And some days I know exactly what I do
This is particularly true if I have taken 11 people to the Museum of Science and Industry for most of the day, which is what we did today. It was a good visit and we had a good time, but it's tiring. Often when we do a museum visit, I make it short so that I don't have to worry about lunch, but we had this planned as a bigger trip, so we took lunches with us.
There are a couple of things I really like about visiting Science and Industry. First is they have a good family policy, in that they don't really care how many children you have. It's just nice not to have to fight about it. (Because you know I'd raise a stink.) Second, it's really easy to eat a lunch you bring from home. If you are in the area and haven't figured this out, or are going to make a special trip, I'll tell you how we work it. For the morning, we leave the lunch in the car, then when it is getting close to lunch time, we head downstairs to the area the first escalator brings you, and if you time it right, you can get a table right across from the Jolly Ball. (For those who have not been there, the Jolly Ball is similar to a pinball machine, except it's vertical and you watch the ball run down the track as it "visits" various sights in Switzerland. (It was originally made for the Swiss Tourist Board.) I leave my older children with the littles and take a couple of others out to the car with me to bring in the food. As long as you don't take food past the area with the tables, it's not a problem. (Be sure to keep your ticket with you; as long as you have that with you, you can come and go as much as you like.) Children eat, go and watch the Jolly Ball, and come back and eat some more. When we are done, I reverse the process and return the lunch carriers back to the car and we proceed on our way through the museum.
We never even try to see the whole thing. It is one of the nice things about a membership, you can go for shorter amounts of time and not feel as though you have missed out, knowing you will catch something new the next time. Today we saw an Omnimax movie, looked at the giant miniature train board, visited the airplane, went through some of the storms exhibit, and ended with everyone trying the giant hamster wheel in the human body area. I could really use a giant hamster wheel in my house. It would be particularly useful in winter. Well, except for the frequent ER visits that would then occur.
I was supposed to go grocery shopping when I got home, but it didn't happen. We spent a little longer than I had thought we would and I was done in. That made it a pancakes for supper night. No one is really complaining, though. And because sometimes you just need to, J. and I will be having a dinner of take-out later this evening when the smaller types are all in bed.
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I have another article up: Permission to Relax
There are a couple of things I really like about visiting Science and Industry. First is they have a good family policy, in that they don't really care how many children you have. It's just nice not to have to fight about it. (Because you know I'd raise a stink.) Second, it's really easy to eat a lunch you bring from home. If you are in the area and haven't figured this out, or are going to make a special trip, I'll tell you how we work it. For the morning, we leave the lunch in the car, then when it is getting close to lunch time, we head downstairs to the area the first escalator brings you, and if you time it right, you can get a table right across from the Jolly Ball. (For those who have not been there, the Jolly Ball is similar to a pinball machine, except it's vertical and you watch the ball run down the track as it "visits" various sights in Switzerland. (It was originally made for the Swiss Tourist Board.) I leave my older children with the littles and take a couple of others out to the car with me to bring in the food. As long as you don't take food past the area with the tables, it's not a problem. (Be sure to keep your ticket with you; as long as you have that with you, you can come and go as much as you like.) Children eat, go and watch the Jolly Ball, and come back and eat some more. When we are done, I reverse the process and return the lunch carriers back to the car and we proceed on our way through the museum.
We never even try to see the whole thing. It is one of the nice things about a membership, you can go for shorter amounts of time and not feel as though you have missed out, knowing you will catch something new the next time. Today we saw an Omnimax movie, looked at the giant miniature train board, visited the airplane, went through some of the storms exhibit, and ended with everyone trying the giant hamster wheel in the human body area. I could really use a giant hamster wheel in my house. It would be particularly useful in winter. Well, except for the frequent ER visits that would then occur.
I was supposed to go grocery shopping when I got home, but it didn't happen. We spent a little longer than I had thought we would and I was done in. That made it a pancakes for supper night. No one is really complaining, though. And because sometimes you just need to, J. and I will be having a dinner of take-out later this evening when the smaller types are all in bed.
__________
I have another article up: Permission to Relax
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