Is that headline true to the 2012 Moi Loves Moi theme or what?
In that vein, let’s conclude the Winter Fun Week of ideas with a menu of options to pick from and help you survive the rest of old man winter. And don’t think I’ve forgotten that I owe you that Deep Creek Lake in the Winter post, cause I haven’t forgotten, I just haven’t had time to give it the proper attention it deserves because you know Moi Loves Deep Creek Lake.
Though you'd never know it, she actually was super psyched to meet Clifford
First up, last weekend I had the chance to take the girls to see the new Clifford exhibit at Port Discovery in Baltimore. I haven’t been to Port Discovery in a while and we all had a blast. Apparently my 3-year-old prefers to look like she’s being held prisoner by Clifford instead of smile for the camera, but don’t let her expression deceive you, she loved the new exhibit. I will say it is most appropriate for the little ones, my 6-year-old was like “uh, hmm, no bright lights, no flashing, no spark…moving on”‘ but that’s fine, the exhibit is clearly geared towards the younger ones and has the classic Clifford lessons of good behavior and treating your friends right – woven in. Of course, the rest of Port Discovery is a treat for kids of all ages. I will say I am conflicted over the climbing structure that straddles three floors of the building. On one hand, it’s a great place for kids to burn off some energy. On the other hand, it makes me extremely nervous that they move between floors and I can’t see them easily. Not to mention the inevitable kid hijinks are out of the eye of a discerning adult. Noteworthy, as I voice this concern, I don’t even consider myself a very anxious or nervous parent but something about that climbing structure causes me some angst. It almost feels like it’s best suited for kids ages 8-12 yet it’s placed inside a venue that’s really meant for younger kids. Is it me?
Beyond Clifford & the anxiety-ridden-for-moi Climbing Structure, we especially loved the Diner & the adventure zone with the Pharaohs in Ancient Egypt. As waitresses in the Diner, our girls worked quite hard at serving up some questionable looking food and happily violated every safety and cleanliness code in the country, tossing pie on our plates with their bare (and guarantee germ-infested) hands and serving up pizza after dropping it on the floor and stepping on it a few times. They loved it. Personally, I kept wondering why I don’t have this sign hanging in my kitchen:
Hilarious
So in conclusion, whether Clifford is beloved by your children or not, a day at Port Discovery is sure to be a fun-filled day and way to spend a cold winter afternoon. And obviously if your kids have tons of energy to burn, you could hit up the fabulous Baltimore aquarium while you’re there.
Moving on from Charm City, what else is there to do indoors? One friend tipped me off that their favorite go-to spots are Millennium Stage for the free daily performances and the Wilson Pool – which though I haven’t been – does look like a beautiful facility. You know I’m a huge fan of the Chillum Splash Park – also convenient to those who live on the Hill because it’s just past Takoma Park.
On Saturday, in celebration of World Swap Day, you can uphold your I Am Awesome New Years Resolution and purge your home of things clogging your closets, all for a good cause, by heading to Jonah’s Treehouse (2121 Wisconsin Ave) to participate in the peace. love. swap – The Original Maternity, Baby Kid Clothing & Gear Swap. Drop off items from 5:00-6:00 and Swap from 6:30-7:30 and admission is ONLY $5 if you register online. Leftovers go to LOCAL charities and families in need -Goodwill & Northern Virginia Family Services. You can bring what you aren’t using any more – and take what you need – it’s that simple (books, toys -large and small- clothes, bouncy seats – you name it)! Get rid of your old, get ‘new to you’, help those in need, and help the environment. Since 2009 peace. love. swap. organizers have produced over 130 swap events, donated over 100,000 baby, kid & maternity items to charity, and swapped over 150,000 items. Also, extra perk, one of the items they will be raffling off is a Rockband bundle for the Xbox 360! Moi loves moi. Moi loves cleaning out closets and donating the items to good causes.
And finally, although this is the year of I Am Awesome, this is also, technically, the Year of the Dragon. And kids love the Chinese New Year parades and celebrations. Monday is the start of the Lunar New Year and a fellow DC blogging friend of mine compiled this totally awesome and very comprehensive list of kid-friendly activities celebrating the Year of the Dragon.
Enjoy these ideas, friends, so that moi loves moi & moi loves the enfants at the end of winter…which is starting to feel a little too cold…in the meantime, be sure to Like the Wired Momma FB page for more hijinks and amazing ideas…
