Day Trip - The Bay Area Discovery Museum

Yesterday, we went to the Bay Area Discovery Museum. They have a free admission day on the first Wednesday of every month, which we've known for ages (or for about a year, but whatever), but have never taken advantage of for one silly reason or another. But yesterday we were determined, and I'm so glad we went!

The museum is in Sausalito, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, in the old Fort Baker, all of which combines to make it a really cool setting. Seriously, just check out this view from the parking lot!
           

                   
So we went in, and the kiddo could barely keep it together long enough for us to fill out the guest card and make our $3 donation. The whole place is set up so that kids can roam around and discover all sorts of things on their own, which I love. I'm kind of a museum dork, and I love nothing more than a well-curated museum, which my family mocks me for relentlessly. And I LOVED this place. The setup and concept all made sens, and it made it really easy for Emmett to find a set of instruments to play almost instantly

Of course, with so much to check out, the music didn't last too long. Within about 5 minutes, we were on to a section of the museum that actually made me jealous of my kid. When my sister and I were little, we pretended all over the place, and our favorite pretend game was "Wilderness Girls" which we invented while camping in Sequoia with my cousin Carrie and friends. Post camping trip, our favorite place to have epic games of Wilderness Girls was at the Chicago Botanic Gardens, a magical place with a Japanese rock garden, a big lake, and huge forests full of wild animals that might jump out at you at any moment so you'd better go make a fort quick! That last bit might not actually be real...

Anyways, the Discovery Museum had a whole section designed just for absolutely epic games of pretend, called "Lookout Cove." A shipwreck, a fishing boat with a steering wheel, a smaller (but still big!) version of the Golden Gate, little nests, possibly the best climbing tree I've ever seen, several caves, miniature rivers and waterfalls and best of all, this amazing work of art called the Peekaboo Palace. It was amazing - nooks and crannies and windows and corners to peek around - the ultimate treehousefortcastle. (I know, that's not a real word, but this place was unreal, so I'm sticking with it.)

Seriously, look at this thing! The coolest!

Peekaboo!

A nest, that apparently had baby tuhtoes in it

Serious frog is serious

Stepping stones - those are probably special "hot lava" type woodchips 

A spiderweb! Of course, if Kelle and I had been captured by a villain, this would have been the dungeon

Ross couldn't wait to climb this thing

We spent most of our time in this pretend wonderland, but there were other fun things all over the place. An exhibit created by the Boston Children's Museum that explores all sorts of fascinating things about 5 Native American communities in New England, like traditional jewelry making, storytelling, modern Pow Wow, traditional recreation and more. I didn't have a chance to get pictures in this one because the kiddo was grabbing things left and right, putting them down in the wrongest places, and trying to climb into display cases. So you'll just have to trust me that it was awesome.

Another set of exhibits featured hands on crafting and art for all ages - from complicated whirligig creations to simple paper towel tube scupltures, there was something designed for any kind of kid. Even mine! He drew on his face, licked some glue sticks, got his hand stuck in a tube, tried to stomp through the display of tissue paper sculpture, and then pulled all the books off the shelves. But you know what? It was totally fine! The museum staff was well trained to interact with little ones, and knew what to expect, and I didn't feel awful about my 2 year old being just that, which was so nice.

mmmm, purple

I was glad to see this survived all the toddlers - it was even cooler in person

I just love reading corners with giant pillows

After we undid the mess, Emmett was ready to move on. We hit up the giant tinker toys in a spot called "Imagination Playground" for a bit, and watched big kids build an enormous fort. The kiddo didn't quite know what to do with these things, but Ross sure did, and had a great time showing him how to build fancy things.

I don't have a kid, I have an adorable sheepdog

Next was the "Tot Spot," which was a smaller version of Lookout Cove, based around animal homes. It was sweet and cute, but I think Emmett enjoyed the "big kid" stuff a bit more.

Playing in the "fissies" home

A groundhog tunnel

The cutest dang puppet show stage I ever saw

We finished the afternoon in Bay Hall, which had Emmett's favorite thing in the whole world, Trains. And that was the end of it for us - once he saw the elaborate Brio setup with Thomas and James and the whole Shining Time Station crew, he didn't want to leave.

We will without a doubt be back to this place, and not just for a free Wednesday. It was so fun, for all of us, and I am sure that it will just get better. As Emmett gets older, we'll be able to set him free (ish) to run around the place, while we hang out in the cafe and enjoy the view.

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Today, I'm thankful for: interesting conversations with coworkers, burritos (Northern California style, of course), cinnamon raisin bread, salad, and NPR

Several Haikus About My Day (because why not)

Bart Trains are smelly
People talk much too loudly
Dudes, close your legs please

Observation stress
Thank god for the internet
I made the kids laugh

Gallagher and farms
A real match made in heaven
Watermelon smash

Art school students rock
They dance and sing in the halls
Parents, not so much

Mama, look, the twains!
I know honey, I saw them
But mama, there's twains!

Orange Golden Gate
Beautiful fog-free evening
San Francisco love



Ok, so I kind of know "why not" with the haikus, but honestly, I couldn't get myself going to write this evening. Today was a lot. Not all bad, but not all good, and Emmet cried and whined our whole ride home from the Bay Area Discovery Museum (I took lots of pictures, and I'm gonna review it tomorrow I think - AMAZING kid's museum). But before that, I had my biennial observation at work, which I think went well but was stressy all the same. I did a great lecture on advertising techniques with lots of commercials and video clips, and the kids seemed to enjoy it, so that was good. My boss said he enjoyed it too, so yay! Did lots of work on curriculum and other school advocacy stuff, attempted to get going on my National Boards, but I didn't get anywhere. Then the boys came and picked me up and we had some amazing playtime up in Sausalito. But man, I am beat now. So tired, so ready for an episode of Friday Night Lights and a drink.


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Today, I'm thankful for: The Bay Area's awesomeness, the hole in the fence in my backyard, rum, just-sharpened pencils, triple chunk brownie mix

List #2 - Songs and Videos I Like

I love all these things, usually at different times. Today, I love them all at once, so much so that I want to share them. They're mostly genuinely good songs, with a couple of exceptions, but you'll like those, because they're terribly good. Or you won't, because you have no sense of humor.

My "strutting" song is "Superstition," by Stevie Wonder. That bass line, the trumpet response, the tempo - it just works for making me walk like I mean it, you know? I think everyone's got a strutting song, and if you don't know yours yet, you should find it, because putting your song on when you're walking down the street is like getting an injection of "Hell Yeah I'm Awesome" right into the brain.

I'll often follow that one up with a little bit of P!nk (U + Ur Hand) and Save Ferris (Bonus Track from Modified) because they both make me feel empowered and sexy in a strong woman kind of way.

And after that, if I'm lucky, I'll get to have a date with my husband, and I'll try to do my sexy dance. Which really only makes him laugh, but whatever. I do what I like, and what I like is dancing to this song. I first listened to Morphine one lovely afternoon before we were married, on a drive to nowhere that ended at Pt Reyes, and now they're a staple in my late night music collection.

When I wanna cry, in a good way, I throw this one on. In the best and sappiest ways, it encompasses everything I'd hoped to be able to do for myself when I was younger, and everything I want for my kiddo. Also, I really like to try to sing along to it. No one else here likes it when I do that, except for maybe my sister's dog, so it mostly happens in my car. So if you see me singing in the Ninja, "Brave" by Sara Barielles is probably why.

Also, both of these by Matt Harding. I discovered them ages ago, and whenever I want to feel good about the world and let a couple tears fall, I watch them. So inspiring. My favorite moments: When everyone rushes in, when he dances along with the Indian women, when they all dance in Oakland (represent!), and the very end of the 2012 video when he has his son with him. I'm literally tearing up right now it makes me so happy.

"Where the Hell is Matt" 2008

"Where the Hell is Matt" 2012

In a similar vein, when I'm thinking about how much I love my family, there are a couple of songs that get me going. One is "Home" by Michael Buble. His voice is so smooth, and the song just captures that essence of missing someone so much. Ross and I spent so much time as a long-distance couple, and I live so far from most of my extended family, and this just rolls all that together into an excellent piece of music.

More specific to my kiddo and Ross, "Ho Hey" by the Lumineers is just fun. It has to be played loudly. There's no other way.

My favorite funny video is so nonsensical I really can't even explain why it's so funny, except for the walrus bit. And the fridge. And the making fun of Justin Timberlake. And how it was originally presented in a loop (like Vines) so it just kept going and going and getting funnier and funnier...I recommend playing it at least twice, if not three times. (If you want to see the original, go here)

And finally, my very favorite music video ever made. There is nothing in the world that compares to this. It's deep, thoughtful, almost revolutionary. And all in the stupidest way possible. They're so serious, and I can't believe that they're that serious, but they are and it might be the best thing to ever happen on the internet. Please, if you didn't hit play on anything else in this list, hit play on this one.

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Today, I'm thankful for YouTube, discount rum at the Lucky's up the street, moons that look like big grins, my mother's good health and enchiladasagna, which I am about to go eat right now.

The Blue Castle

When I was little (and by little I mean from the age of 7 until 17), I felt like an outcast. Looking back on it, I probably wasn't nearly as uncool or rejected as I felt, but all the same, that was how I experienced school on a daily basis. I was shy shy shy...we moved a few times, and I always expected that people would come up to me and offer to be my friend, as if somehow they would be able to notice the new kid in the school of 500, but of course they didn't. So I sat alone fairly often, though I did eventually make friends at every school I went to, and some close ones even. In fact, I'm still in touch with several elementary school buddies thanks to Facebook, which I unashamedly admit that I love. But, the special kind of anguish that is being a kid who feels that she doesn't fit in still colors who I am, and not just because I have a huge soft spot for the outcasts and misfits.

Me, 5th grade, rockin' that side ponytail

I found solace during those years in books. I was a voracious reader. Weekly trips to the library resulted in me carrying home stacks of books, which I would devour. I'd try to space them out so they'd last until the next time mom could take me to the library, but inevitable I'd find myself still awake at 1 AM on "library day," telling myself I'd only read to the end of the chapter this time. Eyes stinging, head bobbing, I'd keep going, because in books I could lose myself, and be someone else.


My very favorite book (ever ever ever) is called The Blue Castle. L.M. Montgomery published it in 1926, and while she intended it for more adult audiences than those who read her Anne of Green Gables series (which I also love), my 9 year old self found it somewhere and proceeded to read it and find myself in Valancy Stirling, the plain, sad, unloved woman who dreamed of life with her Prince Charming in a Blue Castle. The story is nothing particularly innovative: Valancy finds out that she has a fatal heart condition and decides "fuck it, I'll just do the things I've always wanted, and who cares what other people think," but in much more proper language. Montgomery's, and by proxy Valancy's, voice is so lyrical - I could always picture her world so vividly, even when I couldn't understand all the words. Valancy's sad bedroom, for example, sounded to me like just the kind of place to be miserable: "the faded, dark-red paper; the ceiling discoloured by old leaks and crossed by cracks; the narrow, pinched little washstand; the brown-paper lambrequin with purple roses on it; the spotted old looking-glass with the crack across it, propped up on the inadequate dressing-table; the jar of ancient potpourri made by her mother in her mythical honeymoon..."

My tattered, loved copy of The Blue Castle

Valancy's decision to leave her dull life behind changes everything for her, and for the first time ever, she is truly happy. She wears the things she would like to wear ("a pretty green crepe dress with a girdle of crimson beads, at a bargain sale, a pair of silk stockings to match, and a little crinkled green hat with a crimson rose in it"), does the job she would like to do, and even proposes to the scoundrel of a man she's fallen in love with. His response is still one of the best lines I've ever read: "'Valancy,' he said, trying to speak lightly, 'of course I'm not in love with you - never thought of such a thing as being in love. But, do you know. I've always thought you were a bit of a dear." I was so hooked. I wanted to be Valancy, to have the guts to do what she did: leave everything behind and be her true self.

The classic laser background and attempt at big bangs. Oh 1990's, you were fun.

And of course, since this is a fairy tale, the rascal Barney Snaith turns out to be her real-life Prince Charming. He's smart, kind, cool, loves Valancy, and as a side bonus, he's rich - what more could a 9 year old (or dang, even a 30 year old) woman want? I love Valancy because she overcomes her shyness in order to go after everything she's ever wanted, and along the way she learns how to have her voice, how to enjoy life, and how to be happy with herself.

I didn't learn how to do that until well into my 20's, but I'm sure it would have taken even longer had I not escaped to Valancy Stirling's world nearly as often as she escaped to her Blue Castle. My copy of the book is tattered, held together by tape, with lots of girlish notes in the margins and dog-ears over my favorite parts. It's real now, much like the Velveteen Rabbit - loved so much that now, I have my own little "Blue Castle," called Ballena Cottage, and my own Barney, who lets me be just myself, and loves me for exactly who I am.

Ballena Cottage

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Also, this is probably the best book report I ever wrote.

Finally, the 5 things I'm thankful for today: My home, my ability to read, warm socks, P!nk, and the tape that's holding my copy of The Blue Castle together.

In Which I Attempt to Talk About Kids TV Without Making Other Parents Feel Judged

There are some shows I never let my kid watch. Not because I think television is terrible. I don't, although I think it does get used as a parent replacement much too often (I see the results in my classroom - it's not a good thing, trust me). However, some shows are just the worst.

Here are 7 that will never get any airtime at my house:

1. Caillou - that whiny little kid is infuriating (seriously, even getting that link forced me to listen to him say "We could look for dinosaur fossils" and made me so mad!). No way I want to have to listen to him in the background, let alone allow him to influence my sweetheart of a kid think that's an ok way to behave. There's a whole army of parents on the internet who like to fight about this one, but for me, it's mostly about how I just want to throw things at him.

2. Martha Speaks - I don't know why, but she creeps me out. I always feel like she's just pretending to be nice, like that old lady next door in horror movies who lures you in with cookies and then eats your eyeballs. (Is that a real horror movie thing, or did I make that up? I wouldn't know, cause of how I'm a wuss and hardly ever watch scary movies)

3. Teletubbies - I swear, this is one giant infomercial for drugs. Smoke some pot, hallucinate a little, relax and giggle with a baby. Nope.

4. Yo Gabba Gabba - Those songs get stuck in my head. And then they torture me. Also this show is like baby crack. They love it, but it's frenetic and makes me feel like I've just downed three Red Bulls. Do Not Want.

5. Veggie Tales - I know, they have awesome morals and decent storylines and kids love them, but THEY HAVE NO ARMS. And yet they hold things! If there's evil magic out there in the world, I think there's a good chance it was used to make that darn pickle. Also, I want my kid to eat vegetables, not make friends with them.

6. Barney and Friends - My little brother watched this one non-stop when he was a kid. I still feel bad for those poor children who had to act so excited about cleaning up and loving each other. Have you ever really looked at their faces? Those are smiles of pain, not joy, just like the faces of parents everywhere who have to watch this with their kids.







7. Chuggington - Bratty trains who have to have everything explained for them. I watched one episode of this, about painting with some weird contraption and giving up after making a mistake and then being coddled and coaxed into trying again, and I don't think I've ever yelled at the TV more (ok, that's a lie...I yell at sports and Supernatural and Once Upon A Time and dumb politicians...but aside from that, this wins). And me yelling at the TV does not accomplish my goal of "calm kid learning things so I can sit down for 20 minutes and write", so Chuggington is out.

And now, the good stuff. I like these shows, and I'll watch them with my kid sometimes. They're not perfect, but he likes them, and I don't throw things when they're on, so everyone wins!

1. Dinosaur Train - Ok, so this is probably the weakest one of all these. It makes no sense - how did the Tyrannosaurus end up in the Pteranodon nest? Did the mom cheat on the dad? Did someone steal the egg and drop it off? How is it possible for dinosaurs to invent trains? The train can time travel to different eras but they can't use it to keep from going extinct? And they sing rockabilly music with an Elvis impersonator? So many questions, so few answers. But the learning part is solid, and the kids are mostly well behaved, and both parents are involved and actively parenting. Plus, my kiddo is obsessed with both Dinosaurs and Trains, so there's really no escaping it.

2. Shining Time Station/Thomas the Tank Engine - Classic. Trains trying to do good things, working hard, not too frenetic, and reminds me of hanging out with my cousins, many of whom were so into Thomas and his buddies. Plus, Ringo Starr and George Carlin as Mr. Conductor (or DaDucator, as my kiddo calls him). The guys in the jukebox are creepy in the best ways. Love it.

3. The Magic School Bus - Ms. Frizzle is my alter-ego, so the fact that my kiddo loves "Skoobussh" is awesome. And really, what's not to like - lots of learning, establishing that school can be fun, and Lily Tomlin as the most enthusiastic, figure-it-out-yourself teacher. Sometimes I'll come home and even Ross will be telling me about something cool he learned from the episode they watched. The field trip through the digestive system is the best known episode, but there's so much more. AND! The kids pretty much all grow up to be part of Captain Planet's team of earth defenders - check out an episode of each if you don't believe me!

4. Sesame Street - The original best kid's show ever. So much learning! Seriously. One day I asked Emmett to count to 5, and it was the usual "hold up my fingers and count all singsong" deal (without the number 4, because he refuses to acknowledge that 4 is a number) but then he kept going! He counted to 8 without my help (I know, you can count to 8 by yourself too, but you're older than two, or you're a if you are reading this and under two, you're a genius). Ross and I were stunned - where did he learn that? And then! He kept going! All the way to Eleven! Any kids show that gives me the opportunity to make a Spinal Tap reference wins all the points. Plus - they have special episodes available online to help kids deal with the tough stuff - divorce, incarcerated parents, hunger...seriously good work.

5. Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood - A Mr. Roger's Neighborhood spinoff/sequel. It's not as good as Mr. Rogers, but what is. The downside: those repetitive little songs are kind of annoying. The upside: My kiddo now greets me with "Hiya Toots" which is hilarious, and probably inappropriate, but I love the show in spite of it (or maybe because of it!)

6. The Muppet Show - My childhood favorite. Jim Henson's best idea. We have to watch this one on DVD because it's not on Netflix. Boo Netflix, get it together and get this one and the next two available already! I want to sing along and light the lights! Also, all the Muppet movies are allowed. There is no better version of The Christmas Carol than the Muppet version.

7. Fraggle Rock - Personally, Mokey is my favorite. I'm pretty sure that's because she's the one who's most like me. My sister is definitely Red, and Ross is Uncle Traveling Matt. This show also has the best theme song of almost any show ever.

8. Eureeka's Castle - Probably the hardest one to find anywhere, and also one of the kookiest things I've ever seen on kid's tv. Weird dungeon creatures obsessed with peanut butter, a dragon, a witch, singing fountain sculptures...But that makes sense, since it was R.L. Stine's attempt to imitate Jim Henson!

9. Curious George - Yeah, he's often naughty, but never intentionally. Also I don't get why no one ever calls the Man in the Yellow Hat on his stupid outfit. But, it's a sweet good-natured show, William H Macy narrates it, and the movies have good soundtracks, so I'm in.





So there you go - a huge list of kid's tv shows. What shows do you like?

Butterfly Photography

I'm having the darndest time figuring out how to photograph the lovely paintings Ross has been doing over the last week. He's been experimenting a lot with color, pattern, and technique and has created some really beautiful stuff, but my photography skills are not up to par. I've taken the same series of each butterfly, and while some of them are close to good, none of them are excellent. Here's what I've got so far:  

I'm calling this one "Butterfly A" because I'm creative like that.

 Now we have Butterfly B, which is my personal favorite, even though (or maybe because!) Ross likes it least. I think it's perfect for my niece's room.

 Butterfly C:

And last but not least, Butterfly D. (Side Note: Blogger, why are you so crappy with formatting pictures? I would have loved to have each set laid out horizontally, but that's not even close to an option, and it messes up all my text! Argh).

So now the question is, do I put these up on the Etsy site? Or wait until I figure out my photography some more? I found our old Panasonic Lumix camera, which took some nice pictures, but what I didn't find was the cord that lets me download those pictures onto a computer. So for the time being, I'm using my iPhone, which isn't bad, but isn't great either. It did take this picture today, though, so that's not too shabby (if you like creepy clowns who hang out at playgrounds and check their email while riding unicycles)

I hate other drivers. I get so very mad at them. I feel like they're always in my way, and rude about it too. I drive a pretty big commute to work every day, and go through multiple tunnels, merges, and one big ass bridge to do it, and there are some things that I see on a regular basis that make me really crazy. I'm going to preface this rant by saying that by no means do I believe I'm the best driver, and I've inherited a leadfoot, so take this all with a grain of salt.

Lynds's Rules for Drivers:

1. Go. Just go. When a light turns green, hit the gas pedal and get up to the speed limit, and do it quickly. There's no reason to hang out in limbo for 10 seconds in between taking your foot off the brake and hitting the gas. And if you must be slow about it, be in the right lane so I can pass you. You don't have to go fast, but I do, so get out of the way, please?

2. Get up to freeway speeds before you actually hit the freeway. That's what the onramp is for - you should be going 65 by the time you try to merge. Merging at 45 mph is dangerous, and causes traffic jams for everyone and road rage for me.

3. The right lane is for driving the speed limit or below. The lanes to the left of that are for going fast, faster, and fastest. Stay out of them if you're not passing someone, so that I can pass you if I want to go faster than you!

4. If you're going the same speed as someone to your right, get into their lane and drive the same speed together in the same lane, rather than doing it next to each other, so that I can pass you.

5. Use your turn signal. Just do it. Especially when you're going to be turning left and you're waiting at a stoplight. There's little that makes me madder than waiting behind someone at a light only to see them turn on their blinker after the light turns green. I would have been in another lane if I'd known you were going to turn! Gah! And of course, no one in the right lane wants to let anyone move over when they're stuck behind a stopped car.

6. Let people in when they signal a lane change. Don't be a selfish or vindictive jerk. Once, I had been signalling a lane change for a few minutes in traffic, hoping someone would let me in. I eventually just started scooting over, and the man in the car I was trying to get in front of rolled his window down and started yelling! I responded, because I like yelling in my car, that I was trying to change lanes (which, duh), and he said, before selfishly driving his car up the butt of the person in front of him, "YOU HAVE TO ASK PERMISSION!" To which I responded, "WHAT DO YOU THINK THE BLINKER IS FOR YA JERK?" Which didn't get me into the lane I wanted, but it did make me feel a little better.

7. Don't slow down to change lanes. It's not necessary and it's unsafe. You're just making traffic.

8. You don't have to go slower just because someone next to you is going slow. It's ok to continue at the speed limit.

9. If someone is close behind you, don't slow down. Move over so that they can pass you.  It's not your job to police other people's speed. It's your job to be as unobtrusive as possible.

10. Tunnels don't require you to hit the brakes. The people in the tunnel probably aren't even hitting their brakes, it's just that they have their headlights on, which makes their rear lights turn on too. So lay off the brakes.

11. Intersections don't require that either. Look both ways without putting your foot on the brake. Covering the brake and hitting the brake are two different things.

I really believe that if we all drove like we were trying our best to get out of each others' way, we would have so much less traffic. Instead, most people seem to drive like they're trying to own as much of the road as possible in one go, or like they're terrified. I regularly see people driving 45 mph on the freeway, and I don't understand how they don't realize that they're being more unsafe than people driving 90. Someone's going to rear end you!

In summary, everyone drive faster, please.

/rant