So we left a little before 10 am. It took quite a while to get the car seat buckled and everyone settled. They had a video player, ds's, books, crayons, coloring books, a presidents game, ninendos, wii fitness, ps2, itouch, ipod.....no I am kidding...they didn't have quite that much to entertain them...but almost!
It was a sunny but chilly day and our ride to Philadelphia was quite pleasant. I personally was glad to just get out of the house. With Sarah having had pneumonia before Christmas and then Christmas and the aftermath...I was ready to get out!!! We decided to eat lunch first before heading to our destination...Please Touch Museum in Fairmount Park. Now we didn't just eat lunch at any old place....noooo.....we picked the Reading Terminal. It is an indoor market with lots of rows of stands containing all sorts of food and treats! A mecca of sorts. We walked around a little, hit the restrooms to wash up and found a table for all 7 of us! If you've ever been there at lunch that is quite a feat. Sweet Alice located and treated us all to lunch! We had pizza and hot dogs and fries among other things! Thanks again Alice....it was an "interesting" place...we sat by the shoe shine guys.... and colored pics until the food arrived! After lunch we walked around a little more. I had to have cannolis after having a cannoli discussion and seeing a Cake Boss rerun featuring this very dessert! The girls picked out cupcakes and Alices kids had cookies and Alice got some coffee! All good!
Ready for some pics???? Here we are waiting for the elevator at the parking garage across from the Station:
Look at all of the stands...
This pic is for all you chocolate lovers out there...they had lots 'o chocolate!
Coloring...
After lunch...going to find dessert...
This place was so big...each aisle was labeled with street markers!
Jelly anyone?
Julia being shy....
*******
After the market, we managed to get everyone situated in the car again and headed out to Fairmount Park. It was only about a 15 minute drive. When we arrived at the Please Touch Museum, we actually parked right out front. There is an attached parking lot for $8 or you can park out front for free. We picked that one....lol! The museum is in Memorial Hall and its gorgeous! Palatial even! We marched up the steps....
They even had statues....
We arrived around 2 pm. This is the first time I did not attend something at opening. Since it is a holiday week, we were hoping that the crowds would be a little less in the middle of the week after lunch, during most young children's nap time. It was busy but I wouldn't say it was super crowded. Since we weren't in a rush, if there was something the kids really wanted to do, we just had to be a little patient, and then they could do whatever it was. The museum is set up as a series of hands-on areas where the kids interact and play. There are separate toddler areas which is great unless you have a toddler and an older child...and you are just one person. That didn't apply to us but I am just sayin..it could be a problem for someone coming here by themselves with children of varying ages. As far as our group went...we just stuck together in each area and tried to get around to everything at least for a little while.So here is the ceiling when you enter the main hall...gorgeous!
We were greeted by the Mad-Hatter of all people! Of course, Brooklyn was the only one not afraid of him...she hugged him!!! LOL
The girls loved having maps...and so did Matthew. In fact in Reading Terminal he was able to read it and tell us just where we were....he is so smart! Here is the Liberty Arm and Torch...it was so cool and tall!
We bought tickets to ride the carousel and the girls just loved it...it was a gorgeous carousel...Alice told me it was stored for almost 100 years before it was refurbished and used by the Museum. It was so beautiful!
Oh yeah...I forgot to mention the outfits! Brooklyn got a ton of compliments about her Very Hungry Caterpillar outfit! And Devon picked her ensemble out...funny enough...another little girl picked out almost the same outfit and I wanted to get their pic but both camera batteries died by that time....oh well....so anyways...here are the rest of the ride pics...
Next we visited the Enchanted Colonial Village. It had lots of little shops and cute displays...you could look in all of the windows.
Then we noticed the piano keys on the floor! They kids loved this!
Next, we took them to the Water Works station. It's huge! I went to the one in Baltimore at the science museum once. This one was 3x the size. The kids donned blue plastic aprons and played and played!!!
Boat pushers...
Water wheel..
Little duck station...
More water ways...
A lock you could operate....
Boat flippers...
Lots of levers and ramps...
Some sort of a water screw???
Still playing....
Next we decided to head downstairs to check out Alice's Adventures. Not my friend Alice or Devon Alice....but Alice in Wonderland....look she is here too! So we took this cool ramp around the Cheshire cat in the tree. At the base of the tree in the hollowed out roots....there is a tea party going on!!!
Skipping down the ramp!
Checking out all the parts of the exhibit from above...
Going down the slide...
More sliding...
Now believe it or not...this is the tea party in the tree...they loved it and all played so nicely with each other....
Then we walked over to another tea party table....to have more pretend tea....
Then we moved over the these cool blue strips...a jungle of them to try to get through! Where did Brookie go???
There was a cute table with rolling animals and the kids played with this for a while....
Devon and Julia found this whimsical creature to ride.. wait...where's Jules????
Running around the table to catch the rolling animal!
Oh here are Devon and Jules!
Next we entered Alice's Maze House with mirrors and cool passage ways....
I loved this room.....they grew!!!
We exited that area and went through the party room section. What a great place to have a birthday party!!!! Too bad its too far from our house! They made the rooms look like a train car.
Next up was Busy Build...lots of blocks and stacking and moving going on here!!!! The blocks look real but they were just grey foam.
This machine hoisted the blocks up and over...then the kids went up the steps to retrieve them...
Then they brought them over to this red tube and dropped them in...
It was a little too crowded here so we decided to head to the best place of all....Shop Rite Supermarket....miniaturized. What a fun mad-house. In theory, the kid fill their baskets and "pay" for it then they are supposed to put everything back. In theory. So in real life there were piles of food items left by the registers. So....Matthew and Brooklyn and Devon and Julia made it there mission to start putting things back on the shelves. Each shelf had items behind clear plastic. All the kids had to do was match their item with the ones behind the plastic on the shelf. In other areas, there were baskets, trays etc. It was fun and we must have stayed in this area close to 20-25 minutes...I lost track of time!
Now Alice's littlest...loves trains! So we set out to show him a HUGE train layout! 
Meanwhile the girls played house with a three story, three-sided monstrosity of a playhouse! Check this out!
More trains...
And Brookie was running out of steam...she had to sit and rest for a while!
We made our way back upstairs to Flying Machine room. Here they assemble a foam flyer and hook it onto a machine. Then they turn the crack to hoist it way high above them. The machine launches the flyer and times how long it takes to reach the bottom.....talk about neat!
Assembling...
Here's the launcher!
Brooklyn's flyer and she is turning the crank to lift it high into the air...
Up it goes...
Can you see it?
Falling...
Devon's turn!
Cranking....
Up Up Up and.....
and second camera battery died!!! Ack!!!! Can you believe it?So, we were almost done anyways. We went to one more location...it was theFlight Fitness...which was basically a lot of bike powered areas...where you pedal and make things twirl or move around. Melt downs were emminent so we didn't stay much longer. We managed a final potty break and a ride on the Septa Bus...the kids got to drive it! And then we were done...I mean d-u-n!!! Cooked, and fried. So we packed up and headed out!
It was a long ride home! Here we thought the kids would sleep the whole way home...nope. Two took a brief nap and the rest said Mommy Mommy Mommy.... but Alice is so patient and prepared! But we made it home eventually. We really had a great time! Thanks again Alice for the wonderful day out!!!
Its too bad we live so far from the city or we could do fun things like this more often. Alice mentioned coming back with just the girls and trying the Japanese Tea Room. They would love that! Then there's always the Franklin Institute and the Art Museum when they are older. In the future I really want to take the girls to Washington DC and also Williamburg VA....just to name a few. But we shall see.
In the mean time... I would like to wish you all a great New Years! Are you all ready?? Typically we are all asleep by 10 pm....lol. I do think we may go bowling tomorrow as a family...they are having a little "party" there for the kids...and that will be it. I have sewing to do and a stack of labs to grade....uggg...reality. Anyways...I wish everyone peace, health and, if you are a Christian, continue to grow in your relationship with Jesus! Nothing in this world is meaningful without Him!
