We get a bill every month from EPB--the electric company. One month, it was $300. Now we live at 67 degrees inside, and we've brought it down to $130. I consider that a major accomplishment, and I will use my savings to buy sweaters, slippers, and snugglies.
This month, we received an insert that REALLY bothers me. EPB is begging us during this giving season to donate to needy families to help them stay warm during this cold, hard winter by paying an extra dollar on our electric bill! Does this strike anyone else as odd? This is not a charity asking for money--this is a business asking for us to pay extra this month so that someone else doesn't have to pay what they owe. Or, more truthfully, so that EPB doesn't have to employ someone to send so many accounts to collections!
Perhaps we can pass this idea on to Bi-Lo or Wal-mart so that the "needy" shoppers don't have to pay for their goods. Or maybe Delta Air would be interested in a similar program. I'm sure I'd qualify as "needy" compared to an average jetsetter.=) Oooh, what if everyone who goes to the Hannah Montana concert pays an extra buck to help the less fortunate enjoy an evening of teeny-bopper heaven? Count me in!
Sure, I'll bite. I'll give a buck to a bonified charity. But what I want to know from EPB is this: how do I get on the list??!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The Children's Discovery Center--A+
As the days shorten and the wind chills our playgrounds, the kids adopt a certain frenetic approach to life indoors, which means the mommy lives with tight muscles and frazzled hair. Thank goodness for the climate-controlled relief that is the Children's Discovery Center!
We went twice last week, and we still didn't explore the entire center. They have live art shows, science shows, storytime and animal discovery shows, but my five children couldn't tear themselves away from any of the hands-on exhibits they were enjoying to watch a show! We started at the waterworks near the entrance, and although they provide velcro water-resistant jackets, Tyler fought it like a dog, so I let him play without one. That was a mistake! He came away soaking wet from head to toe, after taking a cup in the exhibit and dousing his head. He guffawed then, but the walk home was miserable.
Above the water exhibit is a great indoor playground that rivals the biggest McDonald's! Saja took me to China on a boat ("All Aboard!" she kept shouting.), and even the two-year-olds were able to enjoy the climbing and sliding structure. A posted sign says, "All children under age 5 need a climbing partner," but all my children ARE under age five, and I couldn't partner with them all, so I just hung out with the twins while the older kids wore themselves out.
Then we moved on to a dark room with a strobe-light sculpture exhibit. The kids loved it in there, because the sculpture is moving so fast that it creates quite a strong wind. As the responsible adult, I didn't care for this exhibit so much, because it strained me too much to figure out which of my kids were in there, due to the darkness and the strobe effect. But as an irresponsible adult, I think it's really cool!
On your way to the art area, you can face paint or work on a craft provided by the museum. You'll pass by an exhibit specifically designed for children ages 4 and under, but my kids didn't want to waste time in there. Inside that exhibit, they have another special area just for infants.
We didn't really explore the art area, but I saw two computers--one touch-screen and one mouse-motivated, some masterpiece magnetic jigsaw puzzles, some playdough and sculpture stamps, and some magnetic building blocks. Sounds messy!
We did spend quite a bit of time in the music area. My favorite instrument looked like a massive ball stuck all over with those blue bulb-syringes that all mommies use to relieve their poor little baby's stuffy nose. When you squeeze the bulb, it makes a note. I squeezed and laughed, and the twins laughed and clapped ourselves silly. You can play a piano, or press one of three buttons to make it play itself. You can tambourine your head, as Tyler did, you can sit in a musical chair to feel the vibrations of the strings, you can watch a movie in the theatre room, you can put on a puppet show or a live show, complete with sound and lighting effects, and you can play a cross between a harp and a guitar. It has a name, but this harried mother of five surely does not remember it.
On our second visit, we spent about an hour playing in the sandbox called Dinosaur Excavation. Would you believe my children were genuinely excited to discover a bone under their workspace?! Many times, however, I had to chastise my zealous 3-year-old for slinging the sand in his exuberance to unearth the long-dead behemoths. The superfine sand brushed off easily, and very little of it joined us on the ride home. What did make it, I suppose, had hitchhiked in Kora's shoes, which she took off and filled up.
In the dinosaur exhibit, you'll also be privileged to see Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, African Giant Millipedes (which look just like the tiny baby millipedes that assaulted my house five years ago, by the way. Shivers!), a pixie frog (which is anything but pixie!), a gecko (not Geico), and several geological samples of minerals. Oh, Tyler also enjoyed the pint-sized walk-through cave with a window at just the right height for him to poke out his head and giggle.
We spent the last few minutes before closing-time (5pm) in the electricity and physics exhibit. Tyler just danced with glee when he made a foam ball float in mid-air! A huge race-track occupies the middle of the room, but we couldn't figure out what to do with it. The older kids really enjoyed playing with the magnetic gears and the weights and balances, but I got distracted when two museum employees ran past me, one on the walkie announcing, "Missing Tyler, age 1, in a red jacket." The responsible adult of Tyler looked nonplussed, but I imagine they found him. I almost suggested checking the elevator, which is located just adjacent to the room in which he was last seen, because MY Tyler, age 2, would be there in a heartbeat if he saw it. I actually have lost one of the twins to an elevator in a retirement home, but it only had two floors (as does the Children's Museum), and I could zap him with the mommy stare from the bottom floor because it opened to the second floor where the elevator exited.
We did use the elevator when we had the double-stroller to hit the second floor, where you can find a small library (from which you can actually check out books!), an active area with stationary bikes and a climbing wall, and the entrance to the observation tower. I thought the twins would love climbing the spiral staircase with a million stairs, but since they had not enjoyed a nice long nap before we carted them off to the museum, they could not find it in their hearts to enjoy it. So I carried them. Whew, it was a workout. From the top, you can go outside for about ten feet, and then you can pay to see things up close. I think the workout was the best thing that we enjoyed from the tower. (There's no elevator there!)
Finally, we spent quite a bit of time in the Rooftop Fun Factory, which, as the name suggests, is actually on the roof. The girls played garden checkers, actually enjoying a jump when the opportunity arose. Kora used a pulley to swing herself, David used a lever to pop a ball, and Tyler and Tobias plunged their sleeved arms into the bubble pit, just because they could. We happened to go on a warm December day, but they will close the rooftop in inclement weather. We all had a grand time out there. I slipped back inside to use the restroom and happened upon a complimentary cart of gingersnaps and herbal tea, which I was served with fondest compliments by a museum volunteer. Tobias promptly pitched a fit. I rewarded him with my half-eaten cookie. He thanked me by hushing up. (Hey, this isn't a parenting blog!)
For only $135/year, my entire family (and that's a lot of folks, folks!) can enjoy free admission to this and 135 other children's museums nationwide. The Children's Discovery Center is located on the corner of Chester and 3rd, but it's best to park at a meter on Broad if you plan to stay two hours or less. Otherwise, the museum charges $4 to park all day in the lot behind the building. Do not be misled, as I was, believing you can enter the parking lot from Chester. Alas, if you attempt such foolery, you will find yourself back on Hwy 27 with no recourse until the next exit. Drive around to the back of the building in the lot almost adjacent to the Lookout field. Hey, you could even pick up Lookouts tickets while you're there and enjoy a little Spring Training!
In conclusion, if you're singing the "It's too cold to do anything" blues, then go to the Children's Museum and enjoy a little break from the insanity we call motherhood. You can go everyday but Wednesday from 10am to 5pm (Sunday is only noon to 5pm). On Wednesdays, you'll just have to suffer through your insanity alone... or perhaps go to McDonald's.
http://www.cdmfun.org/
We went twice last week, and we still didn't explore the entire center. They have live art shows, science shows, storytime and animal discovery shows, but my five children couldn't tear themselves away from any of the hands-on exhibits they were enjoying to watch a show! We started at the waterworks near the entrance, and although they provide velcro water-resistant jackets, Tyler fought it like a dog, so I let him play without one. That was a mistake! He came away soaking wet from head to toe, after taking a cup in the exhibit and dousing his head. He guffawed then, but the walk home was miserable.
Above the water exhibit is a great indoor playground that rivals the biggest McDonald's! Saja took me to China on a boat ("All Aboard!" she kept shouting.), and even the two-year-olds were able to enjoy the climbing and sliding structure. A posted sign says, "All children under age 5 need a climbing partner," but all my children ARE under age five, and I couldn't partner with them all, so I just hung out with the twins while the older kids wore themselves out.
Then we moved on to a dark room with a strobe-light sculpture exhibit. The kids loved it in there, because the sculpture is moving so fast that it creates quite a strong wind. As the responsible adult, I didn't care for this exhibit so much, because it strained me too much to figure out which of my kids were in there, due to the darkness and the strobe effect. But as an irresponsible adult, I think it's really cool!
On your way to the art area, you can face paint or work on a craft provided by the museum. You'll pass by an exhibit specifically designed for children ages 4 and under, but my kids didn't want to waste time in there. Inside that exhibit, they have another special area just for infants.
We didn't really explore the art area, but I saw two computers--one touch-screen and one mouse-motivated, some masterpiece magnetic jigsaw puzzles, some playdough and sculpture stamps, and some magnetic building blocks. Sounds messy!
We did spend quite a bit of time in the music area. My favorite instrument looked like a massive ball stuck all over with those blue bulb-syringes that all mommies use to relieve their poor little baby's stuffy nose. When you squeeze the bulb, it makes a note. I squeezed and laughed, and the twins laughed and clapped ourselves silly. You can play a piano, or press one of three buttons to make it play itself. You can tambourine your head, as Tyler did, you can sit in a musical chair to feel the vibrations of the strings, you can watch a movie in the theatre room, you can put on a puppet show or a live show, complete with sound and lighting effects, and you can play a cross between a harp and a guitar. It has a name, but this harried mother of five surely does not remember it.
On our second visit, we spent about an hour playing in the sandbox called Dinosaur Excavation. Would you believe my children were genuinely excited to discover a bone under their workspace?! Many times, however, I had to chastise my zealous 3-year-old for slinging the sand in his exuberance to unearth the long-dead behemoths. The superfine sand brushed off easily, and very little of it joined us on the ride home. What did make it, I suppose, had hitchhiked in Kora's shoes, which she took off and filled up.
In the dinosaur exhibit, you'll also be privileged to see Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, African Giant Millipedes (which look just like the tiny baby millipedes that assaulted my house five years ago, by the way. Shivers!), a pixie frog (which is anything but pixie!), a gecko (not Geico), and several geological samples of minerals. Oh, Tyler also enjoyed the pint-sized walk-through cave with a window at just the right height for him to poke out his head and giggle.
We spent the last few minutes before closing-time (5pm) in the electricity and physics exhibit. Tyler just danced with glee when he made a foam ball float in mid-air! A huge race-track occupies the middle of the room, but we couldn't figure out what to do with it. The older kids really enjoyed playing with the magnetic gears and the weights and balances, but I got distracted when two museum employees ran past me, one on the walkie announcing, "Missing Tyler, age 1, in a red jacket." The responsible adult of Tyler looked nonplussed, but I imagine they found him. I almost suggested checking the elevator, which is located just adjacent to the room in which he was last seen, because MY Tyler, age 2, would be there in a heartbeat if he saw it. I actually have lost one of the twins to an elevator in a retirement home, but it only had two floors (as does the Children's Museum), and I could zap him with the mommy stare from the bottom floor because it opened to the second floor where the elevator exited.
We did use the elevator when we had the double-stroller to hit the second floor, where you can find a small library (from which you can actually check out books!), an active area with stationary bikes and a climbing wall, and the entrance to the observation tower. I thought the twins would love climbing the spiral staircase with a million stairs, but since they had not enjoyed a nice long nap before we carted them off to the museum, they could not find it in their hearts to enjoy it. So I carried them. Whew, it was a workout. From the top, you can go outside for about ten feet, and then you can pay to see things up close. I think the workout was the best thing that we enjoyed from the tower. (There's no elevator there!)
Finally, we spent quite a bit of time in the Rooftop Fun Factory, which, as the name suggests, is actually on the roof. The girls played garden checkers, actually enjoying a jump when the opportunity arose. Kora used a pulley to swing herself, David used a lever to pop a ball, and Tyler and Tobias plunged their sleeved arms into the bubble pit, just because they could. We happened to go on a warm December day, but they will close the rooftop in inclement weather. We all had a grand time out there. I slipped back inside to use the restroom and happened upon a complimentary cart of gingersnaps and herbal tea, which I was served with fondest compliments by a museum volunteer. Tobias promptly pitched a fit. I rewarded him with my half-eaten cookie. He thanked me by hushing up. (Hey, this isn't a parenting blog!)
For only $135/year, my entire family (and that's a lot of folks, folks!) can enjoy free admission to this and 135 other children's museums nationwide. The Children's Discovery Center is located on the corner of Chester and 3rd, but it's best to park at a meter on Broad if you plan to stay two hours or less. Otherwise, the museum charges $4 to park all day in the lot behind the building. Do not be misled, as I was, believing you can enter the parking lot from Chester. Alas, if you attempt such foolery, you will find yourself back on Hwy 27 with no recourse until the next exit. Drive around to the back of the building in the lot almost adjacent to the Lookout field. Hey, you could even pick up Lookouts tickets while you're there and enjoy a little Spring Training!
In conclusion, if you're singing the "It's too cold to do anything" blues, then go to the Children's Museum and enjoy a little break from the insanity we call motherhood. You can go everyday but Wednesday from 10am to 5pm (Sunday is only noon to 5pm). On Wednesdays, you'll just have to suffer through your insanity alone... or perhaps go to McDonald's.
http://www.cdmfun.org/
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