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Friday, August 21, 2009

A Day Trip In Pictures

Yesterday. I did something awesome.

Something totally un-Dumb Mom-ish.

I (and my sidekick, aka Mimi) took my dudes to the city.



Baltimore City.

And, it was so fun!

Don't get too overexcited.

We didn't go anywhere daring (like the bus station).

But, we did go someplace fun!



I know, they don't look like they are about to have fun, but they totally did!

Port Discovery is a huge children's museum and (get ready for this) it's 100% hands-on-action-packed-even-#3-can't-break-it-three-levels of awesomeness.

When we first arrived and realized that to get in we'd have to pay $12.95 per person which came up to like 40 bucks or something (I'm no math whiz, you figure it out), I thought, "This place better be the bomb diggity."

And, you know what?

It kinda was.

After spending a good chunk of the day there I was able to put the cost into perspective: a movie is like $10 and this place was way better than a movie!

There were just tons of fun things to do.

#3 learned to drive.



#2 was able to get some shopping done and ring it up himself (now maybe he will quit jockin' me about it at the grocery store).



And, #1 got to lose himself (literally) in this 3 story monster of a climbing, sliding, crawling apparatus.



There was horse back riding...



Tomb Raiding...



Even a pick up soccer game...



And, while the place was primarily #3 proof, he did get to break something and no one even cared...



Okay, so maybe this one kid cared a little and possibly cried for like a couple of minutes, but that's it, and we totally thought she was done playing with it, and really, she should just be glad I have lightening quick reflexes because they are seriously the only thing that prevented her form being bludgeoned by #3 as he excitedly beat the crap outta this log cabin dealy with a stray stick.

But, other than that. All good.

We decided to enjoy lunch outside of the museum (can exit and reenter as much as you want between 10am and 5pm), you know, to take in some local cuisine.

So, to get a real taste of the inner city, we went here...



It may look familiar, but this was a special, Baltimore flavored version of the golden arches.

They had a custom soda dispenser (and by custom, I mean broke the hell up).



They had vintage, metal legged, high chairs (and by vintage, I mean old as hell, will probably collapse and severe a limb if you put your baby in them).



They had unique facilities (and by unique, I mean dirty as hell, thought for a minute we actually were at the bus station).

And, they even had a sign posted which stated that there was a 30 minute dine-in time limit. Woof it down kids, lest they think we're some kind of vagrants.

We didn't spend a lot of time there (less than 30 minutes, didn't want to cut it too close), and then high tailed it back over to the museum for more fun.

We finally left when #3 demonstrated that he was downright exhausted (he laid on the museum floor and tried to take a nap).

I thought it was a hit.

Actually I thought:

Cost of gas to museum: $20
Entrance fees to museum: $40
Seeing the dudes have unbridled, imaginative fun: priceless

And, then I went to pay for my parking and thought, Ah-Hell-to-the-no!

It was $13! I seriously coulda taken an extra kid into the museum for that price.

Way to ruin it, overpriced-non-validating-mother-thieving-parking-deck-owners.

All thanks goes to CK over at Bab Mommy Moments for encouraging me to think outside the I'm-pretty-sure-I'm-scared-to-go-out-in-public-with-my-kids box. Totally worth it!

26 comments:

Deb said...

Looks like an AWESOME day! Those high chairs are scary looking.

Courtney D said...

Looks Like it was a BLAST! I can't wait until my littles are big enough for the Kid's Museum. Good job getting out with the boys!

Steph said...

Looks like you had a great time!

...stopping by from SITS...

Steph @ Stick It in the Fridge

pleasestickitinthefridge.blogspot.com

mommakin said...

That looks like a fun day! I sort of wrote about paying for parking today, too. Must be something in the air.

PropellerHeadMom said...

That 3 story monster of a climbing, sliding, crawling apparatus looks so cool. What a fun place! My boys would love it!

Juanita said...

These are the days of your life . . . they won't remember the minutes but they will remember the days!

Come visit me to see a sample from my new Etsy Shop!!

confused homemaker said...

I love hands-on museums for the kids. Good getting out with the boys, I make myself get out too. But yeah the whole fast food in the city thing is always a crap shoot, sometimes literally.

Claremont First Ward said...

So that particular McD's. is totally going for vintage, eh? The Discovery museum in Boston is awesome......like 4 floors of goodness for the kids. I think I always had as much fun as them, too. Even a McD's connected......hum........conspiracy? I stopped taking my kids when #1 got a nasty case of rotovirus.......hey. I think it's time to go back. This time I'll wash their hands afterwards. :)

supahmommy- somethin's wrong with that girl said...

The soda fountains.. CRACKED ME UP...

love it... I have been wanting to go there ... will have to do so next time I'm down there. :)

d

Deb said...

-->What an awesome day! Truthfully, I didn't do the math either to figure out the admission price so $40 sounded good to me.

You may be interested in doing Flashback Friday with me. Take a look.

http://www.websavymom.com

Rita Templeton said...

Ohhhh I wish I were closer to something like that! Then maybe I, too, would take my kids out in public.

And those high chairs - WTF? I'm pretty sure those are the kind *I* sat in as a child ... and I ain't no spring chicken. ;)

Jennifer said...

The kids museum is always a hit. I love taking my kids because they are totally entertained and all I really have to do is make sure no on grabs them and they don't push anyone down.

TKW said...

Good for you! However, I refuse to take my kids out in public. The Horror!

ck said...

LOOK at those high chair cushions! They were from when we were kids.

That's crazy.

Crazy unsanitary...

Days of Whine & Noses said...

thank you for all the very nice comments on my blog on my SITS day!

I added you to my blog roll and will put your button om my page if you'd be kind enough to do the same :)

ps...I am following you now and I will be seeing you in Vegas!

Anonymous said...

That is an awesome museum.
I laughed at the McDonald's. We went to one with one of those signs too. Only that McDonald's was decorated like a Starbucks so I laughed my ass off.

MaranathaMom said...

wow! i just told my husband we are going there next time we visit DC to see his relatives, thanks for this post!

Mira is triplet crown said...

Brave momma. you did great! You go! I'm so impressed I can only use exclamation points!

Jonam said...

Great POST. Thanks

N. Angail said...

aww, swwet. your kids are cuties. i love all the pics.

Mrs4444 said...

What a fun place! You probably could have snuck into some hiding place and stayed overnight, too, huh? Wouldn't THAT make a good blog post?! Glad you had a ball :)

Xazmin said...

What a fun day! We LOVE our Discovery Museum here!

I HATE paying for parking...total rip-off!

LitLass said...

I used to live in Timonium, but we left when my first was 14 months. He would have loved Port Discovery.

Jennifer said...

I want to bring my son there! How cool!

A Real Housewife said...

I'm just catching up on all of your recent posts and laughing my a** off! good blog, talented writer, adorable kids and a great & funny mom!!

Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice said...

OMG that looks like so much fun! I TOTALLY WANT TO GO..except it's on the wrong side of the continent DANG IT!

Giving away two copies of the movie Extract starring Jason Bateman and Ben Affleck. Contest ends 4/2/10.
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