Daytrippin' in Columbus

Today my lovely wife Jennie, our daughter Keisha, and her two friends Hailie and Stevie -- we all travelled to Columbus, Ohio for the day. We had an all-Ohio church service along the banks of the Scioto River, at Genoa Park. This location also was adjacent to COSI. Here are the details:

All-Ohio Church Service

The service itself was great. Doug Jacoby preached a sermon about the Seven Unities of the Faith, based on what we read in Ephesians 4. The main point was this: if we don't know what we are about as a church, then we're in big trouble.

COSI for Lunch

After the service, we went to COSI. Our membership at Dayton's Boonshoft Museum of Discovery is reciprocated at the Columbus COSI, so we didn't have to pay any admission fee. We then proceeded to the Atomic Cafe for some lunch. After lunch we headed toward the exhibits.

It was all Jennie and I could do to keep up with the girls, who are collectively between the ages of 4 and 6. Between the frequent potty breaks -- all the girls had to go with Jennie, and I went alone to the men's room -- and trying to keep our eyes on them as they experienced each of the various stations at the exhibits, Jennie and I got worn out.

The Crashendo Exhibit

We went to this one exhibit entitled Crashendo, in which we rode in a vehicle and watched a movie that simulated us riding behind a man who was "driving" a piano. It was hilarious! You had to have been there.

The Brave Unicycler That I Am

Like the COSI in Toledo, it has a cycle ride across a wire. The difference is that Columbus has a unicycle whereas Toledo has a bicycle. I got to ride it, and I must have looked so brave to my daughter and her friends!

Nighttime at the Planetarium

We also toured the Planetarium, in which there was a program about what we're seeing in the Springtime night sky. That was pretty cool.

The Centripetal Force Was With Us

Outside Keisha and Stevie went on a Centripetal Generotor ride. As we stood against the wall, the machine spun around at 17 miles per hour. Inertia and friction kept us pinned to the wall, even as the floor dropped two feet. It felt like an elephant was sitting on me. Then, as the ride slowed down, we all slid the two feet back to the floor. Stevie and Keisha, myself, too, enjoyed the ride so much that we returned three more times! Jennie and Hailie didn't want to ride it. They opted instead to play with the Big Giant Lever, in which they attempted to lift an automobile with a level.

Little Kidspace

There were so many other exhibit stuff, and I'll have to post about it another time. Jennie and I learned that we probably could have gone to the little Kidspace and stayed there. It was the last exhibit we attended, however.

Scattered and Smothered

On the way home we stopped at the Waffle House for dinner. I had their hashbrowns ("Scattered, Smothered, etc."), Stevie had a grilled cheese sandwich, Keisha had her cheeseburger, and Jennie and Hailie had breakfast. We sat in the five seats at their bar. The girls were really impressed as they saw the kitchen area. Keisha told one of the servers that she thought it was cool. We later talked about having our home kitchen set up like theirs. Keisha decided that she would man the station with the drinks and the toasters.

Learn more about the Waffle House story and some interesting Waffle House facts here.

It's Like Having Three Daughters!

It's interesting to see how these kids can behave like siblings. Granted, Halie and Stevie are sisters. But for Keisha and the rest of us, it creates a great dynamic. For four days Keisha has two sisters living with her whereas she normally is the only child. The adults in our household are realizing how much we appreciate how quieter the house is.

I love these two extra girls as though they are my own, and we have really enjoyed having them with us.