Pacific Science Center

We woke up Sula before the crack of dawn for a very good reason. It's spring break and we had a special treat for our hard working girl. SS has been looking forward to this trip for months, but waking up early still sucks. She was a champ on the flight, and even got her eye patching out of the way while watching Netflix on her tablet. 

The original plan was to flight to Seattle, visit the Space Needle, and move on to our second destination. SS's principal asked me what we were doing for Spring Break this year, and told me we should get a CityPASS. It's a discount booklet to five attractions in the city, the savings when buying the pass is 45%. P thought it was too good a deal to pass up.. That is when our very simple plan for an easy, slow paced week turned into what we are doing now. But back to the Pacific Science Center.

As we walked in the door an exhibition was taking place. The young lady asked the audience if they wanted to see an explosion.  Before we had the time to decide what to do and when, SS yelled "OH YEAH," and took a seat to watch something blow up. She definitely takes after P with a penchant for destruction. The instructor was filling balloons with different gases and asking if they would produce a flame, or a loud boom.

SS was rewarded with not only a loud boom but also FIRE. What better way to start a visit to a science museum.

Look out world it's me!

SS enjoyed playing with the solar system.

Playing in a Gemini Capsule Model

SS found out how much she would weight in every planet. I was quite fond of Pluto, I would will from now on list my Pluto weight.

 Bugs and insects are not SS's things, and here is where another of her quirks made us laugh. She would not pose, let alone look at this lovable, talking bug. P found him quite charming and kept him company.

But a praying mantis? Now that is completely different. What? Well there is a Praying Mantis super hero, and in SS's world that is good enough. 

A big chair for a little girl. SS loves all things oversize, we are surprised she did not ask for one to take home. 

We think this would make a great desk for SS.

SS loves turtles, especially sea turtles, and if she is in Maui looking at them. And snorkeling alongside them, and really just being in Maui. SS saw enough turtles in our former home because we had season passes to Turtle Bay Aquarium, where we used to finish our morning walks.  

We then enjoyed the butterflies, another SS favorite. Turtle Bay Aquarium had a butterfly habitat, and we spent a lot of time there. Here it was better, because in our previous home going from 100 degrees to such a humid enclosure was not the least comfortable. As soon as we walked in, this one decided to take a rest on my finger.

 SS had a guide and was able to identified a lot of the butterflies. To me they are just pretty ones, varying degrees of pretty ones.

We just look thrilled to be there. We were waiting for P to set up a family picture. I was wearing a dress due to my recent surgery on March 13.  I foolishly thought I would recover in three days, or at least by the time we took this little trip. I am in a lot of pain, and still wearing a binder around my torso. It was easier to endure the flight wearing a dress, rather than having pants pressing on the incision (about 5 inches) ending on my belly button.  

This is the first time I've seen this picture, good to know SS was all smiles. Or maybe she was inspired to do her pirate impression.  

Just a minute later on a much better mood, because Puget Sound Orcas. 

I don't know why but SS REALLY wanted to do this, and have a picture for posterity.

SS and her Baba had a blast on what we called the water hamster wheel. I really wished I could have done it, but stupid surgery once again gets in the way of my enjoyment. That and the fact that P would absolutely not let me.

The picture looks OK but look how much fun this is.

SS moved on to the water cannons. Should we be worried she loves to shoot so much? Her accuracy is pretty decent.

As soon as the second cannon became available, P joined SS. Who cares if there were kids waiting to play? Water cannon shooting is a very important bonding experience between a father and a daughter. P was not about to let some whiny kid get in the way of bonding time. SS had such a great time that we had to drag her away from the cannon. It looks like she misses her water park days.

 We don't know how SS did so well on the balance test, as this has been an issue for her for a long time. And not only is she standing on one foot, her eyes are closed. I would not have lasted longer than twenty seconds.

SS wanted to make sure I recorded how long she was able to balance. 

PSC is HUGE, we were not close to see nearly as much as we wanted, but it had been a long day. We still had to go to Costco to pick up a few essentials, and get something to eat. 

We also enjoyed two special exhibits while at PSC. SS saw her first laser show and loved it. We were disappointed when we learned Griffith Observatory in LA discontinued the laser shows. I took P to his first one there, and we always wanted to return with SS. The show was to the music of Michael Jackson, including Thriller (we have played that song for SS since we met).  I cried a few times during the show due to SS's reactions. It is such an amazing thing to watch one's child have such unadulterated joy. SS danced her butt off on that chair, and we hope she remembers the experience for many years. 

SS never wastes the opportunity to be carried around somehow. We can't blame her because by the time we made it to the hotel, P and I did not want to take one more step than absolutely necessary. He purposely found a hotel with an indoor swimming pool, but we did not make it. We crashed and burned rather shamelessly. This is only the first day, we are going to be beat by next Sunday.