First Grade Field Trip

Today, I played hooky and went on Tanner's First Grade Field Trip to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. We love the Fort Worth Museum in this family-with all 3 kids being veteran Museum School Scholars and all.  That's my Big Kid up there, but here he is on his first day of Museum School.

When we were in the baby and little kid phases, I looked forward to our weekly drive to Museum School.  I'd drop one kid off, and take the other one on a few errands, to the bookstore, and sometimes for a big fancy cookie.  After school, we'd browse through the exhibits or take a few minutes to play in the miniature grocery store.  We'd top off the weekly field trip with a picnic lunch by the water fountains or splurge on McDonald's if the weather wasn't just right.  I know my memories might be a little rosy, but I remember thinking to myself during so many of those picnics how precious those moments were, and how fast my babies were growing.  It was a time each week I made myself slow down and just be.

This last picture is a little of a cheat because it wasn't during our official Museum School Day, but I had offered to take Isaac to Museum School just because I was missing it so much myself.  So, I pulled the kids out of school for a day down at the Arts District and The Amon Carter Museum-and it was the same kind of day...the same kind of feeling.  That, and this may be the best picture I've ever taken of all three kids at once.

So, today was superfun on a few different levels.  The Museum is newly renovated, and superfancy.  We were both excited to see the new exhibits, and spend the day together just like "old times." 

His teacher gave me Tanner and three additional boys to chaperone throughout the Museum, which proved to be very....energizing!  The new Museum was amazing, with a new 4-D exhibit on Energy, hands-on physical science experiments, a new play area, and of course, the Omni.  The boys had an awesome time sprinting from one side of the Museum to the other taking in as much as possible before the day ended.

Jennifer and I signed the boys out, and quickly made our way through the Cowboy Museum upstairs (making mental notes to return with all children in tow.)  On our way home, we stopped at 7-11 for Slurpees-a new tradition, and a very much needed Diet Coke for me.  It was a perfect way to end the day, since we'd shared so many of our Museum School Days with Sam and Jenn, too.  Overall, a very superfun day...and with the possibility of super-sappiness on my part, I survived without even one tear...even as I watched the baby I strolled through those halls run and skip with his Big Kid First Grade Friends.