Livin' the Dream: Omaha Children's Museum

The boys and I took Schuyler and her friend back home to Nebraska after "Niece-cation '09," and we stayed overnight at Mom's house. The next day, I wanted to do something fun and different, so Mom, my niece Lexi, Jackson, Landon and I all went to the Omaha Children's Museum.

This contraption — where you turn the wheel to try to get the orange ball in the hoop — is outside, before you even enter the building.

The front desk even had things for kids to interact with.

This is called the Exploraporter.

Jack putting out fires.

Me and Lexi in the Imagination Playground.

Energy Exchange, a big kinetic energy labyrinth.

As you might be able to tell, everything was very hands-on. This is the Inventor's Workshop, an area to "maneuver gadgets inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's sketchbooks and create your own structures at Dream It! Build It! and the whirligig station."

Then we went into one of my favorite sections, a free-for-all area full of plastic balls flying around. (I love activities where there really aren't any rules and kids don't have to be given instructions on how to have fun.) Officially, it's called the "Super Gravitron, now featuring hydraulic, pneumatic and mechanical sections."

These two silver pipes with columns of rushing air blowing out, each kept a plastic ball suspended in mid air.

The high-pressured air did other things, too.

Landon was mesmorized by the ball floating in air.

But each time he would crawl toward it and pull himself up on the pipe, he'd block the flow of air and the ball would crash down!

Finally — he got it!

As we finished doing things on the first floor, here's a seat in which you're easily able to raise yourself off the ground ... thanks to more pulleys.

You can't see me sitting in the chair, but Jack got a kick out of being able to lift me so high — all by himself.

Then we headed upstairs for the temporary exhibit of "Sesame Street Presents: The Body."

Jack's moving the right side of his body and pointing to the left side of his brain.

Since the nervous system is about wires and connections, you learn about it by listening on the phone.

Jack (in the wheelchair) was racing the boy on the left (who was running in place) and the girl on the right (who was using a pedal cart).

This part, near the end, really was about your end. It demonstrated how to "Eat," "Digest" and ...

"Poo." Just push the red button and you got to see and hear how waste leaves the body. Especially after his recent bout with severe constipation, this was definitely Jack's favorite part. So, in other words, his No. 1 thing was about No. 2.