One Sixteenth

Weekend Adventures

Or odds and ends, really.

Got a new cellphone, finally. I'm deciding on a cool ringtone, but until then I will hear "Waltzing Matilda" if you call me. The kids want me to use the bad guy theme from Star Wars.

We did one day of running errands this weekend (it's amazing how few errands you can accomplish with four small children in tow, isn't it?) and one day of museum. The errands consisted mainly of getting everyone's hair cut but Mommy's (and Lachlan's). Mommy also needs her hair cut, but felt that it was more important to get the kids out of the nice haircut place before they started dismantling it.

This week's museum was the Shedd Aquarium. Before we went I was smart enough to check prices on the internet. The Shedd Aquarium is one of the most insanely expensive places I've ever seen. For my family of six, it was less expensive to just buy the family membership than to pay for all of us to go for one day. So, family membership it was, then.

And oh what a good idea that was! I have never seen a line like that for an aquarium! It would have taken an hour to stand in, I'm sure. There was no line for members. Remember that tip if you're ever in Chicago.

We went at a terrible time. It was very crowded, hot and overwhelming. We saw some really cool things - whales and dolphins and octopi and sea stars and jellyfish ... but it was too crowded to really spend any time at any one exhibit. Ooh, but there were two screaming kids, and one episode of shoe-throwing. None of which involved my kids. Do y'all have any idea how much I enjoy it when your kids scream in public places? Really. Don't worry that you're somehow offending me when your small people throw fits. I am mentally rejoicing that it's someone else's kid, and that my kids won't be the only ones when their turns come.

How do the rest of y'all handle museums? We have a habit of doing what I think is a typical suburban method of museum visits. In the DFW area, a museum is a long drive that you take a couple of times a year. Therefore while you're there you must get the most out of your visit by moving a long and seeing as many exhibits as possible.

Really, that's a terrible way of seeing a museum. It's pretty much an ingrained habit, and I am fighting it. I want to go when there are very few people and we can just stare at an exhibit as long as the kids want to. So we see one thing; fine. We'll have seen that one thing in depth, and it will have engaged our interest. That's well worth the price of admission.

This week it's going to get up into the 40s! Wow! Maybe we'll walk back to the Shedd one day. It should certainly be warm enough for a nice, long walk.

Since I seem to be trying to work my way through all of Johnny Depp's movies, we rented Ed Wood this weekend. I don't know why I never saw this movie before. It is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I saw a few moments of it on TV last week and immediately fell in love with the way it was shot, the music ... it's all done in black and white in the style of a 50s B movie. It is also hysterical, and weird ... not quite up to the weird factor of Being John Malkovich. (Though what could be?) The acting was fabulous as well with Martin Landau doing a wonderful Bela Lugosi; and although Johnny Depp is known for doing offbeat movies, I think this one proves how versatile he is. He plays cross-dressing almost utterly without camp, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. If you like offbeat movies and are interested in the craft of making movies, go rent this.

What else can I ramble about? Both Jeff and I are tired of deciding what's for dinner so I'm going to try the free week Menu Mailer menu. If we like it I'll sign up. Every week she sends you a plan of dinnner menus for the week, complete with recipes and a shopping list. If we like the meals and they stay within our food budget, this could be a very good thing.

I am contemplating starting back on Weight Watcher points tomorrow. Contemplating.

I have no idea what we're doing this week. No plans. I need a plan.

Lachlan's birthday is tomorrow . My baby is two. And oh, he sings now: "Dodo ... NIIIIIII .... a DOOOOO." (Translated, that's "Frodo ... of the nine fingers ... and the ring of doom ..." Griffin taught it to him.)

Enough rambling for the evening. Over and out.

Posted by Steph at February 15, 2004 10:32 PM