B's first trip to COSI

Last weekend, we took B to COSI for the first time. Neither of us had been there before, so we didn't know what to expect. I, however, knew that they were showing One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure in their planetarium, I knew that we had to check it out. Thanks to a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode, featuring a telescope, B has been chatting non-stop about the moon and the stars, so we figured that this would basically blow his mind. Boy, were we right (wait, did I just sound like a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode?).

We arrived at COSI, promptly at 10:15am, to catch the 10:30am show. After waiting in a small line and spending $52 (YES, SERIOUSLY) for admission for three, plus 3 tickets to the planetarium, we made our way to the theater. The crowd was what you'd expect for a Sunday morning at 10:30am - lots of tiny humans and their parents, desperate for something to do that didn't involve trashing the house or temper tantrums.

Before the show started, a member of the COSI staff came out to introduce everything and get the kids excited. She talked about how the planetarium would work, that it would be dark and asked some fun questions about stars and the moon. The kids were all super engaged while B sat quietly in his chair, wide eyed and looking around, wondering what was about to happen. So as not to freak the kids out, they gradually darkened the room and before we knew it, Big Bird and Elmo were front and center on screen, taking us on a journey to the moon and back.

Family selfie before the show! He couldn't stop looking around!

B sat through the entire 40 minute show, actively engaged and looking around. At the end, he applauded and then asked to watch the movie again. Luckily, we had the draw of COSI to distract him from a mini-meltdown, so we quickly headed out to do some more exploring.

Next stop: the Kidzone, where he ran himself crazy, experiencing all of the little play areas, especially loving the water table. He let us know it was lunchtime by promptly refusing to leave the room and trying to take off his shoes, so we gracefully forcefully exited the room and then went to the cafeteria.

B was fading fast, but since we spent $52 (YES, SERIOUSLY) to get in, we wanted to try to cram in a few more activities before he crashed. We decided to go explore the ocean. What did we find when we got in there? You guessed it...more water. B immediately ran into the room and started playing at the different activity stations, shooting water and trying out the wave machine.

Last stop? The gift shop. We picked up a cool flashlight that projects the planets, which he absolutely loved. After this purchase, we decided to put our $52 towards the cost of a COSI membership (currently on sale for $100), so we could come back and do this all over again!

Nick's statement to B - "We've enhanced your benefits package to include a membership to the YMCA, the Columbus Zoo and COSI." B's response: "Zzzzzzz."

All in all - a great family day! Here are some things that we learned and that could have saved us a few bucks too:

1. Take hand sanitizer. I'm not a germaphobe, but woah - there were a lot of kids in there.
2. You can pack a lunch and snacks! The Kidzone and the cafeteria are wide open and we saw a lot of parents taking a break there with some inexpensive sandwiches and snacks. 
3. If you can swing it, get a membership - then you aren't feeling the $52 (YES, SERIOUSLY) pressure to jam everything you can into the day.
4. Get there early. Since we arrived at 10:15 am, we zipped right through the line to collect our tickets. As we were leaving, around 2:00 pm, the lines were long and the natives were restless.
5. Pack an extra outfit for your tiny human(s). Remember the water? Yeah, they will love it and it will be dripping down their arms and into their armpits. Trust me on that.

Thankful

So, I've been a delinquent blogger for the past...ummm year? I've been taking a ton of photos and trying to commit as much to memory as possible, but I haven't been writing about it. What I've been finding though is that important things are escaping my brain. I'll look back through my phone and see B when he was 1 and think, "woah." Time really does fly and as much as I'm trying to live in the moment and enjoy the now, I also recognize that I need to remember the moments, especially some of the little ones that bring me such joy.

Last night was one of those moments. Each night before dinner, we take some time to hold hands as a family and say what we are thankful for that day. B will (almost) always participate, holding our hands and then enthusiastically proclaiming "HANDS!" when we ask what he is most thankful for. Last night however, when we asked what he was thankful for or what made him happy, he said "new cups."

Now, I know that being thankful for new cups sounds very trivial and materialistic, but the BIG deal here was that he's starting to grasp the concept of our nightly ritual. I was so proud of him for sharing something that made him happy, and even prouder that I was there to experience it with him.

My view from our tea party

P.S. - his "new" cups were actually a set of espresso cups that were destined for Goodwill. Back when I was young and dumb, I thought that registering for espresso cups for a wedding gift was a good idea. It turns out, it was brilliant!

We took a toddler to Paris

I'm writing this post in January 2015, almost a year after Nick and I decided to take a toddler to Paris. You read that right. Paris. As in France. As in 7+ hours on a plane with a tiny person on your (my) lap. Yep. Paris.

This whole adventure started because Nick had a last minute business trip come up that would mean a  free flight to Paris. Per our marriage vows, any trips to Paris must include me or the marriage is immediately considered null and void and will require spousal support for the rest of my life. So, this meant that we were going to go together...obviously a no brainer.

Once that was determined, the next question was, "What are we going to do with B?" Our first reaction was to take him. The next thought was from my parents, who graciously (selfishly) offered to take him. We put some thought into it and promptly booked the flight, toddler in tow. In all honesty, leaving him at home was never really an option. I was not going to be flying across the pond without my little dude and I knew that my mommy-guilt ridden mind would be thinking of how much fun we'd be having with him while we were there. Plus, his under 2 status meant that he would fly to France for less than $200. So. It was decided. We were taking out toddler to Paris.

Booking the trip was super easy. We flew on Air France who was very, VERY family friendly. They graciously moved us to a bulkhead row, with an extra seat so we had plenty of room for B. I was able to schedule our flights to line up (loosely) with his bedtime, meaning that he snoozed for the majority of the flight over. Thankfully, this wasn't his first flight, so we were somewhat prepared for the trip. Per usual, I totally overpacked, in preparation for any kind of explosion, malfunction or episode that might occur, so in addition to a diaper bag, I had an auxiliary bag with games, toys, food, cups, blankets and changes of clothes. But, I couldn't have done this trip without my Ergo Baby or my Joovy Groove Ultralight Stroller. Both of those items were invaluable in our travels.

Selfie at CDG!

Before we embarked on the trip, I did a lot of research on our hotel and accommodations. I was worried that we would end up in a closet-sized room, and that we would be forced to tip-toe around B when he went to sleep. I also knew that we would be traveling with a lot of extra gear, that would require extra space. Somehow, in the midst of Googling Paris hotels, I thought to look for extended-stay accommodations and stumbled on the glorious Residhome Appart Hotel Paris-Opéra. What set this place apart from all of the other hotel options (besides price) was the amount of room that it offered. Since it was an extended stay property, it had two rooms, plus a generous entry way that was perfect for storing a stroller and all of the gear that comes with traveling with a tiny person. It also had a very small kitchen with a mini-fridge and stove and a generous size bathroom with a tub and shower, PLUS an extra 1/2 bathroom in the foyer. The living room and bedroom could be closed off, which meant that B had his own room and we didn't have to tiptoe around after he went to sleep. If you are traveling to Paris and are looking for a place to stay, especially with a family, or with another couple and want to save on hotel costs, I highly recommend this place.

Admittedly, we were very leery and nervous about taking a toddler to Paris, but after we thought about it, we decided that it was a chance that we would regret passing up. This was the only time that B would be able to fly to Paris for less than $200 (his flight was free, we just had to pay taxes). So, when we got to Paris and got settled in, we hit the ground running because Tiny Humans are Portable, after all. Here's a quick recap of some of the highlights:

Day 1: Flight to Paris from Detroit. B did amazing on the flight, sleeping for most of the way. We will always be eternally grateful to the Air France gate agent who moved us to a bulkhead row with an empty seat.
Day 2: Montmartre, Moulin Rouge, B's first (and second) merry-go-round ride, Arc de Triomphe, Champes Eleysee,
Day 3: Paris Opera, lots of playgrounds, Pompidou centre, Notre Dame, Pantheon, Luxembourg Gardens
Day 4: Train ride to Montpellier, Exploring Montpellier, Aqueducts, B's first chocolate mousse,
Day 5: Date with mommy, playground time and fancy dinner
Day 6: Taxi Rid to the zoo, crepes, exploring Montpellier, potato chips
Day 7: Valentine's Day, train ride back to Paris, Valentine's Day Lunch, Louvre, Eiffel Tower at night, weird Chinese food for dinner with delicious champagne
Day 8: Last day of sightseeing! Galleries de Lafayette, Lindt store, open air (freezing cold) bus tour
Day 9: Packing up our gear, catching our flight and heading home