discovery fun

I've been home a week from my almost week long Spring Break family visit, and my blog is glaring at me. Tapping her foot. Sighing loudly. So passive aggressive, I wonder where she learned that sort of behavior? 

There was a lot I had to process from our family visit (let's put it this way, not with my side of the family) and I'm still deciding whether to write about some of it. In the meantime, here's our - me, Thomas, and Lovie - trip to the amazing Lynn Meadows Discovery Center! 

It's a wonderful place, Lynn Meadows is. We got very lucky - usually the museum is closed on Mondays, but since it was Spring Break all over Mississippi, they were open. There were very few other guests, and at one point, we had the whole place to ourselves. I'm sure we'll never have that happen again. Though I like other kids being there, mostly because Thomas likes other kids and has fun joining in with anyone who will let him! I would love to come back with some of our own small friends. 

I really can't recommend this place enough. The staff was friendly and kind and kept the place neat and tidy. When I realized my camera battery was dying, they had no problem with me plugging in my battery charger to an outlet. (I chose one out of the way, in a very uninteresting spot. Also impressive: every single outlet was child-proofed.) I keep hearing rumors that Jackson is building a children's museum, and let me tell you, they are going to have to come up with something spectacular to top Lynn Meadows. 

Immediately upon walking in, Thomas proclaimed "TWAINS!" (his newest obsession). I told Lovie, "You may have just paid 20 bucks for Thomas to play with trains all day." There was also a big train for kids to play in, and an electric train that went around the top of the third floor. Thomas spent a lot of time running up and down the ramps (no stairs, thank God!) to watch the electric train go 'round and 'round. He would gaze at it with intense focus, raptly announcing, "TWAINS!" as if he were the angel Gabriel announcing the birth of Jesus. Eventually Lovie stayed up at the top and I stayed on the bottom level, after many many trips in between. I was so glad that my mama was feeling well enough to go on such an outing (she'd had the last part of her breast reconstruction the week before). 

My favorite part (besides the reading room, which I didn't get a picture of, mostly because I was too busy sitting in the bean bag myself while my camera was charging) was this amazing climbing structure in the middle of the museum. You could climb from the very bottom and go up to the tippy top of the museum. I was amazed at the engineering of it all...there was no way for kids to fall out, as there was a net sewn tightly around it, and all these gradual steps down, like cascading waves. It really was art, and I wished I dreamed it up. How magical! 

 

Watching the TWAINS! (Even one train is plural, according to Thomas.) 

After crawling up and down it several times over, Thomas finally got brave enough to stand up. I was just glad he didn't try to JUMP from wave to wave. 

Here in the old hotel section, Thomas and a friend plunk out a friendly tune. 

These boys aren't sure about a tea party, but anything involving cake and cookies has to be okay. 

There was also a Mexico room, which we spent a lot of time in, since there was a plane there. It was just lovely, especially with the painted windows. At one point, I found myself telling Thomas, "You are such a lucky kid. Mama didn't have this sort of cool place to play in when she was little." I did go to interactive children's museums in Dallas and Washington, D.C., but those were on family trips and definitely not in the same state. I always ponder and consider my own want to let Thomas have all the special experiences (going to zoos, or whether or not to take him to a live show, or museums) and yet I want them to be truly a treat, not an every day sort of thing. I want Thomas to feel excited about all those special activities - like going to the movies (which he still hasn't been to the movies, are you kidding me?) Part of special outings is the delicious anticipation, which I don't think he experiences yet. When you're a stay-at-home mom, you are always looking for something to get you out of the house, away from too much TV or the same old routine. So far, I think we stay in a good balance. Our everyday activities are more likely to be one of the many playgrounds in our area, or the library, pushing the buggy past the bikes in Target. 

Lovie finally convinced Thomas to visit the grocery store...

...and he stayed long enough to steal a banana, running away...

...to hop a flight to Mexico! You gotta have good snacks when you're flying planes, especially. This whole situation made Lovie and I giggle so. Thomas, the Banana Bandit! (He really does love bananas.) 

We had a picnic outside for our lunch. The day was beautifully sunny but windy, so we had to put on our jackets and shiver through the wind. I was impressed that Thomas sat and ate his lunch...usually at playgrounds, he just can't handle sitting at the table for long. I think he had worked up an appetite. We were entertained by a squirrel, who came pretty close to us, and made Thomas laugh.  

If there's a TWAIN, we'll find it. Choo choo! 

 

Suddenly, we noticed that the entertaining squirrel was trying to break into our lunch bag. Lovie and Thomas chased him off. Bold squirrel!

 

This crazy small submarine thingy was really cool. Thomas liked hanging out in the "plane"...right now, he's at my elbow looking at the picture and declaring, "Plane! Plane!" 

 

There were these amazing treehouse structures, built around the oak trees. It's so much fun that Thomas is big enough to handle these on his own, but of course we clamber behind for pictures and to help him climb a real tree. 

I already can't wait to go back. 

Comments

[lindsey]

you are making me very homesick my friend! my sam LOVED going to lynn meadows. gorgeous pictures, btw.

xo

[Megsie]

It was a wonderful day to spend with you here! That place looks like so much FUN! Nicholas is 6, but still loves trains and planes and the like. So glad you had a good spring break vacation, and that your mom is feeling good enough to goof off with you two :)

xoxo

[tinker]

What a fun museum! Wish more towns had something like that for kids.
Hope you all had a very happy Easter!

[Bethany]

Can I go with you next time? Please? I'd even consider bringing my girls along to play with Thomas. :) That looks like so much fun for imaginative little ones (and imaginative big ones too, I suppose!).

[rachael]

We LOVE the Discovery Center. I'm so glad you guys had fun. :)