Kidspace Museum

By MAGGIE WANG

The Lakers being in the Western Conference semifinals against my hometown Houston Rockets afforded me a wonderful trip to Houston with Kevin to see my dearest Jennie and Debbie last weekend.

Considering we didn't bring Sedona and Maven (who stayed with my parents), we tried to make it up to them Friday after Kevin came home in the morning from another trip to Houston. We all went to the Kidspace Museum in Pasadena (www.kidspacemuseum.org).

We started in the Early Childhood Learning Center, geared more toward Maven's age group, and the girls just roamed around and played indoors.

Then to Kirby's Kids Corner for some playground fun.

Right next to that was the Trike Track, where even Maven got a shot at the tricycles.

Sedona didn't want to leave the area but was elated when she went in and found this climber that went up about 20 levels. Kevin hit his head for the first time on Level 3 (and immediately removed his cap so he could see where he was in this little-person world) but accompanied her all the way to the top. She asked to go again and again.

Maven tried to climb up, which isn't surprising given how much she tries to copy Sedona these days. Sedona went up her bunk-bed ladder the other day, and Maven immediately went over and stood there trying time after time to lift a leg up to the first step and get going.

Sedona checked out a bug display and quickly moved on -- or should I say moved "on-sects"? -- to try N'Art to create her own masterpiece.

We headed back outdoors for some water fun. Maven was really into it and carried this plastic corn around for quite some time, and she has gotten good at lugging something around -- maybe a bottle of milk or a doll or a toy -- while multi-tasking with something else.

Sedona got pretty wet in the Water Play area, where they simulate rainfall. After lunch she was walking kind of funny, and I asked if she had to go potty; it turns out she wasn't thrilled that her butt was still wet.

It was truly a nice family day despite how tired Kevin and I have been lately. We have both been working a lot these days.