It was a miserable, cold, rainy weekend, so last Sunday we went to the Museum of Natural History (instead of a pumpkin patch). We went with JP, Lisa & Jonathan, and stopped for lunch at the Winking Lizard first.
Jameson ate really well (even though he ate more of Jonathan’s grilled cheese than his own corn dogs), and we learned our lesson and got him milk instead of fruit punch.
The museum was reasonably crowded due to weather undoubtedly, and the kids had a blast. I daresay it was better than the zoo for them, since the animals (stuffed) were right up by the glass. I heard more than one whoa coming out of their mouths.
I swear, we ran through the entire first floor. The boys jumped from one exhibit to the next. Brian could barely hang on to Jameson’s hand, they were moving so fast. I was hoping the dinosaur bones would be a big hit, but alas I should’ve known that stuffed animals and/or things they could actually touch would be more exciting.
They did seem to enjoy how big everything was!
After circling the first floor, we headed downstairs, trying to herd the boys back into their strollers (we were only successful by about 10 minutes thanks to raisins, one of Jameson’s new favorite snacks).
Downstairs, there is a Discovery Center, full of educational toys and stations just for kids. We were nearing the end of our ropes by then, simply because Jameson was edgy since we skipped his nap!
It was well worth it though to get out of the house that weekend. They both had a blast. Jameson napped on the way home, but woke up unhappy when we arrived, so we put him back down for a second nap. He didn’t fall asleep completely, but he rested and when he was ready to get out, he babbled to himself. Much more pleasant!
Sadly, I have had on occasion had to “yell” him to sleep, particularly if he is over tired. If rocking, patting on the back, and swaying back and forth isn’t working, the last resort is to walk in there with a super-stern, elevated voice and tell him it’s time for naps (no if’s ands or buts!). The first time I did it, I must have been really scary because Jameson quickly flatted himself out and fell asleep in that very position, silent as a mouse.
Now I’m a little gentler and cover him back up with a blanket and pat his back before exiting after he gets his stern talking-to. He’s doing really well though, and that only occurs maybe a couple times a month. It snaps him out of his whining and sure enough, as soon as he is settled down, he falls asleep.
Bad mom? I don’t think so. Hopefully not, anyway.