Friday, August 08, 2014

Pittsburgh Children's Museum, Vacation Day 4

Tuesday morning we decided we'd continue our slow morning routine of cereal in the room, Google planning our day and getting ready.  We spent this day at the Children's Museum because it was supposed to be about 90 degrees outside, and I didn't want to be outside in that all day!

We got to the museum about 15 minutes after it opened, and the drive there was pretty easy.  We spent the day there until it was almost closing time.  The drive back to the hotel afterwards was a little bit more interesting.  There's a Pirates game in town tonight, so the way we came was closed off and there was more traffic for the game.  But I think I did okay and it didn't take too much longer to get back, so I consider that a win!

Anyway, back to our day at the museum.  The kids had a lot of free play and had a good time.  I wasn't as thrilled with the museum as I had hoped.  I was comparing it to our experience at the Boston Children's Museum last year, and I liked Boston better a lot.  Coincidentally, Caleb said the same thing on the way back to the hotel.  He said he liked the Boston museum better!

The kids each got a free t-shirt with admission.  Every Tuesday this summer, the first 200 kids get a free t-shirt.  I say free, but when I paid $60 to get us all in, free doesn't seem like the right word!

We spent a lot of time building things in the museum.  Caden's favorite things were rearranging tubes and wheels and items on a magnetic wall to get a ball from the top to the bottom successfully.  Caleb built a rocket ship, but then wouldn't show me the completed project.  Elinore liked the bolts and nuts that kids were building with.  She just stuck the bolts in the holes and said "ta da!"  She also spent some time building with blocks too one of the museum educators showed her.

Then we headed on to another room that was full of odd things.  Elinore was kind of scared in it and spent a lot of time saying "hold you!"  The boys like the slides.  It was in the attic room.

Then we headed to the garage area that was kind of a quieter area at the time we were there during lunch.  It was quiet since everyone was eating I think.  The kids had a good time moving balls through the obstacle course and sending cars down the ramps.  Elinore like climbing a ramp up and down it without actually playing with anything, but she did like climbing on and off the Neighborhood Trolley and I read her a book or two. 

Finally we spent a little time in XOXO before we headed to lunch.  The kids weren't as excited about it as some of the other areas, but Elinore colored a few pieces of paper, each of the kids made a mask, and the boys maid love coins.  One station had you write something that made you angry on a piece of paper and shred it to let it go.  Caleb and Caden each wrote their brother's name on the paper and shredded it.

We had lunch in the museum cafe, before heading up to the upper floors of the museum.  Elinore slept through the nursery floor 2.  But the boys played for 45 minutes or so.  Then we headed to what I think was their favorite, the waterplay on floor 3.  They each put on a smock and had some fun.

On our way through almost every time the boys climbed the obstacle course up to the second floor and back down; Elinore was never brave enough to get in!

Then we headed back to the hotel to hang out and wait on Daddy for dinner!  I have been wanting a good burger, so to Google Keith went, and to Burgatory we went.  For the 20 minutes it took us to get there it was worth the drive!  We both liked our burgers and agreed it was the best mean we've had yet!  Then it was back to the hotel for an earlier night.  Full House and sleep!


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