Saturday, February 21, 2009

Dinosaur Museum

Today we took a little field trip to the University of Michigan Natural History Museum in Ann Arbor (on U of M's campus)...aka..the "dinosaur museum". Tanner and Logan are hugely into dinosaurs right now...especially Tanner. They know every name and characteristic...and are always on the computer wanting me to read them facts about dinosaurs (not my favorite past-time, but I'm trying to be excited about their interests:) Anyways, at the museum the boys loved going around and looking at all the displays and bones...and for the first time ever, they actually wanted me to go around and read all the information and captions. We learned about Michigan wildlife, Michigan's Indians, Space, and much more...I always feel like a better mom when we do educational things (makes up for all the Nickelodeon they tend to watch in the winter months:) All in all it was a good trip...except for a few minor mishaps...

First...Preston broke my sunglasses. He was starting to get restless so I gave him my sunglasses to play with. About two seconds later I heard a snap...and found he has broken off one side of the glasses:( My only favorite and only pair:(

Second, Mallory took off her socks and lost them somewhere in the museum. I tried re-tracing my steps...but couldn't find them. Needless to say, I got some nasty looks from strangers as I pushed the stroller several blocks back to our van in the FREEZING cold with Mallory having bare feet!

Lastly, I went to leave the parking structure, and the attendant asked for my parking validation from the School of Dentistry. When I told him I was here for the museum, he prompty informed me that this lot was only for patients coming to the school of dentistry and if I didn't have a parking validation then I had to pay a $25fee in addition to the hourly rate! I tried to fight it, complain, apologize, whine, ask for the manager and so on...but it all came down to the fact that I made a mistake...I didn't pay close enough attention to the sign, and now I had to pay! So it was $28 for our little museum adventure. Ironically, one of the reasons I picked that museum was because it was FREE!...guess it wasn't today!...drats!





8 comments:

  1. Oh Julie, what a bummer. I'm sorry. We really love that museum too. When we went, we went to the website, and there were pretty detailed instructions about where you should park, so it's not easy. Sorry about your glasses and socks. When we went, I remember we lost something that was important (my checkbook, I think? My phone?), so when I realized we were all ready back in the car in front of the place, so I pulled into the Busstop place and made India run in the front where I could see her and ask while I sat there. Well, of course while she was inside, the bus came and wouldn't let the people out or stop until I moved my van and there was nowhere to go, and I wasn't about to leave India, and they were on their radio reporting my license plate, etc. So fun to go to Ann Arbor...

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  2. Julie, I thought your boys would like to know that a few weeks ago at a construction site in downtown San Diego...a huge mastedon was unearthed. (It was like one of those huge elephant with tusks creatures). The picture of your boys reminded me of it. I just thought it was cool that things like that are still being discovered!

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  3. Oh man, bummer about the parking. I can't believe they didn't cut you some slack this time. I was down in Ann Arbor today too. Went to the Hands on Museum. Always fun looking for a place to park down there! That's great that your boys are so into dinosaurs and like to learn so much about them. Cracked me up when you said it wasn't your favorite past time. I think that everyday I have to play cars. Zoom, zoom. The fun of having boys I guess.

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  4. When it rains in poors! Cute blog...matches perfectly! love ya

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  5. lesson one...nothing is ever free. lesson two...don't ever let your kidlets play with your sunglasses (unless you buy the $10 target ones like i do). looks like fun...i'll have to take my kids there!

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  6. I want to take Ky there now! Looks pretty fun. Wonder if Marley will appreciate it :) I love your blog, and your new design/header! So cute! ...alie

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  7. Next time you go somewhere like this let me know! We would love to tag along! =0) The saying in your blog design is AWESOME!

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  8. Wow. Who would have guessed that museum parking was so complex? That's so silly.
    I've been there with the sunglasses. In fact, I'm there right now! I need to find some cute knock-offs. I'm tired of losing good ones to the hands of a child!

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