Hawk Talk Creature Feature

Today we visited the Charlotte Nature Museum for the first time because it was hosting a "Hawk Talk" Creature Feature. The Raptor Center had representation there with a hawk and a kite, but I couldn't take any photos because I had to use both hands to keep my children still and from leaping beyond the rope that kept children a certain number of feet away from the raptors (even though John assured me, "Don't worry, Mama, they don't bite." Um, yes, honey, they do.)

The Nature Museum was wonderful! It focuses on serving ages three to seven and costs $6 per person, ages two and above.

I let Mary walk, knowing there was no way at 20 months old that she'd tolerate the Ergo or the stroller when her big brother and the hundred other kids there were running free. Chris had to stay back at home to work, so I was managing the two children by myself, which was rather alarming at times in the labyrinthine museum filled with easily one hundred children and their parents while we were there.

The Nature Museum has a delightful butterfly pavilion! The "fly-flies" (as Mary calls them) were fluttering about everywhere and probably would have landed on us if we stood still.

A glass case held the many chrysalises by species.

The Nature Museum was home to many small live animals, such as turtles, fish, frogs, snakes, owls, and mice.

There was a crawling tube with three entry/exit points, and a single parent could not keep an eye on all three holes at one time. And both my children went into the maze of tubes. And my heart raced when I couldn't see them!

The children had painting done on their arms: a butterfly for Mary and a turtle for John.

There was a play room with books and toys.

There was a craft room, in which today the children were decorating homemade binoculars.

Who knew beavers could grow to 60 pounds?

We ate snacks before walking across the parking lot and a bridge to Freedom Park, where we strolled around the lake.

Now we'll just watch and wait to see if the children picked up any illnesses from the surfaces in the Nature Museum! Blech!