No Princesses Here!: Playing Catch-Up (Part 2)

Last Friday we hopped in the car (again), and started making our way to Pittsburgh. Since it was Eva's first trip into The Burgh, we packed as much into our time there as possible. The combination of a busy schedule, a 3 year old, and travel had me equal parts excited and nervous. When things are going well that can lead to a really fun adventure. When things are going badly, it can lead to a whole world of hurt for me and the hubby.

Our first stop was the Carnegie Science Center. Eva had a great time running from one exhibit to the next, stopping to play with whatever caught her attention. We, as usual, had fun trailing along and watching the wheels in her head turn. The first floor is pretty hands-on, but there wasn't much that held her interest for too long. The second floor got a little more interesting with its robot displays. My favorite was this:

A robot that shoots baskets. So freaking cool.

One more floor up, the exhibit had an aquatic theme. She was a big fan of the fish tank.

That's my girl- using a magnifying glass, making her science dork of a mother proud. Also: Dori!

The next floor up was a preschooler's dream come true. If it's something that a 3 year old would love to play with for hours on end, chances are that they've got it there. Eva's favorite part was an area that demonstrated how vacuums, conveyor belts, and pulleys work.

Upon seeing this picture again: "I was thinking there, Mommy. Thinking and thinking.....".

After we all had had enough thinking for one day, it was time to go and check in at the hotel. I had hoped for some down time and maybe even a nap, but we didn't have much of a buffer until it was time to leave for our next adventure.....that day.

We went to see the Penguins play at the Consol Energy Center. It was our first time seeing them in the new arena and Eva's first-ever hockey game. I'm sure that I was more excited about it than she was. The poor thing was so exhausted that she fell asleep in the car on the way to and from the game. Despite her very tired state and having to stay relatively still for a few hours all while being 3 years old, she seemed to have a good time. Granted, it had a lot more to do with Iceburgh (the Penguins mascot for all you heathens out there) than the actual game, but that's ok. She also loved celebrating all the Pens goals- lucky that we were at that particular game since their performances before and since have been rather lackluster. But Iceburgh, he was definitely what she loved most about the game. Before the game started he was out on the ice, picking up pucks and dancing around. Eva had a moment of panic when the zambonis came out on the ice at the same time. "Penguin! Penguin, watch out!" She was VERY concerned that her beloved penguin was about to meet a tragic end right in front of our eyes. It was so cute. For the entirety of the game, the only thing she really cared about was where Iceburgh was at any time.