We still love you..

MN Childrens Museum. I was off work for a week (good timing for a break - yikes!), so we had time to explore our towns and on one drizzly day we ventured inside.  There was a new exhibit since we last went - Storybook something or other (me: not the marketering sloganeering spreader).  Actually a lot of kids books I hadn't read. Like this one.  Not a clue.

Interesting enough you both picked up the phone and pretended to talk, so the object above isn't totally foreign. You even tried to dial the rotary dial. 

Don't get too excited. This is how you both hung the phone up. I'm pretty sure there was a point in my childhood when this is all we had. And I recall when the phone company (one of them) started the "service" of producing that annoying sound when the phone isn't hung up. No luck here. So we left it for another unsuspecting toddler to find.

In the same scene, a tv "set". Yep, we had one of those mammoth pieces of furniture too. Bigger than this puppy. The one that predominated my childhood  (yes, they lasted years and years) had push buttons on the front. All the channels were there. 2 all the way up to 13. Not that we had actual stations on  more than 5 of them, but hey beggers can't be choosers is what I say (way too much).

The one book we did recognize was Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom. I didn't get a good shot of the display, but  I'd recommend this book for your late night reading roster. That's a good one. Read it aloud. Don't have a preschooler? That will only make it more interesting.

It was only when I got home that I noticed the woman in the background with the exasperated hand placement. Yeah, we've all been there sister.

And quickly becoming one of my favorite places: the curiosity center (again, I may have that totally wrong, but it's something generically vague like that...). This time it was 'create your own paintbrush'. Or 'let mom create your own paintbrush' while you play with all the goodies spread out before you. Reminds me that I should get out the kids scissors and allow for supervised cutting time. No more gobs of hair, mind you.

And what good is a paintbrush without some paint?

Did  yourt pictures turn out as gray and muddy brown swatches? Sure. But we had fun doing it, and that's what matters.

We spent the last part of the day in the baby/under 4 area. You guys still had fun in there and we capped it off with a little time on the comfy chairs in the reading area of that section. I like the kids sized chairs, bean bags and nice comfy couch from which to watch you crawl, climb and dump books all over the floor. 

Man, what a great place to be a kid.

She's in the doghouse now

Since I took this picture I keep hearing "He's in the jailhouse now" in my head. Not sure where I heard it (but I'd suspect American Routes - awesome show). A Jimmie Rodgers version or Johnny Cash if you prefer.

Messy fun

 Shaving cream and some sort of dye.

Stir, mush paper into it and scrape the excess...Now you have a custom colored piece of stationary (for which there is no picture....but...)

Pulpy mess? Why yes.

decorating to excess

and then to press

with much success

nevertheless 

A tub full of bubbles

Brings us no troubles..

Shoes

The more sparkle, the more visability

Yes, go to the Minnesota Children's Museum at dinner time on a Saturday.

Yes, do.

I wanted to check out the rooftop area.  Yeah, it was yet another room.

 A little bit of sand.... go ahead and spill it all over.

But to play in the conveyor belt area without 20 other kids, well that was a treat.

And in the water/bubble area without a gazillion kids, that too was nice.

Yeah, Mommy helped Zo with her face/body painting while Ro kept busy with giant blocks.

Intense concentration. ;)

I'm sure this won't be the first time Ro shows Zo some creepy crawly animals. Thank God they are plastic.

peek a boo

fun with cousin Mina

Mina joined us on a jaunt to the Minnesota Children's Museum. This time the craft room (I bet it has a better name than that, but I don't recall) had a cardboard castle that was open for decorating.
We sat at a table and made a mess, er...made some decorations.

Zoe liked the glue.
I started to clean up the mess, but then I realized that this room is for kids. Kids make messes. A little (or a lot) of glue on the paper topped table wasn't going to get us kicked out of the place.

And take a look at that Castle. It had been up 3 weeks when we were there.

We did put an outline of our handprints on the floor.

And cousin Mina added her own "flair" to the castle. Way to go, Mina!

Builders of the future

So this last time we went to the MN Children's Museum we visited the craft room. I didn't know what to expect, but apparently the activities in this room change weekly or so and involve a variety of tactile activities for kids. That is pretty cool. While we were there it was building blocks. Wood ones, plastic ones, foam ones. You three got to task on building a castle.

"Zoe's castle".  At the beginning of Disney films there is always an image of a castle (the Magic Kingdom?) and you two announce it every time. "Castle". And often it's either Zoe's castle (Tinkerbell) or Roman's castle (Cars). Since it's always the same castle I don't know how you arrived at that, but so be it.  It's funny too how you've identified yourself with colors. Anything pink is Zoe's, no questions asked. Blue is usually Roman, although I have been able to get by with giving little Miss a blue sippy cup. There was a point where that was fodder for argument.  But if pink makes you happy Zo, I'm more than happy to oblige.

The temporary exhibit right now is Legos. Oh boy.  Roman found this table (for 3 year olds and up...I guess we'll ignore that) and parked himself down and got to work. I wondered how many thousands of dollars of Legos were out. My goodness (or as Zoe is now keen to say "oh man!".

Zoe dug right in too. This building fascination isn't coming from me. I do recall having building blocks of some sort, maybe even Lincoln Logs, but I don't recall enjoying it all that much. I more remember looking at other people's creations and thinking that they did a good job, but mine was just a square block. Uninspired. Soviet, even. Ah well.

So you build...and take apart...and build...and take apart. I guess this is how we learn. I took Zoe out to the tot spot playing area (slides, stairs, general climbing mayhem) and she just wasn't into it without Roman there. Lackluster. So we headed on out to find your other half.

More random snaps

We went to the Children's Museum something like 3 times in a month, and each time we went we were able to do something different, and I thought "what an AWESOME place!"  I'm still not sure if I want to venture there on my own, without Dad.

I picked up some Girl Scout cookies from your cousin Mina and asked her if she'd be interested in going sometime and she answered with an enthusiastic yes. Woo hoo! I'm sure she'd love to help you cook. She remembered making paper. That is a section I've stayed out of so far, but I think Dad brought Zoe in there last time (and she didn't want to leave).

I thought this little nook was kind of cool. A place to sit down with a book, a book about...

Fish? You like fish too? But of course.

And transferring groceries from one cart to the other... now there's some fun.
I must say that we have had the advantage of going at off times. Wednesday morning into lunch (that place clears out at noon!) and later on a Saturday. Not so much competition as a Saturday morning, although you do get to witness other kids meltdowns. The end of a long day of playing makes for some slithery toddlers.

Not reaching the pedals yet

Funny, yesterday I took the bus for the first time in a long time. Downtown zone only, and Zoe wasn't driving, so it's not THAT interesting, but hey...Hey howdy hey.

The great outdoors, indoors

This was a cool space in the Children's museum - art work that's come to life. There was a piece of artwork and then a 3-d adaption of it. This is where the Mona Lisa was too. You two made your way into this tent right away. Later Zoe grabbed me and brought me in the tent. It smelled just like a campfire. Nice touch. Except Zoe pinched her nose and said "stinky". Well, I suppose it might be, if you've never had the joy to experience a campfire. One of these days, little ones.

Me and my Daddy

walking down the Avenue...

Happy Valentines Day!

Media stars in the making

I'll do the shopping, Ma

Driving a city bus?

again, awesome.