CMoR in the Burg

 Summer is winding down around here, and I'm down to slim pickins when it comes to "things to do with the little ones".  I knew that Children's Museum of Richmond had opened a branch in Fredericksburg, but I hadn't made it out there yet and I wasn't sure how much the older two would like it.  So I took just the younger ones on Tuesday and I'm glad I did.  It's not a big enough space to be enjoyed by anyone over age 7.  And if you bring your child older than 7, many moms (like me) will glare smile at you while we watch your child shove make his way to the top of the climbing equipment while stepping over precariously positioned children, like my own wobbly 3 year old.  
There is a 2 and under section that Jay found lacking in excitement--see face above.  So we headed out to the rest of it.  It's set up like a little town, with a book store, bank, dentist, pizza restaurant, and grocery store.  There's an art area and tower of tires to climb.  The theatre looked like a garage door with a box of dress up stuff, and I gotta admit, I was looking for a jazzier setup for my $8 a person entrance fee.

 Best part, according to toddlers?  The giant tire with rubber sand pit.  They were like pigs in a puddle over there for at least a half hour.

When you make it to the top, you ring the bell in victory!  And then we get to hear the bell for the next hour and a half until I can hear that damn bell in my sleep.

So proud of herself!

 The grocery store was hands down the "place to be".  Two cashier lanes and 4 grocery carts--you do the math.  This place was a bloodbath.  Siblings biting each other over who got to put the mac and cheese box in the cart.  A boy refusing to let anyone touch the plastic carrots.  Emily was a pleasant cashier until Jason wanted to scan items too, then she turned into a standard Walmart cashier.

"Welcome to the store!  Are you the payer?"  (her word for the paying customer)

This orange is on sale!

Gimme all your money!  Gimme all your money!  See that wooden card scanner in the bottom of the pic?  That's the world we live in!  A world where kids make believe with a debit card scanner!  

 The bookstore

 Bring on the thespians!  A make believe wonderment that allowed for all types of characters, including Emily's "gangsta/ballerina/cape woman" and Jason's more subdued "Caped Cowboy".  As Emily proved at every "Store" in this place, shoes were optional. 

I roam these streets alone, looking for trouble....and I always find her....

 The restaurant, where Jay insisted on serving everyone a glass with fake chocolate milk, whether you wanted it or not.  

 Yay, art that doesn't have to be cleaned up by me at home!  Paint all you want kids!

We tended to blend areas, such as bringing the pizza pans and pot holders from the restaurant to the theatre area.

"You'll take this chocolate milk, and you will like it, sir.....Sir!  Sir!  Take the glass now!"