Once we were inside the Mars exhibit, we began to learn about the many different of what would be required to go to Mars. We learned about space toilets that have to work without gravity. We learned about the terrain of Mars and its many “dust storms.” We discovered that both of our children would be too light to be able to walk on Mars. We learned about how all the things required for a civilization to flourish on Mars would get to Mars. We learned about tight living quarters and dehydrated food. We learned more than we really wanted to know about life in space and on Mars. When we exited the exhibit we were asked to vote again whether we had changed our minds since learning all about Mars. This time our son voted “yes” to go to Mars along with his daddy. I pushed the stroller through the “vote no” gate with our daughter. With all my new knowledge about life in space and on Mars, I really do not want to go to Mars.
Our next stop on our family outing at the science center was the “Star Theater,” the reason we had ventured to the science center in the first place. Our son really wanted his daddy to see the stars in the sky in the big dome. Father and son rushed into the well lit and empty theater excited to learn about the stars. I followed behind with our daughter and the stroller while realizing that the next show was not for another twenty minutes. Luckily they had a play list set up in the corridor that allowed patrons to pick short shows to play when the “featured”shows were not running. I selected the first show just as my husband and son got situated on the floor on their backs. I sat down with our daughter who was a little concerned about the stars falling from the sky. She then deemed that this dark theater was the perfect opportunity for her to have a snack. So while I nursed our daughter, my husband and son lay on the floor mesmerized with the stars in the sky…
(To be continued…)