Chimney the Elf

We have a little Christmas elf that visits us every year.  His name is Chimney.  Nicholas named him that many, many years ago.  Chimney appears as soon as the Christmas tree is decorated.  He has fun watching the crazy things we do around here and he flies back to Santa each night to give him gift ideas for the kids.  By the time the kids wake up the next morning, Chimney has returned and has perched himself in a new spot in the house.  Rachel adores looking for Chimney each morning!

She left him some chocolate pie before she went to bed.  Chimney happily polished it off and even left little mitten prints on the plate and napkin.

Chimney must like baby tomatoes because we found him hiding in the tomato plants of our Aerogarden!

One night Rachel was sick so Chimney rested on a tissue paper flower on top of her bookcase so he could watch over her.

As we read about the Jesse Tree, Chimney has often listened in.  One time we found him visiting Baby Jesus in our nativity scene.

Does he realize that we can totally see him hiding in that vase?

Where will Chimney hide next?

Birds of Paradise at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science {Giveaway}

Football-sized gems, show-stopping birds who strut their stuff, dry ice, liquid nitrogen, acorn dissecting, dancing corn and “blubber” gloves are among the Perot Museum of Nature and Science’s festive lineup of holiday happenings. The museum invited us to a special presentation to learn about it  The Birds of Paradise exhibit was the highlight but we learned some other cool things that I can't wait to share!  Keep reading to learn how to enter to win a 4 pack of VIP tickets to the Perot!

We learned about the new Brainiacs that you will see throughout the museum.  Brainiacs can't wait for you to "talk nerdy" with them.  They will be located on each level and they are available to talk to you about the different exhibits or just answer your wild and crazy science-related questions.  We got to watch them do some cool science demonstrations for us.

Rachel loved the presentation and couldn't wait to get a picture with some of the Brainiacs that we met.  She said that would be an awesome job to have.

Afterwards we talked to some other Brainiacs.  Here we talked about differences between the red fox and the arctic fox such as different teeth structure, different coat colors, etc. 

Next we talked about birds, their different habitats, and even the differences in their eggs.  Rachel got to hold an ostrich egg!

At the pinnacle of the event was the groundbreaking Birds of Paradise exhibition, where the adventures and stories behind the first survey of all 39 birds-of-paradise are documented and brilliantly displayed.

BIRDS OF PARADISE (through Jan. 8, 2017) is a story of nature’s most fascinating feathered flirts.  A science exhibition, art show and natural history display in one, Birds of Paradise, co-produced by National Geographic and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology takes visitors on an expedition to a New Guinea rainforest to witness the spectacular plumage and dazzling dance moves of the family of birds known as birds-of-paradise.

Kids (and adults!) can learn and test their bird moves at this interactive and competitive Bird of Paradise game.

We enjoyed learning about how the riflebird transforms or shape-shifts into unusual poses and stays that way for up to a minute as part of their mating dance.  That's nature's "mannequin challenge"!

Of course, as always with the Perot Museum, there are plenty of interactive displays to help kids learn more about Birds of Paradise, their behavior, habitats, etc.

It was interesting to learn that even though all of these birds are considered Birds of Paradise, each species has unique features including distinct bird calls.  Kids love pressing the buttons and hearing each of the calls.

Look at all the different species of Birds of Paradise!  Nicholas' favorite is the black sicklebill.

Through beautiful National Geographic photography, we followed the adventures of two determined researchers who made 18 trips to New Guinea over eight years to complete the first survey of all 39 known species of birds-of-paradise.

We watched a video about Tim Laman, field biologist, photographer, researcher, and explorer.  Nicholas was fascinated with the idea of combining nature exploration and photography as a career.

I'm so grateful that the Perot Museum included this back story to their exhibit because my son is excited to learn more about expedition photography.  I have to say that I would have loved to have done this for a career too!

Once you've seen the fabulous Birds of Paradise exhibit, be sure to check out all of the other amazing activities going on at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science over the holidays!

WINTER BREAK. The kids are out of school, and parents can keep young minds alert during the  winter holidays. At select times during winter break Dec. 24-Jan. 8 (except for Dec. 25), guests of all ages can enjoy daily brain-boosting experiences, from bookworm readings and science trivia to activities and demos such as acorn dissecting, pine cone science, blubber gloves, dancing corn, holiday table “magic” and more. Plus, little ones ages 5 and under can enjoy themed crafts such as turkey headbands and “polar opposites” animal art daily until 3 p.m. Activities are free with general admission. Visit perotmuseum.org/holiday for daily schedules. 

From Dec. 27-30, winter Discovery Camp will take pre-K through 4th graders into the “cool science” worlds of robotics, chemistry and the marine biology of Arctic creatures. Visit perotmuseum.org/camps for registration and additional details. 

2017 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE! SPEAKERS SERIES. Call it story time for adults. The 2017 National Geographic Live! Speaker Series kicks off Jan. 5 with Hilaree O’Neill, the first woman to climb the world’s first- and fourth-tallest mountains (Mount Everest and Lhotse, respectively) in under 24 hours. As a professional skier, mountaineer, writer and mother, O’Neill will discuss her many adventures in Hilaree O’Neill: Point of No Return. The series continues on March 2 with aquatic ecologist Zeb Hogan, host of Nat Geo’s Monster Fish TV show, plus NFL cheerleader-turnedprimatologist Mireya Mayor on May 4. All three talks will take place at 7 p.m. in The Hoglund Foundation Theater, a National Geographic Experience. Season ticket packages are $75 for Museum members and $90 for non-members. Individual tickets are $30 for Museum members and $35 for non-members. National Geographic Live! is presented by Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. 

FAMILY-FUN EVENTS. There are plenty of reasons for a repeat visit this holiday season! Folks looking to visit after dark will enjoy First Thursday Late Nights on Jan. 5 (themed Robotics) when the Museum stays open until 9 p.m. with inventive and edgy experiences. Kids and their adult chaperones can snore and explore during the Museum’s “winter wonderland” sleepover on Jan. 7, complete with exciting animals, science experiments, a screening of the holiday film Elf, a Fire & Ice demo, a dance party plus a winter wonderland-themed photo to take home. Discovery Days and Late Nights are free to members and included with general admission for non-members. The Winter Wonderland Sleepover is $50 per youth and $40 per adult chaperone

HOURS. General hours of operation for the Perot Museum are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. On the first Thursday of each month, the Museum will remain open until 9 p.m. for First Thursday Late Night.  

Holiday and other special hours. The Perot Museum will close Dec. 25 (Christmas). The Museum will offer extended hours until 7 p.m. Dec. 26-Jan. 1, except for Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve) when the Museum will close at 3 p.m. and Dec. 31 (New Year’s Eve) when the Museum will close at 5 p.m. 

Member-only mornings. From 9-10 a.m. every Saturday and 11 a.m.-noon every Sunday, members can enjoy exclusive access to the Perot Museum, plus member-only access to the Moody Family Children’s Museum on Mondays from 10 a.m.-noon.  

TICKETS. Museum general admission is $19 for adults (18-64), $12 for youth (2-17) and $13 for seniors (65+). Museum general admission is free for members. Admission to the theater is $6 for a short film (20-25 minutes) and $8 for a long film (40 minutes). For members, admission to the theater is $5 (short film) and $6 (long film). Films and general admission for children under 2 are free. For groups of 10 or more, call for special rates at 214-428-5555 ext. 8. All prices are subject to change. 

Birds of Paradise requires a surcharge for a total admission cost of $27 for adults (18-64), $19 for youth (2-17), $20 for seniors (65+), and free for children under 2. Member tickets are $6 for adults (18-64) and $5 for youth (2-17) and seniors (65+). 

The Perot Museum is located at 2201 N. Field Street in Dallas, Texas. For more information, visit perotmuseum.org or call 214-428-5555.


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Inner Space Cavern {Georgetown, TX}

My kids have really gotten into geology lately so we made a trip to Inner Space Cavern in Georgetown, TX.  They had never been to a cavern so they were really excited.

There are three different levels of tours that you can take.  We took the Adventure tour which lasts about 1 hour, 15 minutes and is the beginner level tour.  They also offer the Hidden Passages tour which lasts about 1 hour, 30 minutes and customers are provided with their own flashlight as they will be taking a more rugged tour.  Finally, if you are really adventurous, you can take the Wild Cave tour.  This tour lasts from 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours.  You must be 13 years of age or older.  This tour takes adventurers into undeveloped areas of the cavern and is physically demanding.

We got our tickets for the Adventure Tour and waited for our time to start.  While we waited there was plenty to look at.  Rachel found a giant mammoth.

Nicholas looked at the mammoth molar and jawbone.  These were actually found here in the cavern.

Our guide explained how dynamite was first used to blast an opening to the cavern.  He had a flashlight and used it to point out things of interest all along our tour.

It is a steep walk along a lot of the paths in the cavern.  Close-toed shoes are recommended but I would add that hiking boots or at least shoes with really good traction would be ideal.

The first room is a great place to learn about the basics of cavern formations.  Water seeps through the ground and while it is under pressure from the Earth, it picks up carbon dioxide and the mineral calcite.  Once the water reaches the open area of the cavern and is no longer under pressure the carbon dioxide evaporates and the calcite can no longer be held by the water so it settles on to the nearest surface. 

In this room We saw stalactites which hang from the ceiling and stalagmites which build up from the ground.  Columns form when the stalactites and stalagmites meet up and join.  These formations take a really long time to form.  They grow at a rate of about 1 cubic inch in 100 years. 

You are not allowed to touch any of the formations in the cavern.  Our skin will put oil and dirt on the formations which will cause the calcite to just glide right over the formation instead of building on to it.  However, you are allowed to touch Temptation Stone.  It is the ONLY stone in the cavern that you are allowed to touch so get it out of your system here.

Most of the formations in the cavern are a tan or rust color due to iron that is mixed with the calcite.  However, pure calcite is very white as seen in this picture below.  The top of this white formation is called a drapery and it was formed as the water slid down an inclined plane and left streaks of calcite behind.  The lower part of the formation is a stalagmite.  When they joined together, they became a drapery column.

This part of Texas was once under the sea and you can see fossilized coral and shrimp on the ceiling in parts of the cavern.

This ceiling is different that most of the ceiling in the cavern because it is made of dolomite.  It is absorbent like a sponge so formations don't form like they do in other rooms.

Here you can see a crack in the ceiling from a fissure of the Balcones Fault.

Some of the tunnels were low and narrow but they all eventually opened up into big rooms.

Like looking for pictures in the clouds, it is also fun to use your imagination to see what you can find in the formations.  This room is called the Ice Cream Parlor because of the formations that look like an ice cream cone and ice cream sandwich.

This is also the room with the First Formation.  This stalactite and stalagmite are about 1/2 inch apart and at the slow rate of growth it will probably be 50 years before they join as a column formation.  It will be the "first formation" to form since the cavern was opened.

I wish I had a better picture of this but this is called Cave Bacon.  Doesn't it kind of look like bacon hanging from the ceiling?  It is formed from alternating flows of brown and white calcite that flow through an elongated crack instead of a hole.

We made our way into the Discovery Room where the Inner Space Cavern was first discovered back in 1963 as part of a study by the Texas Highway Department to see if they could build I-35 in this area.  They were taking core samples of the ground and the drill then dropped 25 feet down to the bottom of the cavern.  They did a little more drilling before determining that they must have found a cavern.  They expanded this drill hole to 24 inches and actually sent the first person down this hole to see for himself.  Can you imagine going down this narrow dark tunnel and coming out into a pitch black unknown cavernous area?  That's the stuff of nightmares to me!  But thank goodness they pushed on and discovered this amazing cavern for us to explore today.

This room has a cool formation that some say looks like a big fat sumo wrestler eating ice cream.  I see it!  Do you?  Isn't it fun to see what your imagination can come up with as you look at these formations?

This formation is called the Flowing Stone of Time and it is one of the older formations in the cavern.  It is HUGE!

On the side of the Flowing Stone of Time is a small hole in the ground about 3 feet big.  In the hole is a small pool that can hold about 125 gallons of water.  Since the water down here has been naturally filtered as it traveled through the rocks, this is some of the purest water you can find.

The Scalloped Ceiling room shows that water was present in this room as evidenced by the erosion that it caused as waves beat against the ceiling.  Nicholas later asked me about this and wondered why there would be waves if there wasn't wind to blow the water around.  Good question!  We will have to research this on our own.

This is the Castle Balcony room.  This was a fun room because our tour guide told us a cute fairy tale derived from the formations.  It had to do with a castle, princess, a dragon, etc.  I love storytelling so I could seriously spend time down here just making up stories about the interesting formations.

There is a retaining wall surrounding an area of the cave called a bone sink.  There were many bones found in the sink hole and a UT professor has used the retaining wall to paint pictures of some of the animals of which bones were found.

This is the Inner Cathedral room, the largest room in the cavern.  There are excavation digs here performed by the University of Texas.  There are some fossils in the ground that they were too soft to safely excavate so they have left them in place for now.

Every way you turn there are interesting formation all around.  We had hoped to see a few bats on our tour but we never did.

This last room is called the Lake of the Moon.  It is the deepest spot in the cavern at 69 feet below the surface.  It is a really beautiful room and there has even been a wedding performed down here!

There is a monster face at the entrance to the room!  See the eyes, nose, and scary mouth?

Our little amateur geologists had a great time on the Adventure Tour and they hope to come back soon to try the Hidden Passages tour!

Rachel thought the room was so beautiful.  She asked to get one more picture of just her in it.  I had to be quick though because our tour guide had already left to take the group back up to the surface!  It's a pretty room but I didn't want to get stuck down there if they turned the lights out on us!

Back up at the surface we briefly checked out the gift shop.  I saw this awesome shirt and I probably should have bought it but I didn't!

We got a recommendation from a friend for a good place for BBQ for dinner.  We went to Salt Lick.  It was delicious!

Information about Inner Space Cavern:
The address is 4200 S. I-35, Georgetown, TX 78626.  Hours are Monday - Friday: 9am - 4pm; Saturday: 10am-5pm; Sunday: 11am-5pm. For more information, please call them at 512-931-2283 or check out the Inner Space Cavern Facebook page.