Best museum day yet...

Today we went to the Museum of National History. Strangely, although we had saved it for last because it didn't seem like the museum that would be most interesting to B, it was the place that held B's interest the longest. Who knew there would be a hands-on science lab there that is absolutely wonderful? While waiting for the experimenting to begin, B measured the distance across the room using a laser, with a docent's help & a great explanation of how this technique was used to measure the distance from the earth to the moon. This was right up B's alley, since he decided to calculate the distance from the earth to the sun last fall using the just-learned info of the time it takes light to reach earth from the sun plus the speed of light per second... The first docent-led hands-on experiment he participated in used CO2, made from dry ice, & tested various reactions using colour-reactive dye & acids & bases, flasks & candles & syringes- B just loved it. The picture above shows the last bit, where the docent put some soap into a mixture of dry ice & water. The next docent-led experiment dovetailed with the new exhibit on polio, & explained the identification of viruses using antibodies... & there was a neat little bit tacked-on at the end that showed how difficult it is to really clean your hands using a dye that was only visible under UV light. B washed his hands for a full minute, but there was still a little dye left on his hands :) Good information for a 10-year-old who has a lot of oral needs & therefore has his hands in his mouth a lot...

We wandered through the museum a bit, finding Lincoln's top hat & Dorothy's ruby slippers, & seeing the actual flag that inspired the "Star Spangled Banner", then had some lunch. For some reason, B's coping got worse after we ate, so we moved on to the two Asian art museums for just a walk-through before going back to the hotel. The afternoon went by very quickly, with a swim & a pokemon game. Before we knew it Kim Possible was on (we are taking advantage of having cable in the hotel room, since we don't have it at home :) & then it was time for dinner. C & I decided last evening that we've probably done & seen everything that is reasonable to do & see this trip, & although we weren't going to go home until Friday, we're headed back tomorrow. It will nice to have a few days with dad home all day. Perhaps he & B can get out sailing a couple mornings before C has to go back to work. We managed to plant the vegetable garden before we left, so there should be seedlings waiting for us at home, which will be really exciting. This vacation has to be counted a success, but we're ready for home :)