Air & Space Museum

Erin told me about the Air & Space Museum at Peterson AFB, and since my nephew is in town, we headed over there to check it out.  (Plus after taking 4 kids to Em's orthodontist appointment I needed somewhere for them to be outside & it's free!)

We bypassed the museum so that we could checkout the planes first.  The kids loved it.

Junior just liked to lie under the wings of the planes and sing songs about them.

When we got back into the museum, the kids looked around for a bit, and then the docent put on a Magic School Bus video on flight so that I could look around more.  The docent was so knowledgeable, I could have talked to him all day.  I was the only one walking around for a good half hour, so I got a private tour and heard all his stories about people, planes, and military history.  By the time the movie was over, people showed up to tour, and my private tour was over, so we headed home.  If you have boys (or an Abs), this is a great place to visit!

Skating

Em's troop was going ice skating, so Gunner ventured out with both girls. The last two summers when they were in daycare while I was in school, they went roller skating every week. They never really got the hang of it, but apparently ice skating is easier for them. Go figure.

Abs insisted that she have a helmet.

I'm a star!

You only have to be 16 to drive one, and apparently this is Ab's new ambition. I still have time to work on her though.

In order to earn the patch, Em has to do another two hours, so we will be back out there in the near future. It's not too expensive either over at the World Arena, and they even offer hockey lessons. I would love to play hockey, maybe they have adult lessons?

US Olympic Training Center

I LOVE the Olympics.  I love the stories behind the athletes.  I love the sight of the winners on the podium and the tears in their eyes as their national anthem plays.  I cannot wait till next Friday when the opening games will be held in Vancouver.  

We've been wanting to checkout the US Olympic Training Center here in Colorado Springs, but seems like something always comes up, or we are worn out from the gym.  Gunner had training this morning and his trainer is wonderful and lets me join in on Saturday mornings.  We both hurt, but we headed out anyway.

I was trying to get a picture of the kids poking their heads through the rings, but no one wanted to cooperate.  The story of our lives in pictures.

The tours are given ever thirty minutes, so we checked out the gift shop.

We hit the Hall of Fame and tried out the bobsled.

They showed a video of Olympic moments, that made me want to cry throughout, and run back to the gym and workout like crazy.

Instead we went on the tour, since that seemed easier.  I'll hit the gym tomorrow.  You aren't allowed to stop any of the athletes to take pictures because so many of them live there too.  Talk about a deal!  You get free training, room, board, college, and more.  You have to be the top 10-15 in your sport though, so I'm not there yet, maybe next year? 

They have a board when you walk in that lists all of the sponsors of the OTC, and so while the lady was talking, I see Abs hand go up.  I put it down, and then it went back up.  Then Junior looked over and saw his sister's hand up, so his went up.  Our tour guide finally stopped talking and took Ab's question.

Tour Guide:  Do you have a question?
Abs:  Oh yeah.  Can you tell me why there is a beer company that is a sponsor?  It seems to me that if they are athletes and take care of their bodies, that beer probably shouldn't be on their mind. 
(By this point everyone is giggling and agreeing with her)
Tour Guide:  Well it has a lot to do with them having a lot of money and wanting to help.  (She wasn't sure how to answer that question)

We watched some wrestling matches, and one athlete fell in love with Junior.  She was talking to him and asking for high fives. 

We saw the pool, the shooting range was closed, and met paraolympians, saw people working out in the gym, training, etc.  It was really neat, I recommend it if you are in the area.

I took a bunch of pictures of the kids on the medal stand, which turned into tears because Em only wanted gold, and Abs was tired of being the silver medalist.  Finally someone took a picture of all of us so I can say that I was there.