We filed off the train (after 18 stops, but who's counting? Two anxious kiddos is who!) and piled into a taxi to make the trek through traffic to the Museum of Science and Industry. Miss Bit was hyperventilating because she was so excited to be in C-H-I-C-A-G-O, and finally over the fact that T. Bone's basketball tournament was turning our visit into a day trip rather than a weekend jaunt. (I had to promise her a trip to the Dells to swim soon to end that discussion.) It was my third visit to the museum. I first experienced it with my Dad and brother when I was a teenager so many cob webs have since formed and I really only remembered the babies in formaldehyde, which are still eerie cool and on display. Then I visited once again with my hubby when we were newly dating and I was much more interested in him than the exhibits so in a lot of ways I was a museum virgin despite the fact that it was my third time through.
We were all wonderfully entertained and engaged. The exhibits are hands on, and there was something for everyone just maybe not what one would predict.
The boys swept the girls in the mind ball challenge although Miss Bit was a much fiercer opponent for T. Bone than I was for her father. Their match took minutes...ours - well, it took seconds. Someone tells me to sit still and quiet my mind and I start busting moves and find it impossible to slow let alone stop my thoughts. There's a reason I meditate while I'm on the move.
We quickly learned that even dry and boring concepts like high and low pressure effect wonder when presented in fun and interactive ways. 
A stint in the wind chamber, where they were belted by 80 mph winds, prepared T. Bone and Miss Bit for their introduction to The Tornado Intercept Vehicle (TIV) and the Doppler on Wheels (Dow) as well as much of The Storm Chaser's crew who were in attendance for the day. I just hope that Miss Bit doesn't have designs on growing up to join the valiant V2 crew 'cuz she sorta looks like she was born to drive the TIV.
In fact, while the TIV tickled her fancy, what she cannot stop talking about is the U505. Touring the German submarine was the best part of her day. It was a highlight for me as well. That exhibit alone is worth a trip to the museum. It was a far reaching teachable moment too as we first learned the history of the sub while we were visiting the maritime museum in Bermuda. That's where the ship was hidden from the Germans after it's capture until WWII ended. Seeing her in person...in all her steel and iron, boarding her and hearing about the difficult life of the crew was incredibly powerful.
T. Bone was captivated by the hatchery. Watching a chick break out of its egg was his favorite part of the day, and I must admit...it was extremely awesome. After 21 days gestation, the new chick can take 10 hours to break out of the egg. We were lucky to see one little guy emerge in the 5 minutes we watched.
It was a day long on fun and filled with great family memories.
The boys swept the girls in the mind ball challenge although Miss Bit was a much fiercer opponent for T. Bone than I was for her father. Their match took minutes...ours - well, it took seconds. Someone tells me to sit still and quiet my mind and I start busting moves and find it impossible to slow let alone stop my thoughts. There's a reason I meditate while I'm on the move.
We quickly learned that even dry and boring concepts like high and low pressure effect wonder when presented in fun and interactive ways.
A stint in the wind chamber, where they were belted by 80 mph winds, prepared T. Bone and Miss Bit for their introduction to The Tornado Intercept Vehicle (TIV) and the Doppler on Wheels (Dow) as well as much of The Storm Chaser's crew who were in attendance for the day. I just hope that Miss Bit doesn't have designs on growing up to join the valiant V2 crew 'cuz she sorta looks like she was born to drive the TIV.
In fact, while the TIV tickled her fancy, what she cannot stop talking about is the U505. Touring the German submarine was the best part of her day. It was a highlight for me as well. That exhibit alone is worth a trip to the museum. It was a far reaching teachable moment too as we first learned the history of the sub while we were visiting the maritime museum in Bermuda. That's where the ship was hidden from the Germans after it's capture until WWII ended. Seeing her in person...in all her steel and iron, boarding her and hearing about the difficult life of the crew was incredibly powerful.
T. Bone was captivated by the hatchery. Watching a chick break out of its egg was his favorite part of the day, and I must admit...it was extremely awesome. After 21 days gestation, the new chick can take 10 hours to break out of the egg. We were lucky to see one little guy emerge in the 5 minutes we watched. 
It was a day long on fun and filled with great family memories.
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