June Highlights:
- We visit the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the first time
- I compete in two triathlons – Admiral’s Cup and Breath of Life
- We all see the new Finding Dory movie
- We celebrate Lilah’s birthday
A Day of Discovery at JPL
Every year, JPL has an open house event where the general public is invited to come out and tour the facilities which includes NASA’s famous Mission Control Center — a digital control center used to monitor all space flights from point of origin to landing. The JPL employee had a great name for this room — he called it the “Woo Hoo” room because this is where everyone cheers when a mission like the Rover landing on Mars is successful. The latest project where Woo Hoos will undoubtedly be heard is when the Juno spacecraft enters the orbit of Jupiter on July 4. This aircraft will be used to capture images of this giant planet and also observe things like Jupiter’s gravity and magnetic fields, atmospheric dynamics and composition, and evolution.
Even though it was one of the hottest days we had experienced in a while (90+ degrees), the kids had a good time wandering through the exhibits, and learning a little about what it takes to succeed in space exploration. In addition to exhibits, JPL also shows different short documentaries regarding missions, origins of planets, and other space related phenomena. I thought the kids would quickly tire out from the heat, but we paced ourselves pretty well and Lilah kept us focused on seeing the areas she most cared, including the Mission Control Center and the huge contaminant-free clean room they use to build spacecraft. This room was huge and the mannequins they used for reference looked tiny in comparison. As I observed the room I couldn’t help think back to the original Willy Wonka movie and the white futuristic room where Mike TV meets his demise. I half expected the oompa loompas to make an appearance but no such luck.
Overall, a great time was had by all. My only complaint is that it can get pretty crowded, but the good news is that maybe one day the kids can come back on their own and get a more personal tour from their Aunt Mary who works at JPL. Lilah really seemed to enjoy the place the most so we finished the visit by buying her a NASA cap as a souvenir, which she donned proudly on the campus even though she refused to smile for my picture.
We Celebrate Lilah’s Sweet 16 Birthday
Lilah’s is now a “sweet” sixteen. I know I always talk about how straightforward and honest Lilah is as she is typically not the type to sugarcoat her opinions or feelings, but despite her sometimes tough exterior, she really is a considerate, thoughtful and yes, a sweet person. I am always reminded of this when I see how she schedules time to be with her friends, buys or makes special gifts for them and also hugs them goodbye. All little things, but big things when it comes to making long-lasting friendships. Speaking of scheduling, Cat and I must now make sure we check with Lilah before making any plans because it seems her Summer social calendar fills up pretty quickly these days — she’s only been out a couple weeks but already there have been birthday parties to go to, plays to see, sleepovers, group workouts, and movie dates.
Her actual birthday landed on a Thursday this year so I made sure I worked from home that day so that Cat and I could be there to give her presents and show her some love, which she was entirely receptive to. When she made her appearance at around 10:30 AM she came out with a smile and was more than happy to let us give her big hugs and watch her open her presents. She didn’t even mind me taking pictures of her as she opened presents from us, grandma Carol and Tia Christine. She would get more presents on the weekend from my parents and my sister, not to mention her friends. But while she hung out with us that morning, she was as sweet as could be. Luke was even able to give her a hug without getting punched.
So there you go, our tough girl (or should I say young woman), also has a tender heart. I think her character is going to endear her to a lot of people as she moves through life. The friendships she has now are really strong because her friends value her honesty and they know she will always make time to be with them. She is a woman with a strong and independent character and we love her so much. Happy sweet sixteen Lilah!
That’s all for now. More next month…