City Museum Surprises

Last month we joined Noah's scout troop for a trip to City Museum...a first for our family.  I had put off our visit for years since I had heard they had "some tunnels" that could make it difficult to keep track of little ones. 

Within moments of stepping inside it I felt as though we'd been transported onto a roller coaster already set in motion. My eyes couldn't seem to rest on any one thing for more than a second. As my senses feasted on the walls, floors and ceiling covered in a tapestry of  materials and textures, my stomach lurched as I watched Noah and Natalie enter a huge refrigeration coil...the beginning of what proved to be a catacomb of tunnels sized small and smaller.  And, at 42, I discovered something new about myself -- I'm a little claustrophobic. 

"Ooh!  There are so many tunnels and I want to get inside every one of them!" cheered Natalie.

It was about this time I decided that micro-chipping should be extended beyond pets.  While Steve and I worked in tandem to keep track of our two monkeys, in my mind I vacillated between "get me out of here" and "I wonder what we'll see next!"

One of my favorite attractions at the Museum was watching Circus Harmony in action. An acrobatic performance group made up of children as young as five.  They tumbled, flipped and juggled.  At one point the entire troupe linked themselves together to create a chain that stretched floor to ceiling.  Their stage presence was fantastic.  In fact we enjoyed the show so much we returned later for their second performance which involved a new set of students and tricks.

In Art City, we met a woman who has become so popular at City Museum they built a special room just for her.  Known as "the snowflake lady", her six-walled arena is home to hundreds of her handmade cut-outs.  Look closely and you'll find animals, symbols and other interesting objects hidden inside them.  Unbelievably she had no problem coaxing Noah (who happens to loathe cutting) into following her directions to create a snowflake containing the silhouettes of dolphins.

Her trick to cutting through 12 layers of paper with ease? Use Revlon toenail scissors. 

As Noah cut, a little girl about his age sat down to join us, and although I had only met her once...nearly four years ago -- I recognized her immediately, even if she didn't remember me.  I was so excited, all I could say was, "Where's your mom?!" But as I looked up I already saw her running towards me.

Her name is Betsy.  And, while she is one of the nicest, smartest and funniest people (in that self-deprecating/dry sense of humor kind of way) I know, our friendship has been much like the tunnels of City Museum....it has started and stopped and picked back up again at the most unexpected times, but it's always fun and makes me smile.  I first met her at a roller skating birthday party for a mutual friend of ours when we were both about seven years old .  I only knew the birthday girl and had been a little worried about who I would talk to at the party.  However, I was immediately drawn to Betsy, maybe it was the way she wore here hair.  While my mom often styled mine into braids or ponytails, Betsy wore hers in a well-coiffed bun.  She also had an infectious giggle.  And, even at that tender age, already possessed the ability to laugh at herself.  This skill really came in handy because she could barely stay upright on those clunky wheels for more than 10 seconds.  By contrast, I, who had the benefit of many years of ice skating lessons, had no problem skating and was able to help her along.  Not only did it give me a purpose, but allowed me to relax and enjoy myself.

When my mom picked me up from the party, I chatted away about my "new friend", but because we lived in different districts, our paths wouldn't cross again until I started high school. Prior to that I had attended a very small Catholic grade school -- one class per grade.  Public high school was quite a shock.  Three floors of classrooms, lockers and changing classes every hour was new to me as was wading through a sea of 1,200 plus students who filled each and every hallway. Imagine my surprise when I bumped into Betsy.  Though seven years had passed between us, I had not forgotten her.  And while we never shared a single class together throughout our four years at school, we were able to build some fun memories through our membership in an intercultural school club called AFS. 

After high school graduation, I lost touch with Betsy.  But, the dawn of Facebook and our 20th reunion brought us back in touch with one another.  Within weeks we had organized a swim play date with our kids at my neighborhood pool.  Our get-together turned into a marathon meeting that lasted more than seven hours as we each did our best to fill in the blanks of our lives with one another.  When we're together -- neither of us at a loss for words, but as often is the case, busy work schedules and raising a young family can get in the way of keeping up with friends. 

It was such a nice surprise to bump into her.  And, as we both prattled on about our kids and such  -- I knew that once we left the museum -- we'd be speeding off in different directions.  However, I'm fairly certain our paths will cross again.

  

The kids set off in a refrigeration coil donated by Anheuser Busch.

 

Sumo Steve

On the 3rd floor Beatnik Bob's offers a look at signs, games and paraphernalia nostalgic of the beatnik era.

"Oooh! I am not getting near those!" she said.
World's Largest Underwear - 7 feet tall

Noah and Natalie slide around in Skateless Park

We took a spin on these chairs that look like gigantic Chinese yo-yos. 
So much fun! Just when you think you'll topple over around you go.

Noah and the Snowflake Lady

Showing off his hard work.

Crossing Paths with a Forever Friend

Blue & Gold Banquet 2013

On February 9th we attended Noah's first Blue & Gold Banquet.  Held at the Masonic Temple in Webster Groves, the circus themed room pulsed with testosterone and the smell of fried chicken.  The kids and I met Steve there as he was in charge of picking up 300 pieces of King Edward's finest for the event.  It was a fun evening punctuated with lots of laughs thanks to our entertainer, Juggling Jeff.  But, the best part was seeing the look on Noah's face when he heard his name called during the award ceremony.  As it turns out, you don't have to build the fastest car to win at Pinewood Derby.  Noah earned a 1st place trophy for his entry in the category of "Original Design".

Smorgasbord of side dishes.

Juggling Jeff  is always a good time.

Each den was charged with making a cake for the cake decorating contest.  This one was done by Noah's group.  I can only imagine what the poor Den mother's kitchen looked like after a dozen boys had been through it.

Noah looks a bit shellshocked.

The A Team

Noah with his buddy, Jacob

Derby Days 2013

Though Noah's car didn't earn any awards, I feel like the experience of participating was a win for our entire family. For weeks leading up to the race, Noah and Steve worked together -- planning, shaping and constructing his entry. During that time the conversations between the two of them seemed richer -- a tall order when you are dealing with a child with very narrow interests and whose conversations often involve reenacting a movie scene.  Not only am I thankful that this event gave my husband and son an opportunity to bond and spend quality time together - it also allowed Natalie and I the chance to root for our favorite team.

Prep work

Weigh In

Natalie wore her lucky Santa hat for good measure.

Ready, Set...

Go!

Noah with his Luke Skywalker Landspeeder that inspired his Pinewood Derby entry

World's Cutest Cub Scout

Growing Pains

Saturday was "Cookie Go Day" for the Girl Scouts and my little kindergartner was all too happy to put on her Daisy smile to sell, sell, sell. Actually, she has been looking forward to this moment for nearly two years.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe it's because she has seen me purchase cookies from girls in the past and perceives it as a "big girl" thing to do. Lord knows she just wants to be older.  In fact, she still hasn't forgiven me for having Noah first. "Why do I have to be the youngest in our family?!" she has whined to me on more than one occasion.

She allowed me to tag along on her selling excursion, but I had to remain on the sidewalk.  Although the weather was unseasonably warm (60 degrees!), I felt chilled and a small knot in my stomach.  Each time she knocked on a door I thought -- Will she make a sale? How will she handle rejection? (or better yet, how will I?)  For many folks, her toothless grin and bright blue Daisy smock were enough to close the deal, but I believe it was her selling tactics that earned her some big sales.  My smart cookie (no pun intended) made sure to know her product and even made suggestions by saying things like, "I like the Fin Mints and Fanks-A-Lot the best," and "We have a new cookie, Mango Creme -- but it's not very good."

So, the first time I saw someone shake their head no at her, I felt a small pang in my chest.  As she walked toward me she said, "They didn't want any cookies,".

"That's ok.  Don't worry. It's not you, they just may not like cookies," I shared while putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, I know," she answered then happily skipped on to the next house confident about making another sale.

As a parent sometimes all you want to do is put your kid in a bubble and protect them from sadness and disappointment and even failure.  But, like Dory shared in the movie, Finding Nemo -- "Well, you can't never let anything happen to him. Then, nothing would ever happen to him.  Not much fun for little Harpo."

I guess that's why they call them growing pains...I just never knew most of mine would come from raising kids.

70 boxes and counting!
She has set a goal for herself to sell 120.

Overnight Success

Last Saturday I spent the afternoon helping Steve and Noah pack flashlights and long underwear for their overnight camping trip with the Cub Scouts -- a first for Noah.  I admit I was a bit anxious about how it would all play out.  I wanted so badly for it to be a good experience for both of them.  That night, as the temperatures dipped down into the 40's, I was sure I'd hear them come through our front door any minute.

However, it was 9 a.m. before their car pulled into our driveway.  When they entered, I braced myself for a barrage of complaints.  I was unprepared for them to arrive home happy and full -- from a hearty campfire breakfast and tales of their adventures together.

"So, everything went OK?" I hesitated, "He did good?"

"Andrea, he did great," Steve assured.

And, while both my guys aren't one for sharing details, Steve was happy to tell me all about his introduction to s'm-oreos and the joys of eating roasted hot dogs.

"How many did you eat?" I asked

"Oh! I wouldn't even want to try to count," Steve replied.

He and Noah laughed as they re-enacted the skits the boys performed the night before.  Then, it was back to talking about food -- especially the bacon and eggs they enjoyed before packing up to return home.

Eating and joking...joking and eating --that's what it's all about, right?

Noah and friends performing their skit.

Eggs and bacon enjoyed 'round an open fire.

I"m So Happy...Scouts Honor

A few weeks ago Noah came home waving a "Join the Cub Scouts" flyer in my face.

"Mom!  I want to join Cub Scouts!  Jacob is in it and he told me I should join so I can be in it with him," shared Noah.

"Ok," I replied.

While my face and body remained neutral, my insides were doing flip flops.  Suddenly, Jacob was my new favorite name.  Since Noah began 3rd grade, I've been bracing myself for his social life at school to become increasingly more difficult.  For years I've been warned that social challenges typically become even more pronounced in 3rd grade. However, knock on wood, this has not been the case for us.  Sure...his school work this year has been fraught with more tears and anxiety over spelling tests and science tests.  And, because of his dyslexia and other learning challenges he's reading below grade level, handwriting is difficult and math is a constant source of frustration, but none of that matters because the other day Noah told me, "Mom, I think Jacob is a little bit my friend."

My happiness meter reading was off the charts that day.  Though he's been invited to parties and I've arranged play dates, this is the first time he's spoken of having a friend at school...in his own classroom.  Most often I hear from him how much he wants a friend, but doesn't feel like he fits in or that kids don't understand him.  And the blessings have continued to pour in.  Without prompting from me, Steve suggested that he attend the Cub Scout informational meeting with Noah himself.  When he returned, I learned that not only had he enrolled Noah to become a member of Pack 314, but he also signed himself up as a volunteer.  Suddenly, my two boys had a means to connect and spend quality time with each other in a way that they hadn't before --something they both sorely needed.  Since Noah is not a sports kid and did not inherit his Dad's hunting and fishing gene, recreation between the two has been quite limited.  Also, joining the Cub Scouts would provide Noah with an opportunity to interact with kids his own age, outside of a school setting.

Fast forward to today, Steve and Noah have had quite a few adventures together including; building a tool box, target shooting with BB guns and slingshots and participating in a few science experiments to earn his first badge.  He's even built up his courage enough to begin selling popcorn for his pack.

I just love a man in uniform.

Noah is ready to hit the pavement with his lovely assistant.

He was nervous at first, but after a few successful sales,
he began offering his opinion on popcorn flavors.

We couldn't keep Natalie away.  

If you are interested in having Noah come to your door to give his spiel on the yummy flavors of popcorn offered for sale by the Cub Scouts, drop me an email at andrea (at) therapyonwry (dot) (com).  For those who live outside of the St. Louis area, online ordering is available.