Career Exploration Via Family Travel

Last Labor Day, I put together a little photo compilation of some fun and important people who work hard to make vacations and outings more fun. This year, I thought I'd show off some occupations Big Arrow has been able to try out because of our adventures.

Like a firefighter (via the Chicago Children's Museum).

Or a paleontologist (via the Children's Museum of Indianapolis).

Gas station attendant (via the Boston Children's Museum).

We even trusted him to be our boat captain during our week on Saginaw Bay in Pinconning, Michigan this summer.

As for Little Arrow, the world got a lot bigger for him this week... he started crawling. If you're wondering why I'm not blogging much, it involves vacuuming and keeping small particles out of his mouth.

Happy Labor Day! Enjoy this last blast of summer. Speaking of our trip to Pinconning, next week I'm going to write a bit about some tasty food from that area of Michigan. Check back if you love cheese!

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby and Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom?

Mr. Potato Head at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis

Whenever we visit my mom and dad's house, the first toy that Big Arrow digs out of their toy chest is Mr. Potato Head. Does it get any more classic or more fun for a 2-year-old? So I think I let out an audible gasp when I heard that the Children's Museum of Indianapolis was hosting the Adventures of Mr. Potato Head exhibit for a few months.

As you know if you're a regular reader of this blog, that museum is already one of my favorite places for adventure with little kids. So last week when my parents offered to watch Little Arrow for a bit, I decided checking out the exhibit would be a perfect way to spend some much-needed one-on-one time with Big Arrow.

As you enter the exhibit, you're given the chance to play with Mr. Potato Head.

They had more "accessories" than you could ever imagine. I just wanted to spend hours digging through the piles of parts!

Our finished creation. (Who needs a mouth and nose when you have a police belt?)

But playing with the toy is actually not the main feature of the gallery. It's really an opportunity to go on four different adventures with Mr. Potato Head. In one area, he's an archeologist, and you can learn to make tatoglyphs (which you can take home and show to daddy... hello free souvenir!).

In another, you board a space ship and blast off for the stars.

You can also go un an underwater adventure and a safari. We happened to visit while a little show was taking place in the Spud Studio. If you get a chance, do check it out. It helps the exhibit come to life and is really interactive. This is Big Arrow putting on his binoculars so he could *see* all the animals on the safari.

I wrote more about The Adventures of Mr. Potato Head at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis for Visit Indiana here.

And while Little Arrow missed out on the fun this time, much like Mr. Potato Head, he's holding his own head up quite well these days.

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

Chihuly in St. Petersburg

The skies have been pretty gray and dreary around Indiana this week. Which is just fine since I'm mostly snuggled up at home with my two little boys (still getting used to saying two...) But as I stare out the window, I can't help but daydream of our trip to St. Petersburg, Florida last February when we woke up to beautiful sunny skies everyday.

I especially loved the way that sunlight reflected on the beautiful sculpture by Dale Chihuly during our walk around downtown St. Petersburg.

I'm a big fan of Dale Chihuly and would love to go on a world tour of his works of art. Unfortunately Big Arrow wasn't too cooperative when we walked by the exhibit in St. Petersburg so we didn't duck inside to see it all, but at least they had this work outside on display for all to see.

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

I know it's been quiet around here lately... I hope to post more in 2012, so be sure to check back! I have several fun adventures to share, like our trip to the Indiana State Museum and our return to Robert's Tree Farm. And I'm happy to report that Little Arrow is a pro at daytrips already! Can't wait to take him on his first vacation. Which just might be a return to sunny Florida this winter.

They Work Hard for the Money

In honor of the Labor Day holiday weekend, I thought I'd share some fun and interesting photos from unique jobs we've spotted while traveling.

Can you imagine cleaning this tank at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa?

I bet this dinosaur has both delighted and petrified many tiny visitors to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. (The Arrow had trouble deciding which emotion to go with.)

During our trip to Boston, this young man maneuvered our Swan Boat around the pond by pedaling. He claimed it's only a little harder than riding a bike, but with about 20 people on the boat, I'm not so sure I believe him.

And this grist mill operator at Spring Mill State Park knew so much about the fascinating history of the mill. I can't imagine giving a 20 minute speech while operating a 100+ year-old piece of equipment.

While my family is all play and no work during our travels, we sure do appreciate all the hard working folks who make our trips so much fun! Happy Labor Day!

This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

The Boston Children's Museum

Before our trip to Boston, I'm not sure that visiting a children's museum would rank very high on my list of things to do while on vacation. Don't get me wrong--I love a good children's museum. Visiting the Children's Museum of Indianapolis is one of my favorite day trips with the arrow. And we adore Kidscommons here in Columbus, Indiana as a great mid-week or bad weather boredom buster. But when I'm traveling, I prefer to see and do something completely unique to that locale, something we can't do where we live.

Boston Children's Museum

But after three busy days seeing some of the sights in Boston, most of which were probably more appealing to 30-somethings than 2-year-olds, we wanted to spend our last day doing something that the arrow would really enjoy. By now the high temps had me ruling out anything outdoors, and so we retreated to the cool and kid-focused Boston Children's Museum.

Here are some of my favorite aspects of the Boston Children's Museum:

• There was a real focus on everyday life in many of the exhibits. Sounds boring, right? Not to a toddler who has often watched his mom brush her hair but never had the chance to do it himself. (That's a mannequin, not me. Do you really think I'd let him come at me with a hair dryer?)



Boston Black exhibit at Boston Children's Museum

• It was actually pretty relaxing. The first area we visited was called PlaySpace, and it was ideal for families with babies and toddlers. There were plenty of benches and seating for adults to sit and watch their little ones play, as well as an entire padded area just for little crawlers. Because many of the exhibits throughout the museum are nearly completely enclosed, we didn't have to do much chasing or hand-holding: something we had done A LOT of in the days prior. We also parked our stroller in the museum lobby, and didn't find a need for it for the entire visit. We were ALL happy to get a break from the stroller!



PlaySpace at the Boston Children's Museum

• Since I now have traveling with two on the brain, I was particularly pleased to see an enclosed kitchen/relaxation area for those families with babies (also in the PlaySpace area). There were rocking chairs perfect for nursing, a microwave to heat up food, a high chair, etc. I can imagine more than one mom has breathed a sigh of relief when she saw this amenity.



Kitchen in the PlaySpace exhibit

• The arrow had a chance to explore interests. He has been really into musical instruments lately, something that as parents we want to encourage. Yet we don't have room in our budget (or in our house) to purchase gobs and gobs of new toys. At the Boston Children's Museum, he could bang on things like this amazing steel drum and test out other unique musical sounds throughout the museum. There were also exhibits focused on water, sand, construction equipment, etc. (In other words, pick any of the typical toddler/preschooler delights, and you'll likely find an area perfect for that child.)



Boston Black exhibit at the Boston Children's Museum

• There was a strong educational focus. The arrow starts preschool this fall (more on that to come), so we made sure to stop by the Countdown to Kindergarten exhibit so he could get a sense of what a classroom looks like. To our surprise, this was by far his favorite exhibit in the museum. He loved going to the different stations and seeing what he could try.

Countdown to Kindergarten exhibit at the Boston Children's Museum

The Boston Children's Museum probably isn't for everyone. It's geared toward younger kids. I would guess children 7 or older might not find much here to hold their attention for very long. (Trust me, as a mom of a 2-year-old, I'm not complaining about this. There are many other attractions in Boston that would be perfect for older kids, so I was thankful for a toddler/preschooler paradise.) I was also hoping to pick up a unique toy or souvenir for the arrow in the gift shop as a memento from Boston (we had managed to avoid any such purchase thus far into the trip), but I found the offerings disappointing.

I did appreciate the food choices for lunch, though. The museum has an area for brown-baggers, an attached Au Bon Pain, and the famous giant Hood milk bottle just outside the front door in the warmer months. After many meals on this trip that consisted of french fries and a few bites of hot dog, it was great to visit the Au Bon Pain and get the arrow something healthy to fuel him until dinner.

All in all, we found the Boston Children's Museum to be a great spot for a few hours of arrow-focused fun. I learned on this trip that visiting a big city can be taxing on a young traveler--in and out of a stroller, waiting in lines, lots of commotion, etc. I think I'll incorporate children's museum visits into future travel plans as a good option for when energy and patience (parents and toddlers') begins to wane.

If You Visit:
The Boston Children's Museum
308 Congress Street, Boston (Nearest T stops are South Station and Courthouse Station)
Cost is $12 for all visitors over the age of 1. (Babies are free.)
The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and closes at 9 p.m. on Fridays.

This post is a part of Mondays are for Dreaming at The Mother of All Trips. We're dreaming of more children's museum fun in the future: in Boston, near home, and around the world! What are your favorite children's museums?

PS: If you want to know more about how we filled five days in Boston with a toddler, see my Boston Trip Report. Or you might be interested in my tips for visiting a children's museum.

Disclosure: While HomeAway covered many of our travel expenses for our trip to Boston, we paid for our admission to the Boston Children's Museum and all opinions are my own.

My 7 Links: A Look Back at Arrows Sent Forth

It's perfect timing that My 7 Links is all the rage right now among travel bloggers, since this is the 1-year anniversary of Arrows Sent Forth. My 7 Links is a project organized by Tripbase that is designed to "create a bank of blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again." I've really enjoyed reading what other bloggers have shared on their blogs for the last week or so. Below are the particular categories that participants must follow. Thanks to Wandering Off (one of my absolute favorite blogs), who nominated me to participate.

My Most Beautiful Post:
"Togetherness" from September 30, 2010. I barely wrote a complete sentence for this post, because I think the picture speaks for itself. I could stare at this photo, of the two people I love most in the world doing what I most love to do, all day long. The photo was taken on the beach of Warren Dunes State Park in southwest Michigan at sunset.

My Most Popular Post:
Visiting the Florida Aquarium from April 3, 2011. Apparently lots of people are looking for info on this great destination in Tampa, Florida. I'm glad it's so popular, because I think the post full of great tips for a more successful visit to the aquarium.

My Most Controversial Post:
Going Places Strollers Never Will from October 3, 2010. I don't write controversial posts (or at least I haven't yet). But I did participate in a link-up to shed light on the many benefits of baby-wearing at a time when some were calling for the ban of all baby carriers and slings. While the arrow has graduated from baby-wearing these days, I'm still a huge fan of quality products that make family travel so much easier. And I'll be back to baby-wearing in just a few months!

My niece is now the queen of the backpack carrier.

My Most Helpful Post:
Things I Learned While Camping with a Toddler from September 28, 2010. While I see young kids all over campgrounds, I have found limited resources on the internet and around the blogosphere from families with first-hand knowledge of camping as a family. While I'm certainly no expert, I hope the tips I shared in this post will make another family's trip easier (or perhaps even motivate a hesitant parent to get out there for the first time for a night under the stars!)

A Post Whose Success Surprised Me:
Experiencing Egypt at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis from February 7, 2011. This is my second most popular post. Perhaps it got a lot of attention because I posted it so soon after the chaos began in Egypt. But I'm still surprised, because of all the amazing exhibits at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, this is one that I don't often hear visitors talking about. In fact, on the day we visited, it was nearly empty. I think a lot of families pass it by. Maybe by sharing the fun we had, that will change for a few people.

A Post I Feel Didn't Get the Attention It Deserved:
Falls of the Ohio State Park from March 16, 2011. Maybe I did a lousy job of describing how unique and beautiful this place is. Maybe my pictures didn't do it justice. But this state park in southern Indiana really is amazing, and I didn't get much of a response to this post. (I have a theory that if these fossil beds were found along the coasts, it would be an incredibly popular tourist attraction. But don't get me started on how Midwestern gems like this often get ignored... Instead, I'll just to choose to celebrate getting to enjoy places like this in peace and quiet.)

The Post I'm Most Proud Of:
Trip Report: South Haven, Michigan from July 19, 2010. I don't even suggest you click over to this post unless you're planning a trip to South Haven. There's really nothing special about it, other than it marks the moment that I finally started this blog after kicking around the idea of doing so for several months. I wasn't sure I wanted to put myself out there on the web, sharing my thoughts, ideas, pictures and memories. But blogging has been such a fun adventure for me: it has lead to a part-time job with Visit Indiana, an almost-free trip to Boston, and even affects how I cook in my kitchen. (Let's not discuss it's affect on the cleanliness of my house, however.) It all started with this very first post.

Hope you enjoyed this look back. Now it's my turn to nominate five of my favorite bloggers to join in the fun. (Ladies, this is sort of like a chain letter, so feel free to ignore if you're not interested or have already been nominated.)

Midwest Guest
Amy's Food Flights
Suitcases and Sippy Cups
Go Big or Go Home
Go Explore Nature

Guest post at Travel Mamas

Things might be a little quiet around here this week, as the arrow is battling another stomach virus. Yuck.

To tide you over until we're feeling well again, check out my guest post at Travel Mamas about a day we spent in Southern Indiana, just across the river from Louisville, Kentucky.

And last week I had a guest post at Go Big or Go Home about the Children's Museum of Indianapolis.

Thanks to Colleen and Traci for the chance to invade their sites for a little while!

Kidscommons in Columbus, Indiana

I've been on a roll lately with posts about children's museums. (I've chronicled our day at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis here, here and here.) Without a doubt, the Children's Museum of Indianapolis ranks pretty high on our list of favorite outings. Children's museums in general are a great option in the winter months.

We're really lucky to have a children's museum right here in Columbus, called Kidscommons. While it's not nearly the size of Indy's museum, it is still full of all sorts of fun and could easily hold the attention of kids of all ages for several hours. I wrote about Kidscommons last week at Visit Indiana. It is an ideal spring break destination for Hoosier families on a staycation (or anyone passing through town--it's minutes from Exit 68 on I-65.)

Even though this museum is just down the street, I had been waiting to take the arrow because I thought he might be a little too young. I shouldn't have worried: the entire first floor is a toddler paradise. He could pretend to plant wooden flowers and roamed the floor with a watering can... I can already imagine he'll be my little helper in the yard this spring and summer!

The first floor also features this adorable Japanese house. Here the arrow could prepare a sushi dinner and serve it in an authentic Japanese dining room. He loved that he got to take his shoes off!

The second floor features the museum's two most popular exhibits: Bubbleology, a really fun "bubble" room, and ExploraHouse, which teaches kids about the inner workings of a home. ExploraHouse is well known for the gigantic toilet slide. (If you want to read more about the toilet, head over to the Go Big or Go Home blog, where there was recently a post about this very toilet.) The arrow was a little too young for the toilet, but maybe someday we'll celebrate potty training success with a visit!

The top floor had lots of athletic games and exhibits designed to get kids moving. I thought I might have to drag my husband out of there (notice the arrow begging for a turn!)

Kidscommons a great option for playdates, because its open floor plan means moms can station themselves strategically to keep an eye on the kids but also get some adult conversation. I'm hoping to go back in a few weeks when my sister, niece and nephew are on spring break. It's already clear to me that for as long as we live in Columbus, Kidscommons will be a haven for family fun and a place we can make many memories.

If You Visit:
Kidscommons
309 Washington Street, Columbus, IN
Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10-5 and Sunday, 1-5
Admission: $6 per person (kids under 18 months are free)
Insider Tip: Flip through Columbus Parent and print out the $2 off coupon!
Kidscommons does not have a cafeteria. I recommend visiting Zaharako's (right next door) for lunch or dinner after a trip to the museum.

This post is a part of Mondays Are For Dreaming at The Mother of All Trips, where Mara is also dreaming of spring break adventures close to home.

Look up.

I'm not much of a photographer and I don't have a fancy camera. But since starting this blog, I've tried to get a little more creative with my pictures. Lately I've been fascinated by looking up and seeing what I can capture. Here are some of my favorites, mostly because they remind me of fun times and great trips.

Children's Museum of Indianapolis

Looking up at the base of Fireworks of Glass, the Chihuly sculpture at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis.

Opryland Hotel in Nashville

Admiring stained glass in the lobby of the Opryland Hotel while in Nashville for the Blissdom conference.

Phoenix

Sunbathing by the pool at the Canyon Villas in Phoenix.

Indiana Statehouse

After a meeting with the Lt. Governor and other Indiana bloggers, I stopped to check out the rotunda of the Indiana Statehouse.

St. Pete Beach

And finally, trying to get the arrow to look up at the kite flying above while spending time at St. Pete Beach.

Maybe now I'll work on looking down and seeing what I find near my feet as we wander around!
This post is a part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

In My Kitchen: North African Meat Pie

One of the unique features about the Egyptian exhibit at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis (which I wrote about earlier this week here) was the inclusion of an Egyptian recipe and list of Egyptian restaurants and markets in Indianapolis. What a fun way to continue learning outside the museum walls. A few weeks later, as the protests in Egypt took center stage on the nightly news, I dug out the recipe so that we'd have some method to feel connected to this part of the world. (Afterall, isn't gathering around to share a meal the one truly global experience?)

When I gave the recipe a closer look, I decided I really didn't want to make that particular dish. But I figured Google wouldn't fail me in turning up an Egyptian-inspired recipe that was more appealing. The next thing I knew, I was stumbling around all sorts of recipes at TourEgypt.net's recipe site. (I know nothing about this company, but it has an extensive list of Egyptian recipes.) For some reason, North African sweet potato meat pie caught my attention. I then embarked on my most exotic cooking challenging to date.

I won't retype the recipe since you can see it for yourself here. I was a little intimidated and frightened when I realized the meat was the actual pie crust. But the whole point of this In My Kitchen series is to challenge myself. And I was up for an adventure.

The first step was forming the meat pie crust. Turns out it wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought.

Then I mashed up the sweet potato filling.

Then I assembled the pie. The raw meat crust was still creaping me out a little bit, I have to admit.

About an hour before we were ready to eat, I put it in the oven. (I had assembled it earlier that afternoon while the arrow was napping.)

Nothing left to do at that point than to dish it up and take a bite. I think the best way to describe it was exotic comfort food. It had just enough spices to give it a unique taste, yet it was still well within our comfort zone of flavors. In fact, I had all the ingredients on hand to make it besides the ground beef and two cans of sweet potatoes. It was a heavier dish than I typically cook, so we just had a small salad with it.

I'm sure this wasn't the most authentically Egyptian thing I could have tried. So I'd really like to venture out to an Egyptian restaurant soon and sample some more.

Have you tried Egyptian food? Any dishes you'd recommend?

This post is a part of Wanderfood Wednesday at Wanderlust and Lipstick and Hunk of Meat Monday at Beyer Beware.

Disclosure: My admission to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis was complimentary. I was under no obligation to write about our time there. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Experiencing Egypt at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis

One of my blogging goals this year is to get better about planning posts in advance and following a calendar. Sounds like a good idea in theory, but then the world intervenes.

Let me explain: After leaving the Egypt exhibit at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis last month, I knew I wanted to devote an entire week of posts to Egypt. So I scheduled it for this week. And then? January 25.

I almost postponed my plans because I want to be sensitive to what's happening there right now. The protests we see on the news each night are dangerous and life changing for so many Egyptians, in sharp contrast with a fun-filled trip to a museum. But I also think it's important to talk about issues like this with kids and introduce them to new cultural experiences. Afterall, Egypt is a beautiful land with an amazing history. None of that has changed in recent weeks, even if now is not an appropriate time to visit while it wrestles with such serious matters.

The Egypt exhibit at the Children's Museum is really amazing. We almost passed it by, thinking it might not be interesting to the arrow. But selfishly I wanted to include it in our visit since I hadn't seen it during previous trips to the museum. I'm glad we did--they've done an amazing job making it interesting and educational for kids of all ages.

Take a quick walk with me through this Egyptian village, won't you?

First, you hop aboard Egyptian Air (the seats actually rumble!)

Once you touch down, you'll find yourself at the doorstep of a typical Egyptian home. You can walk through the various rooms of the house (kitchen, living room, etc.) and see what makes life both the same and different from daily life here in the U.S. The arrow particularly enjoyed baking bread in the kitchen and petting the donkey.

Then you can wander through an Egyptian market. The arrow was captivated by the toy vegetables (if only he would eat more of the real thing).

Then you can stop and get a coffee at the coffee shop (called a Qahwah). I think this is where you'd find me in a typical Egyptian village. Sucking down some caffeine and people watching? Sounds about right.

You can even catch a ride on a tuk-tuk (an Egyptian taxi).

I loved this exhibit for so many reasons--the way it delighted the arrow, introduced all of us to a life we otherwise knew little about, and left us wanting to know more.
This Monday, I'm dreaming of a trip to Egypt. I don't know what the outcome of the current state of chaos and turmoil there will be. I hope this ancient land and its many treasures will once again be a place where all of us can visit safely. More importantly, I hope its people can live in peace with all the freedoms we enjoy here in America.

Check back here throughout the week for more Egyptian-inspired posts. On Wednesday, I'll be cooking up some Egyptian food and on Friday I'll be sharing a few more of my favorite photos from our time in this Egyptian village.

If you're interested in learning more about Egypt and this exhibit, but can't visit the museum itself, check out this link. It's full of videos and educational resources about this country.

This post is a part of Mondays are for Dreaming at The Mother of All Trips.

Disclosure: My admission to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis was complimentary. I was under no obligation to write about our time there. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Chihuly at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis

I've been lucky enough to visit some of the best art museums from around the world, like the Louvre, the Prado, the Uffizi Gallery and the Art Institute of Chicago, but I'll be the first to admit that my knowledge of art, art history and artists themselves is a little fuzzy. Instead of getting caught up in all that I don't know, I just try to enjoy discovering what I like and which artists capture my attention. I'm typically drawn to colorful, cheerful pieces (especially those inspired by nature) and so it will come as no surprise that one of my favorite artists is Dale Chihuly. His glasswork is often full of whimsy and certainly never dull.

The centerpiece of the Children's Museum of Indianapolis is a piece by Chihuly called Fireworks of Glass. It's his largest permanent sculpture and stands 43 feet tall. The museum has rightfully placed it in the middle of the ramp system that leads you from floor to floor at the museum, ensuring that it is admired by all who visit (more than 1 million each year, as it is the largest children's museum in the world!)

The museum did more than give this sculpture prime real estate. It also created a hands-on exhibit for kids to explore. I knew the arrow would love it and so we headed straight there when we arrived. At this exhibit, he could pick up various "faux" glass pieces, which look exactly like those on the sculpture, and move them about, connect them in various places, and get a sense of the enormous puzzle that had to be solved in order to build Chihuly's work of art. He loved seeing all the colors and feeling the various textures and figuring out all the shapes and how he might be able to place them. And as a parent, how fun is it to let your child touch the art?

When we got home from the museum, I did some more research on Chihuly. While I've always admired his work, I never realized that he's everywhere. This list on his website details all of his public installations around the world. According to this site, he has work in 33 states and 12 countries. (I'm proud to say that there are two sculptures here in Columbus, Indiana!) Now that I know the arrow is equally enthusiastic about Chihuly, I'm daydreaming of going on a Chihuly-inspired trip around the country and the world. Wouldn't it be fun to see them all?

For now, maybe we'll start with a stop at the Chihuly Collection at the Morean Art Center in St. Petersburg, Florida when we visit next month. In fact, I'm sure we can incorporate Chihuly art into many trips we take in the years to come. (Of course, we might have to have a little talk with the arrow about not touching it, huh?)

I loved this quote on display at the museum here in Indianapolis. Mr. Chihuly, I know at least one child who was full of joy after experiencing your creative genius. Bravo to you and your team for executing such a masterpiece and bringing it to a space to be enjoyed by so many children.

Check out my tips for visiting a children's museum if you're planning a trip to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis (or any other museum).

This post is a part of Mondays are for Dreaming at The Mother of All Trips and Spotlight Thursday at Trekaroo.

Disclosure: My admission to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis was complimentary. I was under no obligation to write about our time there. The opinions expressed here are my own.