Kennedy, we have pint-sized astronauts. We are go for launch!
The highlight of our trip last week was most definitely our visit to Kennedy Space Center. Have you been? WOW! What a place. We could have easily spent three full days touring, exploring, doing and discovering. As it turned out, we were there for about six hours. Not nearly enough time. Especially for Benjamin and Nicholas. I’ve blogged before that Benjamin wants to be an astronaut. He decided this about two years ago. In fact, he wants to be a scientist astronaut. That’s an astronaut who studies scientific things in space, according to Ben. More recently, he has decided to be a photographer-scientist-astronaut, so he can take pictures of all the things that he studies (scientifically!) in space. You know, I have no doubt that if Benjamin really wants to be an astronaut, he will be. Ben is determined to be the first Martian, meaning he wants to be the first person to live on Mars, after a quick stop at the International Space Station, of course.
I knew Ben would love the visit, but I had no idea how much Nicholas would love it too. Both boys were beside themselves with excitement for all things space, and I’ve never heard Nicholas ask so many questions. We started our day with an IMAX film about the Space Station, and with Nicholas wedged between us, Pierre and I were a chorus of whispered responses and “shhhhhhssss” as Nicholas prattled question after question about what he say on the big screen. We were the parents with the kid talking (he was trying to whisper, but what four-year-old can really whisper?) through the movie, but his excitement was pretty darn cute.
A quick photo-op, and then we were ready to:
Nicholas made a stop to watch a robotics competition. Teams from around the world demonstrated their Moon-dirt-digging machines. Ben even built one of his own out of Lego. I wish I had taken a picture. I was too busy watching him!
The best part of the day was the bus tour to the Apollo Center. Look at what we saw!
The picture just can’t convey the sheer size of the Saturn V rocket. Yep, Saturn V! As in Apollo 11 and Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and walking on the moon. I was entranced. The boys were ecstatic! Nicholas begged, from the moment that we walked into hangar, to see the front of the rocket. It was just so cool to teach the boys about this moment in history. And with all the visuals, movie, artifacts, pictures and more, NASA does an impressive job. No surprise there.
As we walked around, my dad told me about what it was like, living through the era of those beginning trips to the moon. He talked abut how it was to witness those incredible first steps, to look up at the moon and know that someone was up there, that the things of fantasy and science fiction novels were real and possible! Surrounded by all those rockets and space-gear, my dad’s words helped me to feel as though I had lived it too. It was a special moment.
Pierre had timed our visit to coincide with a military satellite rocket launch. In fact, we were supposed to have visited the day before we did, but since the launch was delayed, we did the same with our visit. But, at the end of the afternoon, as we were getting ready to leave for supper, word came that the launch had been scrubbed. A storm was rolling in. We left Cape Canaveral with two happy, though slightly disappointed, little astronauts.
The story doesn’t end there, though.
Sometimes things are just meant to be. Benjamin and Nicholas were meant to see that rocket on its way into orbit. Friday evening, our last in Vero Beach, my cell phone rang as we were putting the boys to bed. It was my dad.
“Go out on your balcony! It’s the rocket!”
Pierre and I each grabbed a pajama clad child, and rushed outside. Look at what we saw:
My parents had been out for a walk on the beach when the rocket rose above the horizon. We made it to the balcony in time to see it drop its boosters, four twinkling lights that spiraled through the sky. Our shouts of excitement attracted the attention of a family walking on the boardwalk below us, and they stopped to watch too. We followed the rocket as it streaked a red trail of smoke over the ocean. Finally, a great puff of vapor burst into the night as the rocket disappeared into orbit.
It was a magical end to our vacation.
Since we’ve been home, my little astronauts have been playing Mission Mars non-stop. They’ve built a countless number of space shuttles out of pillows and blankets in the basement. Ben has been answering most of my questions with, “Roger that, Mommy”. And both boys are insisting that our whole family will soon be taking a trip to the red planet! I guess I’d better really learn to love flying.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if one day they really did go? Maybe Benjamin and Nicholas will change the world. They’ve already tried to move it:
xo Naomi
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