Oh The Places We Go!

This past week was a whirlwind!

After years of what felt like house arrest when my babies were babies, my kiddos and I are finally out and about. We recently joined an active play group and have found a multitude of activities on our own as well. One mom I met this week scoffed a bit when I told her how far we’d come to attend an award-winning nature class. It was a half-hour drive and only meets once a month. She lived a few blocks away.

“I’d never drive that far just for a nature class,” she grimaced.

“Oh,” I said, recalling the years we spent tied to a multiple nap and nursing schedule that kept us home-bound. “We go EVERYWHERE!”

This is what we did last week:

Sunday: Birthday party for a friend.

The party was held at an indoor play space. The highlight was timid Max braving the kids’ zipline and careening into a pit of balls! Twice!

Monday: Chinese New Year Dragon Parade at the Children’s Museum

We made paper lanterns, learned songs, dances and a Chinese phrase at home. We capped off our day at the museum where Max and Jack played percussion in the band as we marched behind the dragon. We followed that by a Chinese dinner at home.

Tuesday: Visit to the Gold Coast Railroad Museum with friends!

$2 Tuesdays include story time in a red caboose, endless fun in the model train room, a small train ride, Tonka trucks in the giant sandbox followed by a picnic lunch by the trains. This week our stories were read in the model train room because Lil’ Wayne was shooting a music video on the trains. How funny! But how fun for the boys to see the lights and cameras of a real video shoot.

Wednesday: stayed near home due to a tickle in mama’s throat.

We stuck close to home because I didn’t feel wonderful. We rode our trike and push car around the park near our house and checked the progress of the playground they’re building. We practiced balancing on the park’s balance beam, climbed the stadium stands and banged our feet to make thunder. Jack collected sticks, Max rocks.

Thursday: Wiggled like worms in a Secret Garden.

We went to a great class called Nature Tots at the Secret Wood’s Nature Center. We followed a trail and found a drop cloth waiting for us in a clearing in the woods. Then we learned all about worms! The teacher, Miss Molly, is one of those special people who seem to be made to be preschool teachers, so kind and energetic. She read from a book and filled the hour with lots of arts and crafts. We ended class by seeing real worms. Afterwards the boys and I hiked the trails, ate a picnic by the river and peered at minnows and spiders near the dock.

In the afternoon our good friends came to play sandbox and we ate dinner together, followed by an adorable 3 boys in the tub.

Friday: we saw lemurs, leopards and lamas at Jungle Island.

We put our membership to good use and saw all sorts of animals, birds and vegetation. Highlights included watching a giant tortoise eat leaves on the ground and spotting a baby goat at the petting zoo.

Saturday: a great introduction to classical music.

We attended a small rendition of Peter and the Wolf by members of the New World Symphony followed by a musical instrument petting zoo. Max lit up with excitement as he visibly made connections with the sounds and feelings each instrument created. Jack is our musical child, but was a bit sleepy for the show. He adored the petting zoo and tried each instrument. He got the tiniest peep out of the French horn.