With three back-to-back weekends of travel and Jamie’s family visiting for a week during it all, I was ready for our crazed February schedule to calm down. I had some pretty daunting deadlines and the big ones were met: namely cranking out my article for The Broadmoor Magazine (details on my amazing birthday trip forthcoming).

It felt so wonderful to be in Denver last weekend and to actually have some semblance of a normal life (though the kids would somewhat disagree because some of that normalcy was dedicated unto cleaning the garage). I also attended an uplifting stake women’s conference at church, Jamie helped someone move, the boys went out to eat and watched BYU basketball while Hadley and I had a girl’s night to see Les Miserables performed at the local high school. Several kids from church were a part of it including Hadley’s bestie Alex and my hiking friend Dawn’s son was mind-blowingly good as Javert. In fact, the singing was so unbelievable I had to keep reminding myself it wasn’t a professional production. Go, high schoolers!

Both of the kids had sleepovers on Friday–Hadley’s friend Kasey came to us while Bode was at his buddy Nicky’s house–but they ended up at our elementary school’s annual 6th graders vs. teachers basketball game. I had no idea this was the social event of the season with not only basketball but a flash mob of “The Whip.” The girls made Go Students/Anti-Teacher signs to distribute at the game and I loved watching my kids ditch me (image that) to bond with their friends.

(Bode with his besties Kyler, Vinnie, Nicky, Mathias, Jacob, Andy, Angelo, Brody. Hadley and Kasey left to sit with their sixth grade friends after handing out the signs).

I seriously get teary-eyed when I think of the wonderful group of friends they have and how much they adore each other. For the first time, I deeply appreciated how blessed we are to have such an amazing community at our elementary school. Sometimes I get sad about them growing up too fast but I sure caught a glimpse of fun things to come as teens.

….They were interviewed by Colorado Public Radio about the Children’s Museum of Denver’s $16.1 million expansion (see their story here). We were privileged to attend the preview night and had a grand time. As I was hanging up our coats, the kids goofed off in front of a new camera at the entrance.

I thought it was harmless until we looked up and saw their precious chokehold displayed all over the ceiling.

Later as they were splish-splashing (and practically taking a bath) in the new Water exhibit, the CPR reporter started photographing Hadley, undoubtedly thinking, “I need to connect with the kids who make the biggest mess at the museum.”

Related: They proceeded to flood the water exhibit.

That was not included in the interview.

Also related: last summer when they attended the museum’s Joy Park grand opening, they dug a huge volcano in the “sand dunes,” filled it with water and ended up looking like swamp creatures, prompting a passerby to observe, “I didn’t even know that was possible.”

With my kids, anything is possible.

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The Colorado Public Radio interview:

A Look Inside The Expanded Children’s Museum of Denver

Corey Jones

Following a $16.1 million expansion, the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus reopens on Friday with six new exhibits including the Teaching Kitchen, the Art Studio and more.

What’s 9-year-old Arvada resident Bode Johnson’s favorite?

Altitude, a climbing structure that takes visitors three and a half stories up. The feature aims to capture the spirit of climbing a 14er. And don’t forget your helmet.

“One of the best parts is where you have to go across this bridge and each piece of rock moves,” Bode says. “It’s a little bit of a challenge.”

Amber Johnson — Bode’s mother – says her kids were aging out of the old exhibits at the Children’s Museum before the expansion.

“I’m really happy that there’s something geared to them,” she says. “The older kids can appreciate the science behind it.”

Children’s Museum president and CEO Mike Yankovich says his staff visited places like zoos, botanic gardens and children’s museums around the country seeking inspiration for new exhibits. “The final part was really trying to create exhibits and experiences that have never been done before,” Yankovich says.

The museum emphasized Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines by adding areas that explore issues like water and energy.

Yankovich says the new features were designed with an open-ended approach to education in mind.

“Don’t try to control people’s experience. Create platforms that allow them to really show off some level of individuality,” he says. “It really is about children becoming architects of their own learning.”

Last year, the museum served more than 327,000 children and adults, which resulted in over-crowding, Yankovich says. The recent renovation doubled the amount of space.

The Children’s Museum expansion also includes more parking and Joy Park: An Outdoor Adventure, which the museum unveiled this summer. The park includes sand dunes, rivers, forts and a zip line.