Who’s going to pay for all this?
Today is the 1 week anniversary of our trip to a favorite local Children’s Museum, Edventure in Columbia, SC. Similar to the field trip at the aquarium the week before, I had high hopes for some good fun with for the kids. PLUS, there will be a total of 4 adults watching 3 kids. Those are my kinda numbers on my weekly day of rest!
The museum is named “Edventure” for the 40 foot tall child sitting inside the front doors. Its pretty good! Behind the statue, or maybe, inside, is a 3 story jungle gym mixed with the inside frame work of the human body. Kinda cool! These kids climb, slide, hide, jump and play all inside the human body.
Dylan entering Wonderland!
We got there early and, with low numbers of visitors, we could actually hear Ed’s heart beat. ~ which actually scared Dylan from playing on that level. Skylar, undaunted, found fun just lying in Ed’s stomach, along with an ice cream sandwich and a wedge of orange.
Hiding in Ed's stomach
“Come on kids, we can’t spend all day here, just playing! Lets go explore and learn something!” Wishful thinking?
So we headed down the east wing where the kids ran into a kid’s size grocery store. Now I didn’t want to spend yet another weekend in a grocery store but the kids still had tons of fun shopping, pulling things off the shelf, and ‘paying for it’. “Did you kids bring any money?”
Who has some money?
All of the sudden I was imagining these kids as big people, with their careful scanning the plastic vegetables, picking the right milk, and hoarding all the candy they could find. Maybe it was the caffeine kicking in but it started to be fun imagining these kids as what they may be like when they get older. A look into the crystal ball! Yea, it was a lot of caffeine.
Now was that whole milk or fat free?
As luck would have it in the next room they got to play veterinarian. That’s a good career! This may be fun! Both the kids enjoy animals so much.
He might need some band aids...
Then, having fun with my vision of them being adults and seeing what their natural aptitudes are, I quickly pushed them into the next room. There they could practice being a dentist! More money, less hours, right? They had fun.
He's not brushing his teeth very good, is he?
Why stop there though? Why shouldn’t my kids be doctors? They are both super smart! They seemed to take quite naturally to the role and I could imagine them visiting more often at my retirement house on that cliff in the Caribbean. Hmmmmm…
Where did I put those shots?
Now where’s Skylar? Looking around it seems she found her way in front of the TV camera! She looked great as a TV anchor woman.
She really enjoyed seeing herself on TV. She has such a warm and natural smile!
Hi Mom! I'm on TV....
She should compliment my doctor in the family quite well! Wait? Where’d she go? Following the sound of laughter I see her driving heavy machinery at a construction site. Hey! What happened to being a doctor?
Closing out the ‘aptitude wing’ and calculating these kid’s college loans we headed back past Big Ed. I wondered what else these kids like to do as adults as we headed down to the west wing. I soon found out…..these kids like to travel!
They had a blast at the shindig in Africa and dancing to the drums. They even tried to join in with drums and the African dances. Everybody loved it. ~ I’ve never been to Africa…..
Lets have a dance party!
Next they took a boat, then walked across the swaying bridge to Timbuktu. They visited a village. Tried to make some native baskets. Tried to do a native hair style. They even got to climb on (and slide off) a life-size camel. ..living the camel life!
Giddyap horsey! Giddyap!
We crossed another continent or two, ending upstairs at a river side camp site. Phew! This traveling can ware a body out!
Nap time
We went down the other wing to find giant size games of Battleship, chess, checkers, Wii bowling and Sheldon’s favorite, Jenga. I learned Jenga comes from a Swahili word meaning “to build”. Take that Sheldon!
We spent some time in the music room where the kids loved to jump on the hopscotch pad and make music from their bouncing. Where do you get this energy?
Daddy, come join our band
With their last bit of energy they begged to climb through Big Ed one more time before we headed on back down the highway and the over due, but well earned naps, and some peace and quiet for Mom and Dad. Plus a bit more caffeine.
Lets go downstairs to play one more time
It was a big day with lots of Big adventures. An ice cream sandwich for Dad and some Peanut Butter M&M’s for Mom on the car ride home, made the day complete. Now, how much tuition will I need for their new found careers? Hmmmm…
OUR LIFE IN 3D 
You are right, I am a ‘numbers guy’ just not that many numbers! $1500 / month for room and board? Is he at the Marriott? :p I do have a savings plan in place but geez, one of ’em needs to get a scholarship; or develop a good curve ball. I appreciate what you said about me & ‘men bloggers’.Yay! ( I think ~ I can’t tell if you are messing with me or not :p ) I look forward to that blog you suggested. I find blogging is a woman’s world and it takes some getting used to leaving comments on mostly female sights. But I am learning a lot about cooking on Wednesdays. Thanks again for dropping by WW!
As more and more men visit my blog, I’m thinking I may need to write a post about . . . men and blogs. It has been enlightening, and women bloggers need a heads up . . . .
As for your savings (it seems like you are a numbers guy so you probably have it figured out), plan on $30,000 per child per year up front (tuition, books, fees, travel, hotels, etc. etc. . . . etc.), and $1500.00 per month per child for rent, food, and living expenses; “Oops, I accidentally charged a buritto and a leather coat,” (2012 rates at public universities).
My oldest two were 4.0 and 4.5 GPA students, but scholarships go to folks with need (aka do not own a home or land; you really need to have need even if your land is an acre of dry riverbed you can’t sell). Student loans were available for my kids, but the rate was dumb (no better word for this) until recent changes – I hope the government continues with the current rate because my kids will need to borrow for graduate school.
I didn’t think your kids were that old based on the story on the guy you gave a banana too. (I wasn’t jazzin’ you then). We hope, emphasis on HOPE to travel and save over the next 15 years until they are in and through school. How much do I need per child for the college?
Welcome home! When we come out to visit we will have to check out the Dinosaur @ the Science Center. We started saving already for both (529 posts) but you never know what it will totally cost. Let me know how those scholarships turn out and some effective rants on grades. Thanks for stopping by!
Looks like a really cool place for kids! We are on our third (and last) college student – luckily we started saving when they were born. Unfortunately, the amount of money it takes to put three kids through college is no joke – we are just now starting to be able to travel and do the things we loved doing before our first one entered college in 2007. Worth every penny though!
Looks like a good time was had by all! We used to take our kids to the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, with a similar setup (except they could play inside a dinosaur).
I try not to think about the whole paying for college/careers thing — it’s even closer for us, with a thirteen-year-old. I just yell a lot about grades, so hopefully they can get scholarships?
Your welcome and no problem. I really do enjoy reading your posts…if I am not around when you write the other cute one:) When I come back I will be playing the game of catch up:))
Yeah, we would have to make a trip of it. It would take forever with 4 kids to get there and back. Might as well enjoy the journey.
Hallucinations too? I would try to suggest just how much caffeine I intake but you will probably beat me again. 🙂 ~ Congratulations on your fantastic race finish! Do you think you can take a down day or two now?
This reminds me why I need to cut down on my caffeine intake haha.
So you know of this museum then. I have a old friend that’s associated with a dentist in Cola. too. Lots of good people there! Thanks for dropping in!
I loved it too I know you will. I am glad you liked the post and the smiles. I have another cute one for you…if I can just find the time. I know you have that big day coming up so I want to get you something to read. thanks for dropping in!
Coming from New England? That would be a good drive! Let me know and maybe I can think of some other things your kids would love along the way. Thanks for looking in Derek! Take care of those kids….
I was thinking that too as when you check out their web site it shows a few more exhibits outside. Lets go! It was great seeing you and Nikki again!
Where did you vacation at to visit there? We know the eastern coast a bit around Cancun. we’ll have to check it out. It was super for kids yet in a controlled environment (so I can keep up!) Thanks for checking in! Are you a Giants fan up there?
It was a great day. The smiles are worth the drive. Thanks for dropping in Pat!
Indeed a very nice post. I am also associated with dentist in Columbia, SC, dental implants in Columbia, SC, I like to read new and fresh posts on this subject and I am your regular post reader. Thanks for writing such a good post.
I just had to bookmark this page. Perhaps one day when I have children, I can take them to this Museum. I know they would love it just as your children and their friends love it. Heck I would love it as well and get into the action.
Great post as always. You place a smile on my face and made my imagination soar!
I love it! My kids would have a blast with the whole thing. I will have to add it to our list of things to do. It is a bit of a drive for a day trip.
We had such a good time. Nikki is still talking about the big boy. I was thinking when it starts to get warm, we could meet again, maybe do the zoo.
Andy this is awesome and reminds me very much of Trompo Magico (http://trompomagico.jalisco.gob.mx/eng.html) a fantastic children’s museum in Jalisco, Guadalajara Mexico. For 10-yrs in a row, while on vacation, I’ve taken my kids to this campus-like children’s museum serving ages 2-15. Haven’t seen anything like it here — until now. I share your enthusiasm for such a great environment for kids!
What a great day you had! Looked like fun.