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.

Tiny Humans are Portable: Part 4

Now that you have all of the background information, its time to get to the vacation prep itself. You know, the important stuff like, what did I pack, what did I need, what did I end up buying? I'll tell you this, for me, packing and prep is part of the fun of the vacation. Usually though, I only have to worry about myself and maybe Nick, but this time, I got to pack and prep for a whole other person! I was thrilled. In the months (yes, seriously) leading up to vacation, I ran through various scenarios in my head to try to determine what should be packed and where. I pestered Nick with a SWOT analaysis of which stroller we should take and how many varieties of snacks would be optimal for our trip. Here's where I landed, knowing that we had a washer/dryer for quick clean ups:

B's Packing List:

• 7 outfits (one for each day)
• Swim diapers - one pack
• 3-4 bathing suits (this was overkill, but they were cute and I couldn't stop buying them)
• Sunscreen (lotion and spray)
• Sandals
• Tennis shoes
• Socks
• Onesies
• Two bedsheets
• 4 bedtime blankets
• Nail clippers
• Shampoo/body wash
• Sand toys (these were readily available to buy in Aruba, but I found some for $0.50 here)
• 4 sippie cups
• Books
• Toys (that didn't make noise or that had an off button)
• Snacks
• Puffs
• Raisins
• Teddy Grahams
• Yogurt Melts
• Cheese-its (B looses his mind over these)
• Diapers
• Wipes
• Diaper cream
• Mini First Aid Kit
• Baby Tylenol + dosing chart
• Umbrella stroller - we have the Joovy Groove and LOVED it. 

B's Diaper Bag/Airplane Packing List (these are from the list above, not in addition):

• 2 outfits (plus the one he was wearing)
• Diapers (I read a guideline that recommended 1/hour your were traveling, which was overkill, but I was happy to be prepared)
• Wipes
• 2 sippie cups (one for milk, one for water)
• 2 blankets
• Books/quiet toys
• Snacks (see above)
• Diaper cream/wipes
• Shoes/socks
• Umbrella stroller
• iPad

For the plane, we packed up his diaper bag and our carry-on. I also loaded my iPad up with apps. His favorite is the Giggle Gang, which is apparently JUST as funny without sound. More on that in my post about the actual trip itself.

Tiny Humans are Portable: Part 3

If you are looking for a family friendly resort in Aruba, you need to take a look at the Divi Aruba Phoenix. I stumbled on this hotel while searching the various travel sites. When I started looking closer, it seemed too good to be true. This property is more than hotel, it is a condo resort, which works perfectly for anyone, especially people traveling with a tiny human.

What made this resort perfect for us?

Our room, or should I say condo. It had a bedroom, two full bathrooms, a living area, full kitchen, dining area, washer/dryer combo and two balconies. This extra space gave everyone some much needed breathing room and gave B a lot of areas to run around and explore. The full kitchen let us keep some snacks and milk on hand, for quick snacks and the washer/dryer combo was just what we needed to clean sandy suits.

Baby butt - totally entertained by the washing machine!

The amenities were fantastic. The resort had two restaurants and a small carry-out on site, which meant that we really never HAD to leave, and often we didn't, except for dinner. The staff at all of the restaurants was pleasant and so very accommodating to us and to our tiny human. They didn't blink an eye when we arrived at our romantic dinner on the beach and asked for a high chair.

The location. This resort was RIGHT on the beach. We walked out of our building, right to the pool area and on to the beach. I thought that this would be very important, and it was. Having everything RIGHT THERE was great and convenient and worth a little extra money. We alternated between using the beach and the pool and never had any issues finding chairs to call home for the day.

View from our balcony, facing the water. Blue water and white sand and palm trees, oh my! Under the big cluster of palm trees were lots of little grass umbrellas and chairs for lounging.

View from our balcony, facing the property and the pool. Gor-geous!

I have to say it again...location! The Divi Aruba Phoenix was at the far end of the high rise hotel zone, but it was still within walking distance to restaurants, bars and shopping. Once we figured that out, nightly sunset strolls became part of our vacation routine. The sunset in Aruba is so gorgeous that I tended to get a little snap happy on our way to dinner.

Looking down the boardwalk, towards the other high rise hotels, restaurants and shops.

This. Every night.

Bottom line. The Divi Aruba Phoenix was the perfect resort for us. The atmosphere was lively, but family friendly. The location was perfect and the rooms had everything that we wanted and more. Would we go back? Absolutely. We wouldn't stay anywhere else.