Dallas Arboretum-Last Field Trip of 2nd Grade

Daddy and I spent Wednesday with our kiddos and some friends from school on 2nd grade's last field trip of the school year.  We spent the day at the Dallas Arboretum.  We arrived around 9:20am and left at about 1:30pm  The kids started their visit with some classroom time learning about insects and their life cycles.  Their main focus at school the last few weeks have been on the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly. After class we had a picnic lunch and then could go off exploring until about 1:30pm when we met up to leave to return to school. We decided that the Children's Exploration Center and Garden would be a great place for the kids to explore. They had a great time and we only saw a small portion of the garden.  If you live in the DFW area, I highly recommend going.  It is absolutely beautiful!  We have a plan to do a day trip with some friends from school so we can spend more time there.  And maybe, just maybe I can arrange a kid free day at the arboretum too.  I also got to catch up with a friend from high school that volunteers there.  The weather was gorgeous, the company wonderful, and the scenery was spectacular!

Field Trip #3-Fort Worth Museum of Natural History and Science!-Part 2

Uncle Philip came with us to the museum and the Henry and Emma loved it! Here they are waiting for the museum to officially open. They let us inside the foyer early because it was very chilly yesterday.

H and E being silly with some of their classmates!
In the main foyer their is a compass design on the floor and outside of that are the astological signs(which from what I've read are now different). Henry and I were searching for letters. and he found one of his favorites "S".
Emma and one of her classmates entertaining themselves while we are waiting for the museum to open. Today was field trip day so several other schools were there with us.
Emma and her buddy I(she is such a sweet little girl). Mommy isn't including names of the classmates for privacy issues.
Henry and one of his best buds G. And yes, they are wearing matching coats!
Henry's class inside the Dinolab. His class has been learning about dinosaurs this week and we were asked to spend some extra time in this exhibit. I wasn't able to get a picture of Emma's class. I can only be in so many places at one time:)
Inside the Dinolab they have many interactive sections. Henry used his computer skills and was searching for the matching tooth fossil.
Leaving the Dinolab. We were not able to do the dino dig this time. It was closed due to the extremely cold weather(it is located outside).
Henry was in awe of this super huge train track. The kids can build on to the tracks and also climb under the tables and pop up at different spots along the track.
We returned to the grocery store several times throughout our visit. Emma was getting her carb fix with a basket full of different bread.
H and E shopping together.
We helped in the nursery-diapered some babies, took their temperatures, their vitals, gave them medicine, and some tender loving care.
When you stand on the circle which has feet printed on it, the giraffe will tell you how tall you are! Henry is currently 3 feet 7 inches!
Dr. Emma Henriksen setting a good example for her patients by also finding out how tall she is. Emma is also 3 feet 7 inches!
And my third kid, oh I mean, my brother/fellow chaperone, Uncle Philip measured in at 6 feet 3 inches!
The camera enlarged things. Emma and Uncle Philip checking out her pretty face!
Henry said that this baby needed to be nose squiggied because he had boogers:)
Henry inside the mouth of a fierce dragon/liz/croc.
This was the entry way to the Energy Blast exhibit/movie. It was like being underwater. the lower half of the walls are covered in different sea plant life, you can see sharks and fish swimming along the walls, and the reflection of the water on the walls. And just as you're relaxing and settling in to the serene atmosphere, there's a big BOOM!!! And you're two five year olds run for the door! Philip and i almost fell over laughing(mean we know, but it was funny)! The boom was from the movie that they run every 10 minutes for this exhibit.
Uncle Philip and Emma learning about oil drilling and some of the machines they use.
Henry learning about the shale-the display screen showed the bounce back of vibrations hitting different soil levels.
The biggest Lite Brite that I've ever seen! I want one!
This is one of the interactive rooms where the kids could experiment with light reflection.
The special glasses bent the lights in strange new ways. I was told it was cool:)
This is one of the many cool things about the children's museum. We are being introduced to a native Rose Tarantuala. Henry thought it was too cool-check out his expression! Emma was looking at the bearded dragon.
Gently touching the spine of the bearded dragon.
The bearded dragon started to move some and it startled the kids a little.
And look

Field Trip #3-Fort Worth Museum of Natural History and Science!-Part 1

Looking at some insects. Emma was totally grossed out and Henry of course, thought the insects were cool.
The bumpasaurus slide in one of the gift shops. They must have slicked the slide up before we came because Henry came flying down. The entire figure is made out of recycled metals-license plates, nuts and bolts, back hoes, glass, etc.
We found all sorts of cool things in the gift shop. Books, games, and things like this mini-stretch sphere.
Emma wanted a turn with the sphere. She thought it was pretty cool!
The biggest Tinker Toys I've ever seen!
In the children's museum they have rooms dedicated to different things about science and nature. Here Henry is working on a craft with Uncle Philip. He really got into this and they were in there for a while.
Emma made something(I don't remember what she said) out of tissue paper and some gold stock paper.
The Slant 45 exhibit. Unfortunately, this is as close to it as I got. Emma(right corner) wasn't interested and wanted to keep moving.
Look at how high that one goes! The wind cylinder captured their attention and they did some hands on experimenting.
Slant 45
I'm pretty sure that this was one of the kids' favorite areas. we spent a good amount of time here. The museum has different "real life" areas. This is the super cool grocery store complete with scanner, moving conveyor belt, real looking food and set up.
Em playing with the huge train tracks.
Another part of the track-a giant tall bridge-very popular with the kids.
Somebody help!!! A giant lizard/croc is trying to eat my child!

Casa Manana Field Trip, Trinity Park Picnic

Henry took this picture at Trinity Park.
Another photo by Henry.

My little handsome man.
Emma's class posing as reindeer.
Henry's class(without Henry) posing as reindeer. Henry was tired and not cooperating, so we had to do the picture without him:(
Emma and some of her classmates on the merry-go-round.
Henry and two of his best friends on the other merry-go-round.
Henry and A crossing the big bridge. Henry was scared and she said that she's go across with him. So sweet, they held hands;)
My little loner man.
Having a picnic lunch at Trinity Park.
Some of our group inside the Casa Manana theater before the play started. They do not allow any photography or video during the performance. So I snapped a few before of the classes. This is the only one with one of our kiddos visible. Henry was in the group that I helped chaperon. Emma was in another group, but had lots of fun!