North Carolina Day Four - Children's Museum

This morning was another early one for James and it was going to be a long day too so I decided to take the boys to a children's museum.  Usually we go to the one in Charlotte which we have always enjoyed but today we wanted to try something new.  I had heard about a place in Columbia, South Carolina which sounded interesting so right after breakfast we all headed out.  

It was almost a two hour drive from our hotel and halfway down I started to have second thoughts.  I don't take the familiar road to Boston by myself and I couldn't believe I was taking all four boys to a strange city so far away from home. I had the only cell phone too so there was no way I could reach James in an emergency.  But the way in was pretty easy and although Will started to feel sick we made it there without too much trouble.  

The children's museum, Edventure, was awesome!!  As soon as we walked in we saw this giant statue of "Eddie".  He is 40 ft tall and the back is open from top to bottom with four different floors for the kids to climb in.  The boys loved it.  He was their favorite thing in the whole museum and they came back to him again and again.  At first Will was nervous about climbing down the intestines but Charlie came with him and after that he was fine.

The boys in front of Eddie

Colin and Eddie

Will climbs the vertebrae

We played inside "Eddie" for at least 45 minutes before the boys finally wanted to explore the rest of the museum.  Colin and Charlie loved the pet exhibit where they could pretend to be vets.  "I need to give my doggie medicine!" Charlie would cry after we left.  

Will hangs out in Eddie's stomach

Jon and Charlie explore the brain

Another section allowed the kids to explore food from farm to table, allowing them to pick oranges and collect eggs in the farm, shop in a supermarket and finally serve food in a restaurant.  The boys loved it and spend a surprising amount of time shopping.  

Colin and Jon in the shop

Will loved the supermarket

Colin and Will prepare some food for me

Will works in the restaurant

One of Charlie's favorite exhibits had a real fire truck that the kids could explore.  He looked so cute driving the truck in his fireman's coat!  Will loved the interactive quiz on how to make a fire safety plan.  I always look at those touchscreen computer displays and wonder what child would look at them when there are so many things to play with and explore.  And then I realize they are made for son.

Colin drives a fire truck

Will takes a turn at the wheel

Jon as a fireman

Colin slides down the pole

By the time we had finished with the first floor of the museum we were all getting hungry.  After a quick and boring lunch at the cafeteria we went to visit the Butterfly Garden.  I never knew butterflies could be so terrifying!  For some reason all the boys were really nervous about the butterflies landing on them and Charlie went around screaming "We're gunna die!".  They did calm down enough to admire the butterflies but all the boys would jump back nervously if one came too near.  These are the same boys that will pick up centipedes, snakes, salamanders, and miscellaneous bugs.  But butterflies are terrifying.

A terrifying Zebra Butterfly

After the butterflies we headed up to the second floor.   Since it was the middle of the day during the school year, Edventure was practically empty except for a few preschoolers with their mothers.  This meant that I could e let the boys roam and explore on their own.  We’d all go to one section but then they would scatter, exploring each exhibition at their own pace.  It was really nice because I was able to spend a little one on one time with each of them and even sit down for a few minutes! 

Will practices being a dentist

Jon uses a jackhammer

Jon plays with magnets

Half of the upstairs was a Mr Potato Head exhibit which the boys really enjoyed even though it seemed geared to younger children.  But Will and Jon both spent a lot of time there.  On the other side of the hallway was a whole section for building things.  There was a little room with Legos, Duplos, and blocks, another area with huge foam tinker toys, a couple craft and design areas, and a place to design and test a hot air balloon or parachute.

Jon's Lego spaceship

My train

Jon, Charlie and I had fun in the Lego room.  Charlie built a plane out of Legos, a truck with Duplos and a block barn.  While we were doing that Colin was hard at work trying to make something that would fly.  Jon and I came out to join him and the three of us had fun designing and building our own hot air balloons.  Colin and Jon even made people to go inside!

Colin working hard on his hot air balloon

Jon with his creation

We spent a long time playing upstairs but Charlie really wanted to be a vet again so back down we went.  Will and Jon went back inside “Eddie” while Colin and Charlie played with the animals.  Colin quickly made friends with two brothers and played with them until it was time to leave.  Before we went home the boys had to visit the store, the firetruck and “Eddie” one last time.  Actually they wanted to climb inside “Eddie” over and over again.  They were sad to leave him! 

Will and Eddie compare shoe sizes

The boys probably could have spent hours more at the museum but it was 3:00 and I was getting tired.  It was a long drive home and I wanted to leave the city before rush hour.  We got out of Columbia easily and made great time but thanks to a stop at Chick-Fil-A we hit rush hour traffic in Charlotte.  It took us an hour to go the last 20 miles home.

My beautiful butterflies

The boys playing in the hurricane

After that I was tired and rather cranky.  But James was home from work and said he could afford a short study break so he watched the kids for 20 minutes so I could breathe.  Alone.  I love my children and I love spending time with them.  But for an introvert being with people, even people you love, every minute of the day is exhausting!

After my time alone I felt refreshed enough to take the boys down to the pool again.  I probably don’t need to take them anywhere else since they love the pool so much.  Once again it was empty so I didn’t have to worry about them being loud, jumping off the edge, or splashing.  We had a lot of fun.  Jon was swimming around again, most often without even the safety of the tube nearby.  And Colin swam across the pool!!  He was awesome!   Will swam across too and spent a lot more time in the deep end today.

Colin leaps into the pool

Will jumps in

We had a great time playing and pretending that I was a mermaid trying to ensnare brave sailors and lead them to my watery kingdom.  If I kissed one of the boys he would be under my spell and could only be freed by a touch from the magical rings which would temporarily take away my powers.  Colin and Charlie wanted to be caught and kissed but Jon was relentless in chasing me around the pool with the magic rings.  We had so much fun.  :-)

Jonny

Though the long drive and the pool made it into a bit of a late night, the boys did go to bed easily and they all fell asleep quickly.  I think I am wearing them out!  James has been studying all night but even he has turned in now and I am off to bed as well.  

Goodnight!