I kind of figured that Melanie didn't want to just sit around my house all day and watch me clean and keep kids alive. So I organized some outings to keep her (and by her, I mean us) entertained and out of trouble.
First stop, Phoenix Children's Museum. The second time that we 'met' Reese and Jessenia, this is where Mack and I took them. It is a pretty awesome place and now that Brisbane is walking, all of the kids could enjoy it.
When you first enter, there is this massive maze of tubes with air shooting through them.
You put the colorful scarf in and it runs along the tubes and eventually shoots out high above your head. The kids love this. It is a shame that it is the first thing in the museum because it is so hard to drag them away to play with anything else.
There is a three story "treehouse" made of recycled materials. Melanie took Reese and Jessenia up and in about three seconds they were back down. Reese is such a chicken. When Mack and I took the kids, we just made them do it (and p.s. he loved it). Once they were down on the ground though Jessenia wanted to go right back up. They made it all the way to the top of the three stories. I was super jealous. Next time we go I am leaving the wimps at the bottom and going to the top, even if I have to do it alone.
Then we did the tricycle car wash. This was a seriously good time for all of the kids too. It was nice that they had lots of trikes without pedals because my kids have a hard time pedaling and steering.
Brisbane just liked being pushed around on his car.
Reese was a professional! Look how proud he is of his trike washing abilities. (Look at the mother in the background who made her daughter wear a helmet. I saw that and thought I just received a big FAIL as a mother, not promoting safe habits. And then I thought of lice and felt that I had just done us all a big favor. A+)
Jessenia is not the world's greatest steerer. Riding a bike/trike actually requires a lot of coordination that you forget somewhere between learning to ride yourself and being a proficient adult. She held up the show a little bit but was very determined, and adorable as always.
If Melanie and I had had these fort making materials the night before we would have had electricity and running water in our fort. Seriously, they have a room just for fort building. It's awesome. Melanie and I wanted to kick all of the kids out and take over the place. But that seemed rude.
Instead Jessenia found every clip she could and decorated her fort with them.
Brisbane got this game started. "Speak softly and carry a big stick!"
Those sticks/blocks/boards were no joke. I am actually surprised that Brisbane could lift them. So once my kids got bored with forting, they waved those massive beams around. We finally had to leave this room because I feared for the safety of all the other children. I don't know much about hockey (worst. sport. ever.), but isn't there a high-sticking penalty or something? Well anyways, that's what my kids were doing. Very dangerous.
Everywhere we went, we kind of took over. When other kids came up to play, that was our cue to move on. My kids could have dropped those little discs for hours but as you can see, they kind of have the 'plinko board' monopolized!
Sand is dirty. So naturally my kids loved it.
Best part of the Museum, the Noodle Forest. It is basically hundreds of swimming pool noodles hanging from the ceiling. The Noodle Forest should have the sub-heading, "Easiest Place in Phoenix to Lose Your Child". It's a little nutty when you get in with all those noodles. Brisbane hated it. But the rest of us love the Noodle Forest!
There is a little nook for reading.
My kids are reading maniacs. Melanie read at least twenty books to them a day while she is here. I will often look up from doing the dishes and see all three of my kids sitting on the sofa/floor/chairs in the living room and looking at books. Even Brisbane. He just sits there with a book in his lap and turns the pages. I love my kids!
The best is when Jessenia re-reads a book that we have read to her. She gets a shocking amount of the words right and an even more shocking number of details mixed up and confused. It sometimes leaves you wondering what she really thought the book was about.
Love Jessenia trying to squeeze into this picture...not to mention the kid in the green shirt. Hey There Kid!
Brisbane was very proud of his wrench xylophone playing abilities.
The pencil car was pretty cool.
But the pickle car was the best!
There was also an area where you can race cars, a grocery store, a huge pizza kitchen, and more. I didn't get as good of pictures in those areas (plus don't you think I included enough?).
It was a fun day and we were all exhausted. This is the thing about Children's Museums. I have always loved a good Children's Museum. Kids love to explore and manipulate toys and materials that they don't have at home. But the truth is the adults love it just as much, if not more. If it was socially acceptable I would have moved all those kiddos out of the way and showed them how that grocery store should have been run.
When I was younger, my brother David and I were at a Children's Museum with Melanie and my mom. Melanie is five years younger than me so we were there for her. David and I were teenagers but kids at heart and were definitely getting into some of the activities. We were playing with all of the little kids there and having a blast. When we were about to leave a lady came up to us (we thought to tell us off for taking over the toys) and said, "Anytime you want to watch my kid, you are welcome to." I am pretty sure she also asked if we were coming back the next day. Good times.
All in all, I think the kids will be excited to go back. Just not as excited as me!
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