Hot Springs

It's been forever since I've updated the blog! April is a crazy time of year for me--we do a lot of state testing that month and since counselors are responsible for the managing and directing of it all, I wasn't getting my normal two days off a week. So, blogging suffered =)

After we finished testing last week, I needed a break and my sweet husband indulged my wild hair and we took a last minute trip to Hot Springs. I really wanted to go to the mountains, but couldn't drive there in a weekend, so we went to the hills of Arkansas!

A fountain in downtown...

When we went to Colorado camping last summer, Grandma and Pa got Mason into the Junior Ranger program they have at all the National Parks. It's really cool--for free, kids get a workbook that has activities all throughout the park that they have to complete. If they complete everything, they take the workbook back to the Ranger station, get quizzed (!), and then get sworn in as a Junior Ranger. Then the child gets a certificate and a badge or patch. Mason got a patch in the Great Sand Dunes last year and he has never forgotten it! We'll be walking through a parking lot and he'll grab trash off the ground. I, of course, tell him to put it down, to which he promptly responds "No Mom! I am a Junior Ranger and I have to keep the Earth healthy!" Well, how do you argue with that?

Anyway, the Hot Springs and Bath House row are a National Park, so we had to do the Junior Ranger program. This one was designed for 6-12 year olds, but that wasn't discouraging Mason!

In the Fordyce Bath House, starting our hunt.

Mason's favorite part--the needle shower.

Jacob and I were looking all over that bath house for the answers to the questions! To top it all off, it was pouring down rain the entire time we were hunting outside for the famous fountain! We were all four soggy by the time we finished, but Mason is officially a Junior Ranger of Hot Springs National Park!

We're so proud of our Junior Ranger!

Every kid has to ride the Duck once in their lives, right? Despite the nasty weather, we decided to brave the ride. It was a covered Duck and wasn't too bad--until the wind started whipping and the rain started pelting us! We were SOAKED after ward, but we all had fun!

Duck quackers for the boys...bet all those other folks were sure glad I bought those for the kids =)

Mason thought is was hilarious to take a picture of a duck from the Duck!

After the invigorating Duck ride, we spent the rest of the night in the hotel. The next day, we found a science museum that was supposed to be great for kids, so we ventured out.

It was AMAZING! Everything was hands on and kid friendly. Mason could have stayed hours more, but Max was pretty done. I think Daddy enjoyed it just as much as Mase.

This was the earthquake simulator. You had to build a building and then push the button for the floor to start shaking (that was Max's favorite part--he was the official button pusher).

Building an arch bridge--will it hold when he takes out the supports?

Yea!!!

Who ever knew that crawling in an night crawlers behind could be so much fun?

This is where Max hung out most of the time. He really enjoyed watching the fish and turtles.

We just watched The Wizard of Oz, so making the hot air balloon fly to the ceiling was really cool!

After our long weekend, I kept the boys home from school on Monday. I was doing some laundry and then came out to this sight...my sweet boys.