Maitland, Fla.

The Elliott kids visited the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland, Fla., where they got close (but not too close) to the eagles, ospreys and owls.

Sarasota, Fla.

There’s a friendly manatee who lives at Mote Aquarium, and Aren, Iden and Erysse paid him a little visit. They also saw a sea turtle.

May I swim with him, pleeeeze?

(Note: Technically, Mote is on Lido Key. The closest city, just across the water, is Sarasota.)

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

The Space Shuttle is retiring soon, and will be replaced with a new rocket called Constellation. The kids went to Kennedy Space Center in Florida to check out the new spacecraft.

The kids cool off inside the Old School astronauts exhibit.

Our budget for this adventure:

Admission to Kennedy Space Center: $38 adult/$28 child (ages 3-11)

Titusville, Fla.

At the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum in Titusville, Fla., the kids had a chance to see all the ways their parents will never discipline them. Starting with RoboCop.

No wonder they tried to escape. You go, girl.

Our budget for this adventure:

Admission to the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum: $22.
Ensuing debate about the morality of the death penalty: free.

Orlando

They’ve been having fun in Central Florida for a long, loooong time. Aren, Iden and Erysse discovered how long when they visited the Orange County Regional History Center in Orlando.

Aren tried his hand at being a puppeteer at the Jim Henson exhibit.

Our budget for this adventure:

Admission: Adults $12; kids $7.
Lunch at Wild Side BBQ: $35
Getting to do our best Kermit impression: free.

Orlando

We checked out the Grossology exhibit at the Orlando Science Center.

Mom, I want to be a surgeon.

Our budget for this adventure:

Tickets: $58 (but we have annual passes)
Lunch at Eden’s: $20
Watching your daughter walk through a giant plastic intestine: uh, can we skip dinner?