From Eggs to Bones

When we visit Houston we always try to cram as much into our short trip as possible. In addition to making the rounds to see our family, we were able to enjoy an early Easter egg hunt and also check out the natural history museum (did I mention this was all in one day?).

Michael's dad works at the Univ. of Houston and they were hosting an Easter egg hunt for the families of faculty and staff. Grayson was so worn out from staying up late with the extended family the night before, that he slept in well after 9 a.m. which I don't think has ever happened. 

We had just about written off going to the egg hunt when he woke up and we made a split decision to hurry up and get ready so we could get there in time. We made it just as they were counting down to the start "3, 2, 1, GO!" We told Gray to run on ahead and start collecting eggs. 

Michael barely had time to grab the camera and, sadly, Popper missed the whole thing because he was parking the truck. He did manage to find us after to check out the rest of the activities.

Gray is in the red shirt in the middle. 

Getting a boost from daddy for some of the last, well-hidden eggs

Could we be dressed any less "Easter-y?" At least we had on some U of H Cougar red.

Gray with Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny

After the egg hunt we walked around campus and got up-close and personal with two cougar statues.

From there we went on to the natural history museum which has an amazing butterfly exhibit. You walk into a greenhouse that feels like a rainforest inside (complete with a three-story waterfall) with butterflies flittering all around. I always hope for one to land on me, but no such luck this time around. 

Then we went on to the dinosaur exhibit. Gray is really into dinosaurs and actually knows most of their names. We played a game where he would look at their teeth and tell me if they were a meat eater or plant eater. He also asked that we read the sign next to each display so he could hear about that dinosaur's characteristics. You could see the wheels turning in his head the whole time.

Listening to Nana tell about this prehistoric crocodile

The museum also had a exhibit all about petrified wood. While that may not sound exciting, the patterns and colors were mesmerizing and remind me of abstract art. I'd love to have one of these huge tree sections hanging on my wall as artwork. 

These pictures don't do justice to the beauty of each piece. They gleamed under the exhibit lights.

One more shot of Gray dancing under the T-Rex. Like a lot of kids, the T-Rex is his favorite and thanks to Popper, he now has a stuffed animal T-Rex (named Ted) from the museum gift shop. He sleeps with Ted every night and carries him around everywhere.