Fly Away: Philadelphia, PA: The Franklin Institute

Whenever we go to New Jersey for an extended period of time, we try to take a day trip to a close'ish attraction for kids. We've been to the Please Touch Museum several times and last year we checked out the Camden Aquarium, which was awesome. Kane has been on a science kick and mom and dad thought we'd be old enough now to appreciate The Franklin Institute in Philly. Plus I chomp Philly soft pretzels like it's my job, so I agreed right away.

Like most other museums, because it was the holiday break, it was CROWDED. But we took a different tact this time. We ate first and then when everyone else was taking a lunch break, we scooted to the membership area and joined up (if we use it twice, including at any of the other 250 participating ASTC museums, we'll have won that game). Our agenda targeted three kid-friendly exhibits: (1) the giant heart; (2) kid science; and (3) the train factory.

Daddy has fond memories of walking through the giant heart when he was a kid so, obviously, Kane immediately decided he was "too scared" to walk through it. He made it, but we didn't last long in there. On our way to the kid science exhibit, we discovered that the museum had stocked their education center full of super awesome building materials. Kane went for the giant Tinker Toys, but having been to the Building Museum recently, I headed right for the Imagination Playground. The room was busy, but the staff did a good job of moving people in and out and we got rid of some extra energy before heading out to check out the real exhibits.

Up next was the kid science exhibit, which takes kids "on a journey across the Island of the Elements" and teaches children about the four elements (light, water, earth and air). Front and center is a giant ship, so you know Kane was psyched. I liked the lighthouse and water wheel. Before we could soak ourselves in the water portion, mom promised that we'd get to engineer a working 350-ton locomotive at the train exhibit and we set off.

The train was busted, of course. But we still had a good time pretending to drive the Polar Express and screaming periodically "the PIN! the PIN!" (we've watched the movie about a million times). There was a neat crash investigation portion of the exhibit that Kane and I refused to visit. And when it was clear that the afternoon crankies had started to settle in, dad decided he was going to see the sports exhibit whether we wanted to or not. We didn't, so that lasted for about 2 minutes. At least he got another soft pretzel on the way back to the car.

BUT given that we're members, we'll be back (hopefully when it's less crowded).

Sunny Day, Sweeping the Clouds Away: Sesame Place

Well, it was indeed a sunny day.  But it was a FREEZING afternoon that mom and dad chose to hit up Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA (just outside of Philly).  In an effort to keep down the number of presents that pile up at the holidays (and with limited success), the 'rents thought Nona and D-Rock could take us all to Sesame Place for our Christmas present this year.  We've heard Sesame Place is a mob scene in the summer (it has all kinds of rides and water play then), but they do have a "Very Fury Christmas Parade" during the holidays (and it looks like a very similar neighborhood parade during other times of the year).  And there is also a live "Elmo's World" show, a carousel, some rides, a giant net climbing structure, and more during the rest of the year.  It really was frigidly cold and windy (especially since we'd been having such mild weather in D.C. and especially for mom who forgot her gloves -- she jammed her hands into a pair of mine), but we still had a good time.  We loved the carousel (Cami's first time), had mixed feelings on the parade (although mom and dad seemed to have a ball heckling, in a good natured manner, the various characters to dance and wave for us), and still made out like bandits in the gift shop.  Cam's Elmo phone is a BIG HIT.  And it was much less crowded than we hear it gets in the summer, so mom and dad still think this was worth the winter trip.  (And unless they add some booze to all of those snack carts, it's probably the last time we go!)

You can pay extra to dine with the characters and there are several other on-property dining options, but we chose to leave the park and go up the street where there is strip after strip of Applebee's type restaurants -- a little less crowded and easier to get us to focus on eating, I imagine.  Although we of course threw a serious tantrum over mom's attempt to sit and eat in peace at the other end of the table from us.  Not even guac would persuade us to keep it together.

Mountains Beyond Mountains: Mount Pocono, PA

We recently took a trip "to the mountains" for our cousin Kelly's wedding.  It was a quick trip, but we packed a lot in.  Our car trips usually entail as few stops as possible and max pedal to the metal, but mom somehow convinced a hesitant dad to stop at the famed Cracker Barrel for dinner.  Mommy has fond memories of stopping at the CB growing up (and she then of course goes on to remind us that she never flew anywhere when she was little; all four kids and the dog drove all over the country in an old school station wagon; she got the "way back" with Uncle Tim and the dog; and Grammie B used to attempt to limit her use of her red "My First Sony" walkman; and on and on).  Although the food was less fantastic than she remembered (and daddy refused to order the Chicken Fried Chicken), the Old Country Store didn't disappoint!  I got a sweet ambulance (and jacked some of the pegs from the dinner table Peg Game in the back of it) and Cami got some crazy pig.  It was a nice little stop, even if it meant that we didn't pull into the Comfort Inn until 10 p.m.

Mommy thought for a brief moment that they could just smuggle us on to the hotel, asleep from our carseats, and put us straight to bed.  But a hotel like the Comfort Inn only means one thing -- a past our bedtime dance party!!!  As mom shrieked at us to keep our socks on, we turned on that clock radio and partied hard.  Until at least 10:05 and then we passed right out.  But the next morning we were up bright and early (5:40 a.m.) -- ready to go to, wait for it, wait for it -- Camelbeach Waterpark!!!  Our 'rents probably should have known better than to take two sleep deprived toddlers to such a place, but when has that ever stopped them?  As usual, Cam was much more adventurous than I was and went down several water slides (including two by herself!).  I was a little scared by some of the bigger stuff, but Nona took me over to the "kids pool" where I danced it up to a clapping crowd.  Insert feigned surprise here.  I think it will be a few years before we venture back to a waterpark, but mom and dad have this indoor one on their list for a wintertime trip.  

After our afternoon nap, which both of us actually took, we got dressed in our finery and hit up the wedding reception.  OMG.  We were both totally obsessed with the band and literally danced for about 4 1/2 hours straight.  I'm not gonna lie, we broke it down.  And at one point I actually did break down as I biffed it onto the floor and had a gigantic nosebleed all over my white shirt.  But in true Green form, I rallied.  Our cousin looked beautiful (I did get in a dance with the bride toward the end of the night), I'm obsessed with one of the singers from the band (I have requested her at my "Green/Pirate Birthday Party") and we just generally had an awesome time.  

After another past-10 p.m. bedtime, we woke up to hit the road home and made great time.  Unfortunately, we walked in the house to a broken air conditioner (despite being broken, the thermostat still read an accurate 93 degrees inside the house).  Dad said, "Well the air conditioner is broken.  The ceiling fan also appears to be broken.  Oh, and I hear my cab out front.  I'm out."  And he took off for NOLA.  After waiting inside a sweltering house for almost 9 hours for the only HVAC company mom could find to come out on Sunday, and a call from said company saying they would be to the house in 15 minutes (at 9:30 p.m.), the power went out.  As soon as the fans in our rooms cut out, we really started wailing (we had already been crying on and off for some time, but mom was doing her best to ignore us).  So mom packed everything up in the dark and put us in the car to head to Aunt Carrie's.  And no sooner had she lifted the dog in the back, the power went back on.  We all schlepped back into the house, the repair man came, put in a new thermostat (which I keep telling mom I don't like), and we went to bed post-10 p.m. for the third night in a row.  Awesome.  It's OK, the trip was worth it.  Although we seem to be establishing a pattern -- we pretty much expect the house to blow up during our upcoming Chi-town trip.