Back to life as usual

Well, as usual as life gets around here.  A. starts her tech week today for Much Ado About Nothing.  I have a carpool set-up this week, so it will be much less driving for me than last time.  (Hooray!)  It also means that I will have a few (5) extra children here every morning who will be bringing their school books with them.  It's worth it to me to not have to drive and to be able to stay home.

We have Christmas music playing all the time now.  I love Christmas music, but only during Advent.  Perhaps it's because I completely overdose on it during that time and need a break from it the rest of the year.  The same thing with eggnog.  Mmmm... eggnog...  Probably just as well I can't buy it the rest of the year.

My annual Christmas sweatshop sewing projects are in full swing, and once again, as I do every year, I'm beginning to panic that I bit off a bit more than I can chew.  Sewing/creating in a panic does take a little of the enjoyment out of the whole process.

And my ongoing annoyance with museums decreeing what constitutes a family continues.  I know I've written about my personal boycott of The Shedd Aquarium because they have decided that we do not fit the definition of a family.  And now I get to add another area museum to my boycott shortlist:  The Adler Planetarium.  We are currently studying the solar system, so I thought it would be great to make a visit or two to go along with our studies.  We have this great resource practically in our backyard, so it seems a shame not to take advantage of it.  Well, it looks as though we won't be going.  The Adler has decided that 6 children and no more constitute a family and to bring my other children I would have to pay full admission price for them.  The reasoning, based on my extended phone conversation?  Well, they have to draw a line somewhere.  When I asked why, because The Field Museum and The Museum of Science and Industry allow my entire family to enjoy their museums, the phone representative had no answer.  Sigh.  It's a shame that this battle as well is back to life as usual.

(And can I just add a blatant Mommy-brag?  M. received a letter over the weekend informing her that she received a four-year academic scholarship.  I'm just a little proud of her.)

Comments

sandwichinwi said…
FOUR YEAR ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP??? WOW! You are very subtle and humble. That's awesome! And kudos to you, too, because, while I know she worked hard to earn it, she had someone to guide her along the way.

And boo, hiss to the museums.

Blessings,
Sandwich
11/29/2010 3:17 PM
TJC said…
"Draw the line somewhere"?!?!?! Uhm...couldn't the museum just ask for proof that you're a family...kind of like the guv'mint does? Isn't that a sufficient line?

Sounds to me like you could be squeaky enough to get them to change...but maybe that's more hassle than it's worth.
11/29/2010 10:21 PM
thecurryseven said…
I actually asked the rep. I was speaking to if they just didn't believe that people had more than 6 children. Her response was very quick that, "Oh no, we believe you! But we have to draw the line somewhere." The implicit message being that we larger families have crossed some line of acceptability.

And I'm not sure it can be changed. I've been battling the Shedd for years over this... calling, writing letters, etc. I even had J. write a letter on school letterhead, thinking that they might listen to a "professional" and not write him off as they might do to "just a mom". But, no. No budging. And it was a very good letter.

e
11/30/2010 12:49 PM
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