Make your own fun...Activity 4: Elsewhere

I was originally of the mind that if one had a toddler, one could not venture anywhere after naptime, not anywhere that closed at 4 o'clock anyway. I thought to myself: "Not worth it, the drive, the fact that we'd only have an hour, not worth it." What am I talking about? The Children's Museum of Phoenix.



It's a godsend to parents in Phoenix, 3 floors of fun things to do, to play with. The fact that I work there has nothing to do with how awesome it is (who am I kidding? The fact that I work there Saturday mornings! makes it twice as awesome.). Colin and I have ventured there many times and every time he loves it more than the last. As an employee I'm also a member so we can bop in and out whenever we like (how about them perks?!?) and everyone knows me and my kid. It's about a 30 minute drive from our house but truth be told almost everything is a drive in suburban Phoenix.



I generally tell people with young kids (and adhere to the policy myself) to get there right at opening so you can leave with naptime ready kids by noon. After 12 or so it gets quiet at the museum because most folks are at home for naptime between 12:30 and 3:00 and we close at 4 so it makes sense that I steered clear of the afternoon and just braved the crowds some days. There is a whole area fenced off for kiddos under 3 that is like a toddler dreamland with a play kitchen and baby dolls and a slide and books. It keeps Colin safe from excited big kid feet and entertained with stuff that is just his size.



In my approach to "re-becoming" a stay at home mom I really looked closely at our schedule. I'm not a schedule person but we have certain times during the day when it's wisest for us to eat and sleep and be at home. So I looked at those times and realized that the way we eat and sleep allows us to be awake and looking for afternoon activities at 2:30 or 3! And if I timed it right we could stay at the museum till 4, leave, and meet my mom for dinner after work in downtown Phoenix and avoid the traffic! JACKPOT! (a side note: If you've been reading for a while you know that Luke works until 9 on Tuesdays with a rehearsal for the church band)



Truthfully this is not we have tried yet. I have been tracking naps and my theory pans out. This Tuesday will be the first day we are able to take advantage of the idea, I should have saved this entry but I have all these shots from the last time we were there and I wanted to encourage anyone in the Phoenix area with kiddos to meet us at the museum Tuesday afternoons. Call it a standing playdate! If we have dinner afterwards we avoid the traffic and if we take the light rail...well we're just unstoppable then aren't we? ;)




Up Next: Your kid can cook! Even at age 2! And they eat what they make! Especially if it involves chocolate...