Sunday
morning I woke up determined to check something off my "Summer Socket
List." Since there wasn't a zip line nearby, I decided it was the
perfect day to go into DC. I cooked a big breakfast, asked both boys to
get dressed, and we headed to the metro.
Robby was overwhelmed with excitement when we told him that we were taking him to a museum to see dinosaur bones. He began peppering us with questions: How did the dinosaur bones get to the museum? Where were they found? How will they be held together? What happened to the meat that was on the bones?" We tried to answer his questions and suggested that he ask a museum tour guide if he wanted to know more information.
Although we live just outside the city, neither Scott nor I are seasoned metro riders. We habitually fumble with the fare machine, trying to look comfortable and suave while we are obviously tourists. Of course, Robby informing our fellow passengers that "Momom has Daddy's wallet in her purse so that nobody takes it away from him in the big city" didn't help us appear metropolitan!
The metro ride only served to enhance Robby's anticipation. By the time we entered the museum, we could hardly keep up with him. He ran inside and stopped in his tracks, staring at the elephant in the rotunda. "Oh my. It's the biggest elephant in the whole wide world. Momom, I bet the poop was ginormous." Lovely. We were standing in the middle of a world renown museum surrounded by culture and artifacts, and my child is inquiring about poop.
We continued into the dinosaur exhibit where Robby was impressed by the massive size of the fossils. Again, he inquired about the size of their bowel movements. I promised him that we would Google dinosaur poop when we got home but that he should simply look at the skeletons while he was here. "It's okay, Momom. I'll find out on my own."
He then turned around and walked to the information kiosk that was right outside the exhibit. I didn't know if I should let him ask or if I should try to distract him from his mission. In the end I reasoned that the information guides have probably heard just about every question and would not be surprised by what came out of my little boy's mouth. I let him wait in line to ask his question. I prepared for my embarrassment when I heard him ask, "Hi. My name is Robby and I live in Virginia. I have a question. Those dinosaurs were really really big. I was wondering, do you know if their poop was big? Do you have any in this museum? I bet it smelled really bad too!"
The guide smiled and excused herself to look under the counter. After a moment she presented a photograph of what she claimed to be dinosaur poop. Robby was impressed with the photo, and I felt a little better knowing that he was not the first child to present such a request. According to the guide, the "dinosaur poop" question is posed several times a day, primarily by boys between six and eight years old.
It is good to know that Robby is a typical six year old boy, even if I don't fully comprehend his fascination! Robby was blissfully exhausted by the time we got home. He spent the evening looking at pictures of dinosaurs and talking to his cat about the pictures of the "ginormous super huge bumpy poop."
Robby was overwhelmed with excitement when we told him that we were taking him to a museum to see dinosaur bones. He began peppering us with questions: How did the dinosaur bones get to the museum? Where were they found? How will they be held together? What happened to the meat that was on the bones?" We tried to answer his questions and suggested that he ask a museum tour guide if he wanted to know more information.
Although we live just outside the city, neither Scott nor I are seasoned metro riders. We habitually fumble with the fare machine, trying to look comfortable and suave while we are obviously tourists. Of course, Robby informing our fellow passengers that "Momom has Daddy's wallet in her purse so that nobody takes it away from him in the big city" didn't help us appear metropolitan!
The metro ride only served to enhance Robby's anticipation. By the time we entered the museum, we could hardly keep up with him. He ran inside and stopped in his tracks, staring at the elephant in the rotunda. "Oh my. It's the biggest elephant in the whole wide world. Momom, I bet the poop was ginormous." Lovely. We were standing in the middle of a world renown museum surrounded by culture and artifacts, and my child is inquiring about poop.
We continued into the dinosaur exhibit where Robby was impressed by the massive size of the fossils. Again, he inquired about the size of their bowel movements. I promised him that we would Google dinosaur poop when we got home but that he should simply look at the skeletons while he was here. "It's okay, Momom. I'll find out on my own."
He then turned around and walked to the information kiosk that was right outside the exhibit. I didn't know if I should let him ask or if I should try to distract him from his mission. In the end I reasoned that the information guides have probably heard just about every question and would not be surprised by what came out of my little boy's mouth. I let him wait in line to ask his question. I prepared for my embarrassment when I heard him ask, "Hi. My name is Robby and I live in Virginia. I have a question. Those dinosaurs were really really big. I was wondering, do you know if their poop was big? Do you have any in this museum? I bet it smelled really bad too!"
The guide smiled and excused herself to look under the counter. After a moment she presented a photograph of what she claimed to be dinosaur poop. Robby was impressed with the photo, and I felt a little better knowing that he was not the first child to present such a request. According to the guide, the "dinosaur poop" question is posed several times a day, primarily by boys between six and eight years old.
It is good to know that Robby is a typical six year old boy, even if I don't fully comprehend his fascination! Robby was blissfully exhausted by the time we got home. He spent the evening looking at pictures of dinosaurs and talking to his cat about the pictures of the "ginormous super huge bumpy poop."
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