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This post was written by Children's Museum Blog Ambassador, Nick Downey. Follow Nick's posts on the blog or follow him on Twitter @DadWithaBlog.
I'm so excited to be an ambassador for The Children's Museum. It is, honestly, one of the coolest places for kids in the Midwest, and as someone who enjoys seeing my kids enjoy themselves, we spend a lot of time here. From Dinosphere to Playscape, the Chihuly sculpture to the water clock, each of my kids is engaged on every visit.
I moved my family here from South Bend for a job in February, and the first thing I did to get my kids inspired about the move was load the The Children's Museum website and showed them what amazing things we'd have access to after the move. On our first visit to look for a place to live, we took a few hours out of our day to scrape the surface of what The Children's Museum had to offer. The tease worked, and we had very little selling left to do as far as the kids were concerned.
"What amazing kids you must have" you might be saying. And you would be right.
My daughter, Nat, is 11. She loves the arts and is right at home playing "mom" to her two little brothers. When she sets her sights on something, you can count on her following through with unrelenting devotion to completing the task, if not to completing the steps she thinks will get her there. There is no denying her exploration of the world around her, and I would never dare to try.
My middle kid, Sean, 7, loves adventure. He’s at home in a cape, a tool belt, or a mud pit. Is there any more prototypical boy? He loves playing with trucks and dinosaurs or dressing up as a superhero. While his inner-Indiana Jones is worn on his sleeve, his inner-Einstein is seen in his eyes. Sean never tires of showing off his math skills, and will read books about science before just about any work of fiction.
Finally, there is my 2-year-old we affectionately call "Not-Sean," or "E". The Not-Sean name should be understood by any parent of more than one, and E is just a shortening of his actual name, because by the third kid, you barely have time to think, let alone pronounce your kids' full names. As a typical 2-year-old, E is the reason I drink coffee, but if there is one thing I can count on holding his attention long enough for me to do any simple task, it involves water. He will "wash" a sink full of dishes, or pour a river of water down the side of a tub. So if you every want to find us at the museum, check the water table in Playscape first!
I've been married for a dozen years to my wonderful wife, and together we meet the daily challenges of raising a family. We love engaging their minds and watching them discover the world around them. Often, that adventure comes in the daily ups and downs of school runs, practices, and such—but when we can break out of the routine and explore the different worlds places like The Children's Museum provide access to, that discovery is all the more enjoyable.
I have never wanted to miss any of my family’s adventures, so I started writing to keep the memories alive, because as they say: memories fade, but the internet is forever. The years have seen my family grow, and our experiences flourish. With the kids’ age difference, we get a taste of different stages all at the same time, and we get to enjoy the journey to discovery with each of them individually.
I'm excited to share with you that journey and all the inspiration we find for it at The Children's Museum over the next six months. Just be sure to bring your poncho along for the ride, as inspiration this good is bound to get messy!
