Once inside we checked out the butterfly exhibit first. Seark loves butterflies so this was the highlight of his day. He watched all the beautifully colored creatures flit around him. Waiting so patiently for one to stay still long enough for him to get a good look. Luckily butterflies dig bald guys. Or their hairless heads anyway. A brilliant blue butterfly landed smack in the middle of my husbands bald spot. (balding spot as he calls it...shhhh we won't tell him there is nothing left there). Once he landed he stayed. Flapping his delicate wings against my husbands bare skin. Seark was thrilled he stood there staring. And the butterfly stayed. And then he stayed awhile longer. Seark lost interest as 3 years old do as I began to wonder if the butterfly was stuck. Stuck in his hair gel that most likely was moist again in the warm humid air of the butterfly house. I was overcome with laughter at the thought. My husband not so much. The more he muttered to get it off of him the harder I laughed. As it turns out butterflies are just fond bald heads. He eventually flew away.
Next we went to the Hall of African Mammals. On exhibit animals that I would otherwise never get to see up close if at all. Each one exotic and extraordinary. I was consumed by my fascination with these larger than life elephants and the case of strikingly magnificent African lions. Lost in this world of curious creatures we came to the case displaying the gorillas. In there was a baby gorilla. A baby. Just a baby. A gorilla but still a baby. The room that held so much wonder just moments ago suddenly felt sad. Gazing at these lifeless gorillas that had been dead for nearly a hundred years I couldn't stop thinking about our trip to Bronx zoo just a few weeks before where we watched the proud mama hold her baby up for everyone to see. I felt strangely sorrowful for all of the stuffed, posed, mammals from long before my time.
We moved onto the fourth floor to see the dinosaur fossils. Bones of massive monsters that roamed the earth 65 million years ago. So strange that such seemingly strong and well equipped living things could just disappear. Certainly makes you question your own mortality and that of humanity. So much for a fun day at the museum! Of course no matter how lost I could get in my own thoughts my kids always provide comic relief. As we made our way through the floors Aidan assured me it must be okay to breastfeed anywhere when all of the figures throughout the museum have their penises out for everyone to see. Both my children agreed whether historically correct or not everyone should wear pants.
Aidan wanted to take his picture with the bronze statue of Theodore Roosevelt. We waited in a crowded room for his turn. He sat beside the statue and just as I snapped the picture he stuck his finger up Teddy's nose. He also thought it was hysterical to steal the banana I brought as a snack for his brother and take pictures looking like he was feeding the monkey's.
All in all we had a wonderful day in the city. Still I couldn't help but think about whether or not he would have had a good time on his school trip. Until I saw another mother's facebook status saying that she had just gotten back from the school trip... hot. exhausted. and miserable. Oh yeah that's why we didn't do that.
After our lovely and educational day (that we did not have to sit on a hot gross noisy bus for) it was time to go home. The time in fact was 5:00. The worst time to be driving in the city. We drove a few blocks and just as I was thinking wow maybe we got lucky, traffic came to a screeching halt! We sat in one spot for almost 30 minutes. No big deal right? Not at all if you don't mind listening to Rylan scream as loud as his lungs and vocal chords will permit. While Aidan yells over him to let us know how unhappy he is about the traffic and his crying brother. At which point I want to turn the radio up so loud I can not hear ether of them. It wound up taking us nearly two hours to get home! TWO FREAKIN HOURS!!! We live 15 minutes from the city. Still better than the hot gross bus.
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