Udvar-Hazy!

We went to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center out by Dulles.  Up until today, Sophia has been to a handful of museums in the DC area, including the natural history museum, where she was very impressed by the giant animals and exhibits (including the large whale hanging from the ceiling).  When she heard we were going to a museum, she excitedly yelled "whale!" before we explained that we were going to see planes and space ships.  She quickly got into the spirit of the adventure and switched to talking about planes and flying.  

All-in-all, it was a great day for Sophia and the family.

Sophia loved running along the walkways.  She would narrate herself by saying "roaming!" and "running!" as she zoomed along the elevated ramps throughout the hangar.  

She would periodically stop and stare and the exhibits...

She saw the space shuttle Discovery (definitely a more impressive exhibit for mom and dad).

She saw her first movie in a movie theater...or at least 10 minutes of one.  We watched "Space: The New Frontier" in IMAX, but we left early when Sophia started to get overwhelmed and cried.  She enjoyed the beginning, and she had lots of fun exploring the movie theater before it started.

Two of her favorite new experiences were...

Riding the elevator

and eating a milkshake for the first time!  We couldn't resist getting a strawberry milkshake at the Shake Shack in the museum where we ate lunch.  First taste was followed by a big grin and an insistent demand for more!