I keep needing to remind myself that the best memories do not require money... they don't require fancy places either and that the home and with family is the most important place. However, it is fun when I find a free day at one of the valley's many museums. Free days also equal chaos but Saturday Feb. 21st found me alone with the kids again. Morning (all day sickness) had yet to take fully take the reigns and I took the kids to a day sponsored by shamrock farms. (The museum is also free in the evenings on the first Friday of the month, so we will go with Nate sometime too- hopefully it is more calm).
Here are some highlights in no particular order.
It was so busy, but I managed to find parking in the front parking lot. We had to take a number and wait to be called. Maesyn and Jake peeped in the window looking forward to the fun. That part was pretty organized but the rest was very hectic. They had lots of staff but I would highly recommend the chuck e cheese method of checking that you are leaving with the same kids you came in with- they stamp a glow in the dark number on your hand that is the same as your party. GREAT IDEA!!!
Maggie Moo, Elmo and Grover. Jake was excited to see them but would not join them for the photo op.
Our first stop after Elmo was the crafting room. They did every single craft available.
Painting this house was Jake's favorite activity. I think I still have paint on my bag from this. He did not want to stop. It was hard because Maesyn wanted to try all of the other stuff but Jake could have stayed here all day.
Cuteness kids being crafty. Just like their mom. Oh to have an art teacher for a mother.
There were so many cool rooms. I don't think I got photos of everything. There was a grocery store that lead into a kitchen/ restaurant and then a ball room. They loved shopping and making things. They had cash registers and play food. Maes wanted to jump from here to there and Jake could have spent hours in each room so it was hard to drag him away when Maes quickly got bored. Here Maesyn is trying her hand at one of the many ball mazes. You drop a ball in and it hits all of the metal things on the way down making different noises.
In the halls and walk ways there was also lots of fun to be had. Maesyn was dying to serve up some ice cream at this ice cream stand.
Then there was a race track that you could climb up on a platform to and drop little cars down as well as this car that you could fix up. Here Jake is driving.
Maes is making sure that it has plenty of gas in this nicely posed picture.
One of the open areas was huge and these "noodles" hung from the ceiling. We ran through and I tried to keep track of my kids by their voices. Nate said "oh that is the place where your kids get kidnapped." It made my mom nervous to know that I took both of the kids there on my own.
Here you can pick and plant flowers.
Outside you could wash these colorful windows. Jake made a point to squirt people with the spray bottles.
This room was my serenity. It said for kids 2 and under (or maybe it was 3) I had avoided it because Maes was past the age limit, but I decided at the end that we would check it out. I was relieved to see that well behaved older siblings could join in. And Maesyn is exactly that. Shoes off though!!
Of course, like all of the other rooms, Jake could have stayed her all day long. He is making me "dinner" that is the only meal to him, even if it is breakfast time.That kid behind Jake has a fake tattoo on his neck!!! At least when my kids had fake tattoos (from fresh and easy supermarket) I put them on their fore arms and upper arms. Those are two of the places pirates and sailor wear their tattoos and we all know that those are the classiest of all tattoo wearers. Right?
