Category Archives: attractions

Day In the Life

I haven’t done one of these in a really long time and happened to pick a weekend where the weather was beautiful and we decided to spend most of the day out of the house, which also means most of these pictures are off the phone. I’ve learned lately that it’s just much easier to carry the phone rather than the bigger camera, especially with how active they both are.

Anyhoo, our Saturday started off early… so early. I think the kids were up before 6:00… it was dark and far too early. I suppose on the plus side it meant we had plenty of time to decide what our plans would be and time to get ready, though. I gave Enzo a few options and he picked the zoo, so we figured we’d start there and then see where the day led us.

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Science Museum: Lost in Space

It was the last weekend that the Space exhibit would be at the Science Museum, so being the stir-crazy person that I am, I decided to drag everyone to see it because… SPACE. Plus, Enzo has had an on and off again interest in outer space, so it seemed like it might be something he would enjoy.

The exhibit was fairly busy and unsurprisingly both kids wanted to check out everything. There were a lot of cool hands-on activities that both kids were able to do, even though they really didn’t understand what it was all about. What kid wouldn’t enjoy pushing buttons and turning cranks and exploring miniature space stations?

The highlight for Phoebe, may have been the toilet, though. She did not want to get off the pot and was quite enjoying herself. Of all the things to grab her attention, it would have to be that. Josh took a turn on the rotating shuttle exhibit, while I volunteered to wait with the kids. There’s no way my stomach would have managed. Alas and sadness.

We did make sure to grab our two hooligans for some fun pictures. We were “those” parents who couldn’t seem to control their rascals as they played a one-sided game of Hide-and-Seek. They are most definitely not ready for any kind of art museum where one is supposed to be somewhat sophisticated. What? You want to quietly contemplate this historic piece of art? Let me scream in protest of my stroller imprisonment or run around shrieking at the top of my lungs. Not everyone enjoys yelling, not even if done in happiness.

After we finished up our tour in outer space, we wandered around the rest of the museum a bit, checking out dinosaurs and getting some fresh air outside. Phoebe managed to lose her beloved owl lovie but thanks to a miracle we found it waiting for us at Lost and Found officially making whoever found it the hero of the day.

Flowers and Legos!

It was the perfect day to be outside and to use our discount tickets to the Arboretum… and apparently everyone else thought so as well. It also happened to be the last day of the Lego sculpture displays, so perhaps that combined with fabulous weather is what brought everyone out in droves. As always, we started things off with a picnic lunch and let the kids run around a bit before walking around to view the actual flowers and Lego creations. Sadly, we didn’t see them all, but the ones we did see were fun.

We brought the stroller, which at times was really helpful for two small kids, but can also be a cumbersome beast and makes me long for the days when the kids can manage an entire day walking on their own two feet. Alas, we seem to be nearing the end of baby wearing for good, which makes me sad. If she’s tired enough, Phoebe will give in and allow it, but for the most part she wants to be free to follow her brother, which often feels like following a drunk. She drags her feet, can’t walk a straight line and tends to be incoherent if she refused to take her nuk out. Many people are understanding and smile at her, but you also get the grumps with zero patience who give you the evil eye for allowing your child to have any fun.

Anyhoo, there were a lot of pretty flowers to look at, but the kids were mostly interested in anything with water. It took a lot of convincing to get them to leave the waterfall, and I can’t necessarily blame them since it was shady and somewhat secluded. We walked around a while longer, and I gave Enzo my phone so he could take pictures (I’ll post those later), but it soon became clear that our munchkins needed a nap… Phoebe especially.

To encourage some sleepiness we went on the 3 mile drive for the first time and were kicking ourselves for not taking it sooner. We had no idea there was so much more to see and do! When we move closer, we are without a doubt getting a membership because it’s such a great place to go on walks.

Renaissance Festival!

It’s hard to believe we haven’t been to the Renaissance Festival since we first moved to Minnesota. I know at least two years we decided to go to the State Fair instead of the Festival, but this year I decided it was time we returned. While it was fun this year, I think next year will be even better when Phoebe is past her NoIWillNotHoldYourHandOrRideInTheWagon stage. However, the wagon was much easier than the stroller when it comes to more rugged terrain.

Because it had been so long I couldn’t remember whether there would be enough to keep the kids entertained or not. I guess I forgot just how much there is, though. We were there for a good 4 hours and missed so much! I’m already planning on dressing up the whole family next year. I was tempted to this time, but wasn’t sure if the kids would cooperate. Considering how much Phoebe likes to twirl in dresses now, though, I don’t think she’d mind. Since Josh picked up an Ocarina while we were there, we’re thinking we may just do a Zelda theme for the entire family since that’s also probably the only way I’ll get Josh to join us in costume. 😉

Another great thing about the Festival is that it’s perfectly acceptable (and encouraged) to drink beer and wine before noon. While Josh relaxed with his beer I took the kids on a walk through the Fairy Forest. Enzo was a tad nervous at first, which I think was due to so many people in costume. He was very wary about everyone who came our way. Both kids enjoyed wandering the path and seemed more interested in walking and exploring than talking to any of the fairies or elves we met along the way. Phoebe stopped when we came upon a girl playing a violin, though, and didn’t want to leave. The girl played her the ABC song, which completely won her over and I had a hard time talking her into leaving. We may have a future musician on our hands!

Josh took the kids through Mermaid Cove while I had a few moments to myself and got to do some people watching. As you can see from the picture, Enzo didn’t seem to be too thrilled. Ha ha!

I think he was just getting a bit tired, but we had promised them souvenirs, so being the good parents we are we bought them each wooden swords and shields. Phoebe was perhaps a little too keen and had to have hers taken away after trying to run her brother through. At least I won’t have to worry about her protecting herself in the future.

As the wind started to pick up and clouds began to move in, we decided it was time to head on out. Josh and I are headed back for the last weekend, though, to help a friend celebrate his birthday. Huzzah!

Camping: Part 2

Paul Bunyan Land is one of those kind of over-priced, small-town amusement parks that you go to because it’s random and there isn’t a whole lot else to do. It’s kind of cheesy in a fun way, really only has a handful of rides for kids (most of which aren’t running all the time), a petting zoo and some wacky dioramas. It also has This Old Village, which is kind of fun, but we didn’t have time for it with the kids. Right away Enzo saw a few rides that he wanted to go on, and a few more that he stared at for a while, but said, “Maybe next time when I’m bigger.”

Phoebe was fairly nervous and since they wouldn’t allow parents on the rides with small kids, we took a gamble putting her on a ride alone with Enzo after previous experiences. She held on for dear life, but I think she was okay because her big brother was next to her having a blast. They both loved the train (of course) and the boat was also a big hit, which sort of surprised me. I figured Phoebe would panic when the ride operator picked her up and plopped her in the boat rather than me, but she thoroughly enjoyed it.