was thrilled to find a museum dedicated to him.

Be Mine

I decided to put in some effort for Valentine's Day this year. I am not much of a decorator or party planner, but I just knew that Beckett would really love Valentine's Day, so we did it right. On Wednesday he had a party at preschool and came home really fired up about V-Day. We made cupcakes together, and I let him decorate all of them. Then we made a little Valentine craft that became our centerpiece. After the kids went to bed I hung the hearts and put out the Valentine plates and presents. You can be sure that Beckett noticed every single thing.

(Notice the V-Day snow.)

Opening a present.

Eating a present.

Beckett picked out some cupcakes and crafts to take to him babysitter's house. He kept saying "Happy Valentine's Day" all day long. The hearts are still hanging. They were a big hit.

Day 1 in Philadelphia

We hit the city hard today. First we toured Independence Hall, followed by a short stop at the Liberty Bell. Then we took a taxi across town to the Philadelphia Art Museum. Thanks to Felix's nap and Beckett's love of the iPad, we were able to see the entire museum. It was great. One highlight was Duchamp's "The Large Glass". The museum is packed full of surprises.

Flying

Time for our nightly flight. First, the boys build a runway out of puzzle pieces. Next, they build an airport with a control tower out of legos. Finally, we switch on the theme music. The planes fly to "Test Drive" from How to Train Your Dragon  and the Theme from Superman.