Pestology Camp

One day Pestology Camp at Arizona Science Center. I only know what I was told... but apparently they dissected an earthworm, then they each got to touch a dead scorpion (with gloves on), then they "chopped it in half" and looked at it's "brain" and heart. I don't know if I would recognize a scorpion's brain if I saw it. They also visited the new "My Body" exhibit with Elmo. I haven't seen it, but last time Jazzy and I went to the Science Center together, there was a stomach that you can walk into that makes all kinds of noises, then you walk thru the intestines. As you exit, there is a "passing gas" sound. I know that exhibit was a huge hit with kids. They just kept going thru it over and over:) Jasmine in class when I came to pick her up. They were talking about bees and dragonflies- and how their wings work. The "jitterbug" made by Jasmine. Each child made one. Hers is pink, of course! Making something or another... not sure what:) Glad this was only a one day "camp". Driving into downtown Phoenix twice in one day is just too much!

July 4th...

Tonight we visited the Phoenix Zoo for fun, dinner, and fireworks. Jasmine rode the Merry Go Round, played in the bounce houses, and water fountains, then we had dinner. The zoo admissions are limited to 400 people on July 4th, which is really nice because on a normal day, there are typically thousands of people there at one time. It was ridiculously hot, but did cool off with a slight breeze after sunset. It never gets below 100 degrees at night this time of year. The "not so fun" part of the evening- it is usually a 12-15 minute drive to the zoo from our house, which was the case on the way there. On the way back, the freeway was closed! I guess they were thinking that because the fireworks are set off right over Tempe Towne Lake and the Salt River, which is where the freeway runs,.. that people are going to be gawking at the fireworks instead of paying attention to driving. That may be the case, but they cause a *huge* inconvenience for people trying to get home. It took us 90 minutes to get home with all of the traffic, and we even left early. So... never again...From now on, we will do something indoors and watch the fireworks on TV. It was fun when we were there, just not fun getting home. Now we are on our way to the Arizona Science Center for "Pestology Camp" sponsored by Orkin:))) When I told Jasmine she was going to be studying mosquitoes, cockroaches, flies, fleas, and ants today, she had a very pained look on her face:)) I think she will enjoy it though. Waiting to get into the zoo:) Stingray Bay was open. For a couple of years, I have been trying to get Jasmine to pet a stingray. They are so friendly and used to being petted, that all you have to do is put your hand in the water and they all come swimming over and present their backs for "petting". They feel like velvet. So, this is the first time I was able to get her to stick her hand in the water. When they came up to her, she would always remove her hand. At least we're making a little progress:) Of course, the Merry Go Round is the big attraction. All of the photos I took of her in the little "water park" came out blurry, but that was great fun also!