Life with kids in the house

Aug 22- We volunteered to take care of our older daughter's kids for the week. Sydney is almost 13 and Emerson is 6. They are great kids and we kept very busy. On Tuesday we went to the Seattle Center Science Center. We rode the light rail and monorail to get there. It was a great experience for all. The girls had never ridden either mode  and we not the monorail probably since 1962 (World's Fair). We visited an exhibit called Goosebumps, the science of fear. There were hands on applications of seeing various bugs and reaching into a dark box to touch them. The girls wanted no part of this. I showed them that is was harmless but no way. They did other interactive activities. It wasn't too exciting. Then went to an exhibit about nature showing Puget Sound and it's inhabitants, how tides work and other things. Sydney was interested in these but Emerson being 6, she shot through them without much interest. We also visited and area telling about space and exploration. The highlight of the day was the butterfly exhibit. There were hundreds of butterflies in a greenhouse like area flying, watering and feeding. The girls really enjoyed this one. Then on the monorail and light rail home
Wednesday I took them to Saltwater State Park during the low tide. We had a great time looking at all the live and otherwise creatures along the waterline. We turned over rocks to discover crabs, hermit crabs, snails and other life. The girls collected some hermit crabs and snails in an effort to take them home and have an aquarium of sea life. They didn't make it through the night.
On Thursday Nanny took them to the Glee 3D movie. I chilled at the house. Syd is quite a cook. She has made cakes and other baked goods for us all in the past. During her stay with us she helped Gail make homemade pizza and chicken divan. She wants a deluxe Kitchen Made mixer for her birthday. (She did get it a couple of weeks later.)
I met Tracy in South Tacoma Friday evening to hand them off to her. Man, the girls were great but I'm too old for full time kids.