Wordful Wednesday

I've been really busy lately (blog stalking, celebrity stalking, and chocolate chip cookie stalking pretty much eats up all of my free time).

But, this weekend I freed my schedule and 2/3 of the dudes and I, took a trip to "the city" (that's what you call it when you live out in the country like we do).

It was so much fun. Like, the "best I ever had" (name that tune?).

I don't think I've had that kind of fun, since, I don't even know when.

I hate to say it, but I think we had such a blast because we left this little knucklehead (and Hubby) at home for the day



so that #1, #2, and I could have some special Mommy time together (plus, for some reason that should be punishable by death, the National Aquarium in Baltimore does not allow strollers so, had #3 accompanied us, we would have seen all of the fish at warp speed as we ran thru the place in hot pursuit of the baby who has wheels for feet).

We went down to Baltimore's Inner Harbor to test drive a new exhibit at Port Discovery, called Access Ability.



Because this was like a pre-museum opening type deal we had to get there @ the butt crack of dawn (which for us is like 8:30).

It was a fun, but short trip. We checked out the exhibit, the local news covered it (but somehow omitted our smiling faces from the final cut), and we were sent packing (nicely, of course, by the sweetly smiling face of Kate, their marketing maven).

Not one for wasting gas (Baltimore is like 50 miles from my house) I figured, let's break the bank (literally) and go to the aquarium. We're here, we're here early, and we're here minus one so might as well.

We saw it all.

The 4-D Immersion theater...



The dolphin show...



The jelly fish, the fancy fish, and even the famous fish (Nemo!)



We spent 3 hours running casually strolling through that place, reading every sign, experiencing every creature, enjoying every moment like the babyless travelers we were (and, since it cost $70 to get in the place, we wanted to take advantage of every nook and cranny they were selling).

And, afterward we were famished, of course.

So, we went for fries and shakes (no healthy eating today, it was a par-tay!) at Johnny Rockets.

Of course we could have chosen any type of exotic cuisiene at the Harbor (it is a tourist trap, after all), but we wanted to do something all the no-need-for-a-high-chair ballers get to do: sit at the bar!

#2 even did his fancy schmansy "sittin' at the bar" dance for us...



Once we were packed with greasy goodness, we contemplated heading home.

But, we couldn't!

There were fountains to run through.



Street performers to heckle (actually, it was him who was heckling us for not putting cash in his pot. Sorry pal, it's a recession and this day trip is breaking me!).



And, science.



As a wise woman (aka BFF) once said, "Go big or go home!"

So, big it was; we added the Maryland Science Center, to our day o' fun!

We got to see the dinosaurs, lay on a bed of nails, explore the human body, and be guniea pigs in the name of science.



And, somehow, I got suckered into the Planetarium (thought we were gonna see the constellations) for some spooky presentation about black matter (or some equally abstract and frightening concept) in outer space.



Now, you can't tell me that doesn't look like some creepy-I'm-gonna-get-you-sucka-Houston-we-have-a-problem-danger-Will-Robinson weapon of mass destruction.

It's for space, man. Outer freakin' space.

Booo!

Booo for space and it's evil instruments of death!

I took a nap (you know, to prevent from having a space induced panic attack).

We rounded out our baby-free-stress-free-bickering-free-awesome-filled day with the Newton's Alley exhibit where the dudes got to experience, hands on, all of Newton's laws (I think they have to do with like gravity or motion or some beyond me mumbo jumbo that is totally out of my realm of understanding, but kinda cool when presented in an interactive museum exhibit).

See? It included this fun little Mousetrap (rememeber that game?) doohickey.



So, should you ever find yourself in Baltimore, be sure to give me a ring.

We'll meet up.

You can buy me lunch and pay for me to get into all of the attractions.

Then, you can watch me chase my spirited toddler through all of the exhibits because, let's face it, the baby free day was totally a one time deal made possible entirely by the brodcasting of football (besides, you don't really need to take your time now, just read the blog, you get the idea).

It'll be great.

P.S. Did you spot my girl Mona in one of those shots? Be sure to check back here tomorrow to get the full rundown on Mona's visit to PBD!