February’s Adventures

My rapid-fire monthly recaps just keep a-comin’! We now move on to February, and let me tell you, this was a big one.

On President’s Day LG’s office was closed, so we decided it was the perfect chance to make a long-anticipated visit to the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan to see the dinosaurs. I prepared Smudgie for it all week, talking up the fact that we were going to take the subway to see some dinosaur skeletons. I didn’t want him to think the dinosaurs would be walking around like in the zoo, which would be an easy assumption to make since he only encounters the anthropomorphized ones in children’s books. He also has been obsessed with skeletons ever since Halloween, so playing up the combo of the two seemed like the most enticing (and accurate!) way to hype this event.

But first: the subway. Like most NYC toddlers, Smudgie loooooves the subway. The Curious George rides the subway episode is on constant repeat. Christoph Niemann’s Subway is a nightly read. And every time we pass a subway station, Smudgie asks to “Go in. Go to the subway” (so, basically, every 5 blocks or so).

Needless to say, the D train (and then B train) ride to the Museum was a highlight of the trip. He stood on that seat the whole time looking out the window remarking on everything we saw. “There’s another train! There’s the tunnel, Mommy. It’s dark. Are you on the D train, Daddy?” Two months later he still likes to tell me that he rode the D train. I really need to plan another subway ride for him.

Once there, the Museum was crowded. We weren’t the only family with a little time off who decided to spend the day there. (Fortunately, however, there was only one family with a rip-roaring drunk father who tried to start some beef on a crowded elevator, and that family was not ours.)

Smudgie loved the “Dino skeletons” and insisted on shouting “RAWR!” every time he saw one. He also really liked: the numerous stairs and ramps in the dinosaur wing; the interactive touch-screen computers with dinosaur facts and pictures; the touchable models of dinosaur bones; the open hallways perfect for running. The day essentially turned into an indoor, dinosaur-themed track meet, with Smudgie handily besting both his parents. But he had fun and that’s the important thing. And here are some pictures of the day!

Getting his hands on some hands

Trying to connect

Sheepish portrait with Dino tail

That’s a big head

Let me tell you some cool Dino facts, Mommy.

The boy was utterly pooped at the end of the day. Score one for the dinos! I think my favorite moment out of many favorites, however, was when I asked Smudgie if he wanted to go into the Hall of Extinct Mammals. And he said, “Scary Mammals. RAWR!”

And now: bonus Nu-Nu photo. Since she spent the entire trip (you guessed it) sleeping in the ergo cuddled against LG’s chest, we don’t have any photos of her from the day. This around-the-same-time shot will have to do. She was about three months for this one, and just waking up from a nap:

Don’t you wish you woke up this happy?

Another great time was had by all amongst the Dinos. We definitely want to go back, but in the meantime we have many more NYC adventures to chronicle.

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