Monday goodness.

Even though Monday is our typical 'lounge around, catch up on chores, and snuggle' day, we needed OUT OF THE HOUSE.

So it started off with some Starfall.

And glitter glue...which Sam LOVED. He's not always crazy about art stuff, but dang.

Brooklyn's been asking to have her hair chopped for MONTHS. I'm a bit of a lazy chicken-heart when it comes to girls hair, so when a friend gave me a referral card worth $20 at a local salon, we set up the appointment for first thing Monday morning!! Here's her Before shot.

She was a bit nervous at the salon. She said it really creeped her out when they washed her hair, ha! We'd looked up hair styles though and she decided on a layered bob. So she walked right in and said, "I'm Brooklyn Teeter and I'd like a layered bob." The girls that worked there got a kick out of it.

Sam and I played in the chair next to Brook. He made the observation after the first snip, "Uh oh, Brooklyn's not Brooklyn anymore." After searching for clarification, I found what he meant was that she will never be the same--the same person, but never THE same. It was an odd conversation to have with a 3 1/2 year old, lol.

And the After (although also after an additional 5 hours of playing):

This morning Brook requested heading to a children's museum. The one we wanted to go to closed at noon though, and there was no way we'd make it. So we headed back to Lawrence Hall of Science where we have a membership.

They'd gotten new exhibits!! This was a paper airplane-throwing one. There was a bulls eye hung at the end of this tunnel.

Brook gave up nearly immediately, claiming that she "just can't do this." Sam and I got to work on a plane though.

Testing it out. He was pretty frustrated that it didn't go very far. As in, close to tears frustrated. So we had to have a little heart to heart about learning fine-motor skills, and that yeah, it's pretty frustrating! lol.

Of course they ran to the pin thing.

There's a large "DO NOT STICK YOUR FACE INTO THE PINS" sign right next to it, but hey, who looks at signs anyway? I think this was worth breaking the rules though! Pretty crazy.

She does love mirrors. A triangle of mirrors? Even better.

I love that none of the kids have any interest whatsoever in the "real" part of the machine.

Brook and Sam decided to build a catapult and see how far they could launch each other...until those two boys deconstructed it and hauled it away. There were tears. And tongues. And much, MUCH attitude. Sigh.

Of course I can't NOT get a photo of the view.

The outside back part of Lawrence Hall of Science.

Sam's been asking to come back to this place SPECIFICALLY for this fault-line "ride" since before we even left last time... And I must say, I'm surprised he didn't interact with it more--it was about a 5 minute thing (versus 10 times that last time!).

The pack horse.

I about died. I signed to Sam "I love you" and he gave me this...

...I'm watching you...

The new exhibit! It was sheer insanity. There were some really neat exhibits, but there were also many different schools there on field trips. Craziness.

Sam's favorite station--it's supposed to simulate those seeds that gently float down from the tree ("helicopter seeds" is what we call them). You'd insert pieces of paper in the bottom and the air would blow it out the top.

An artsy-fartsy center where they supplied lots of random objects for you to create a masterpiece. Brook worked on this for a good half hour.

A hat! She said that the plates hanging down were to balance it out and secure it to your head. "It's quite cushy."

Testing out that wind.

Sam wanted to build a fort "just wike dat guy" (the guy behind him in the photo). I showed him the basic concept behind it and watched him look at it and study it, then give it a shot, then study mine again, then look at the kid's structure, then at mine, then adjust his...it was amazing--I would be so frustrated if it were that difficult for me to process! After the third try he got the base, but then building up was tricky.

We had to head out to beat traffic, but we couldn't leave without a leap through the giant DNA.

I swung into Sprouts (the grocery store) and Brook asked to stay in the car and finish her orange. This is what I found when I opened her door up after Sam and I finished shopping...and then of course we had to wait for Sam to try it. Crazy kids.

We got home and it was time for some glowstick Hide and Go Seek for Sam and I!

And I introduced Brooklyn to Shirley Temple (AKA - Heidi in this shot), and the girl is hooked.

We were having leftover spaghetti for dinner and Sam went nuts. Dinner is SO hard with him. Why!? He eats ALL DAY LONG, why is dinner so different?? Anyways, I gave him the option of me fixing him dinner (spaghetti) or him cooking himself some eggs. He took the latter. So be it.

Brooklyn found Bubba's letter that she's been meaning to send for a week now. This is how she began addressing it...it's covered in curly letters and numbers and is quite beautiful. Something tells me the mailman won't appreciate it, so we'll have to put the mailing address on the back I think.

After a week full of games, I decided we needed something new. So I picked up Qwirkle at Lawrence Hall of Science. I enjoyed it and am excited to do some more "free playing" versus the strategy playing tomorrow.

Anyways, I'd better get to bed. Pediatric dentist, blood work, pharmacy trips tomorrow. Fun fun. And I feel a little tickle in my throat so...yeah, DEFINITELY heading to bed. Cannot take another week at home!!!!

P.S. Thanks for the challenge, Stephanie at Ordinary Life Mom! Mondays truly are completely opposite of what they USED to be!