baltimore dollar days

we almost missed Baltimore Dollar Days, which is a weekend during which most of the museums and the National Aquarium in Baltimore admit patrons for just $1.00 per person. THIS IS A BIG DEAL b/c a Family of 4 can easily fork up to $80.00 for an excursion at the aquarium alone and just for admissions. As usual, we go to Baltimore at the 11th hour on SUNDAY because my sweet dahlin of a spouse was not feeling up to making the 40 mile trek north on a rainy Sunday, and everyone I called to go with me were busy or had already gone the previous day! hrmph!

Perhaps, he mustered up some energy or guilt and we were off!! Of course, by the time we got there, the main attraction, the aquarium was SOLD OUT!!! So....we had to settle for the Port Discovery Children's Museum

The middle of the museum is 5 stories of a jungle gym that get's progressively more physical ...so needless to say my two boys stayed off that thing altogether...it had all sorts of learning activities, including this contraption where you had to balance this ball and get it into a basket...IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE to do.

there was a discovery room with books and various puzzles and interactive learning exhibits
JBoy is examining various bugs...no Bumblebees tho...that boy loves bumble bees
he found a faux train to play pretend conductor in...
by the time we got there, 5 to 6 waves of hurricane toddlers had gone through the 4 under room..
C-boy was a pro at maneuvering these golf balls up on this contraption...
of course J-boy HAD to have his turn at it with Daddy's help...
the top floor had an exhibit featuring the home, classroom, bedroom of 5 kids from a Japanese school...so neat. ..I studied Japan extensively in the 5th grade as part of an enrichment program at my DC public school. A few of us "talented and gifted" got to learn to construct origami, write Haiku, learn some Japanese language, make a Japanese tea cup at a kilnery and sample the tea, learn Aikido (Japanese martial arts), and visit the National Arboretum and pick out Bonsai trees. What a fantastic experience.
in this Green screen exhibit, you could pretend to be part of the physical education class. J-boy found it fascinating...one of the kids' parents ran this Tofu stand and it was recreated here...check out C-boy getting me some soda I just ordered!
J-boy checking out the fake food in the great stainless steel fridge...this is a classroom and it was really neat to see the types of food they eat for lunch...Caleb was fascinatedthe boys near the pic of the big tree outside the Power Plant this was such a funny picture. we went to Panera for dinner afterwards and Trinihubby had two pieces of the flat pizza and went to the counter for a goodie bag and they have him this gigantic box and bag!!! IT WAS SUCH A FUNNY SITE...all that for two pieces of food! HILARIOUS!!