Indiana, Here We Come!

For Fall Break, we decided to head up to Indiana to visit B's brother and family.  They've lived there for years and we've never made it up!  Now B's brother is fostering 2 kids (DK, a 4 year old boy and MK, his little 2 year old sister) who they want to eventually adopt.  We really wanted the kids to meet their future cousins!

I have to say that this is the first trip we've taken where we were going to just go VISIT PEOPLE.  Usually we are packing for the beach or lots of other things, so half of our luggage is always gear for other things.  This time we only had to take CLOTHES with us!  What??  It was amazing to pack for just that.  I managed to get all 6 of us into one big suitcase.  The agent who checked us in at the airport said, "If I had a gold star, I would give it to you!"  Ha!  The compliments we love...

This was our first time in Indiana and it was definitely packed with fun things for kids!

1. Conner Prairie Interactive History Park--

This living history museum was awesome...especially because Eli just finished reading Little House on the Prairie and I just volunteered at his literature celebration for this book.  It was so timely and really helped Eli understand more about what life was like for Mary, Laura, and Baby Carrie.  He even told me, "I feel like sometimes I learn more when I go somewhere, rather than when I go to school."  Ha!  We had so much fun visiting the blacksmith, carpenter, and especially the potter.  The kids couldn't believe how quickly he made a candlestick!

  The kids even got to reenact a battle scene with a Union soldier while carrying wooden rifles.  This was perfect because Eli chose to dress up as Shadrach (a Union soldier from Across Five Aprils) for Literary Character Day at school!

2. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis--

Time and again, this place is named one of the best children's museums in America.  And it definitely is an awesome place!  The kids loved the dino exhibit, the space area, and the old-fashioned carousel ride,

but their favorite thing was by far the haunted house.  This was JUST scary enough for them so they thought it was SO cool...plus they had trick-or-treat stations!  The house ends with a walk through a tunnel that seems like it's moving.  You only have to walk a short distance, but you are so disoriented in there that you feel like it lasts forever!  I could barely stay on my feet in there!

3. Tuttle Orchards and Pumpkin Patch--

This was the thing the kids were looking forward to the most.  A real pumpkin patch.  Here in San Antonio, most of the "pumpkin patches" are just pumpkins placed on the ground at a farm.  At this place, the pumpkins were on the vine!  What???  Although since we were so late in the season, it was more like a pumpkin graveyard than a pumpkin patch.  But the kids didn't mind one bit!

The kids also loved walking through the corn maze and finding tons of corn.  There were lots of fun scarecrows along the way, too.

4. Rhythm Discovery Center--This is an interactive drum and percussion museum that the kids really enjoyed.  The kids love any excuse to jam out!

The whole trip was really fun and the weather was perfect...just like fall is supposed to be!  The kids also loved meeting their future cousins, DK and MK.  DK and MK were so loving and huggy...all the kids got along great.  We can't wait for family gatherings with these kids!