Old and new memories of the Museum of Science and Industry
One of my favorite museums growing up was the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. I still have fond memories of many of the exhibits which are no longer there — the nutrition/food economics exhibit on the left when you walk in and the newspaper exhibit where you choose how to lay out the front page. And so many favorites still exist — the annual Christmas around the World, the ice cream parlor, the fairy castle, and the huge train layout. So when we heard that January would be free month at the museum (when we went as kids it was free every day; now it's $11 per person plus parking) we jumped at the chance to take Benji there. It's such a large museum that we didn't see many exhibits. And of course Benji is too little fully appreciate the museum. But, it was nice to start him early and focus on the exhibits he would enjoy — the farm in the basement with tractors and combines to climb on, the whispering gallery, the chick hatchery, the space shuttle, and the newly-renovated train display. As one would expect, his favorite parts included pushing buttons, especially in the Internet display.
The farm exhibit is particularly popular so Benji had to wait patiently in line to visit the combine. I think he enjoyed it once he got up there, although he was also surprisingly cooperative when it was time to get out.
Whoa! This is way bigger than the tires on Daddy's car.
It's kind of hard to explain the idea of astronauts and space shuttles to a two-year-old (I think he called the shuttle a bus and then an airplane), but Benji got a big kick out of posing in the space suit.
We learned that once upon a time Chicago had a cable car system like the famous San Francisco ones.
It's hard to see, but in each of Daddy's shirt pockets is a mold-a-rama figure. You know you're a daddy when you wander around with toys in your pockets!
It's been over a week now that we've had our brand-new non-stinky toilet, and it's wonderful! Even Benji noticed it was a new toilet after daD installed it. It really was a family team effort for this update — Christmas money from my parents, Christmas gift cards from Josh and Beth, and installation from daD and moM. Thanks to everyone for this totally mundane but much appreciated gift.
As for the next home improvement, we're thinking that Mr. Bush's tax rebate would translate into a nice new set of sofas. Isn't it my patriotic duty to spend that money?
Back in early December snow was still something pretty and fun. It was a new novelty to Benji and he wasn't sure what to do with it, but he sure was curious. For his first snow adventure he was quite cautious and showed no interest in climbing too far into the snow. Rather, he was content to help Daddy shovel and just see what this white stuff was. That particular snowfall was light and dry and didn't pack very well so we couldn't do snowballs (we've done plenty of snowballs since then), but that didn't matter to Benji. So while Mommy and Daddy are tired of the snow and of driving in it, Benji still loves the stuff.
Benji's first steps into the snow. He didn't really want to go in too far, but he was very interested in it.
Notice how short the drifts are in this picture compared to ones I'll post later in the season. Today the drifts on our driveway are well above Benji's head.
Is he ready for us to send him out to clean the driveway?
OK, enough of this shoveling. Now it's time to see what snow feels like.
Hmm... Daddy's shovel looks like more fun.
Benji needs to work on that shoveling technique. He liked to shovel snow with his little shovel and put it in Daddy's shovel. Or he liked to shovel snow out of the drifts and put it back on the driveway.
i sincerely do not know what you are doing here. are you lost? were you
looking for your delicate calico cat, and did you follow her up two flights of stairs
to this room? she is not here. she was here, yes. we gave her a warm bowl of milk, we talked with her about campaign finance reform for a time, and then she bid us good day. i believe she was
going to the post office two blocks down, but i don't quite recall.
for surely you did
not find your way from prinsiana, the least traveled site on
the internet. if you did, though, perhaps you are looking for humor. perhaps you are looking for profundity. perhaps you are looking for answers.
i'm sorry, but you shall go naught-for-three.
