On Saturday, my parents were in town and we were trying to decide what to do with them and the boys.  At first, we thought about Hoffman’s, a local amusement park, but the clouds in the sky threatened to rain (and carried through on their threat once or twice).  Then, we tried to go to the New York State Museum, but there was some event going on that shut much of that area down.  After finding a spot to park and regroup, we decided to go to the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology.

We entered, paid, and found out that a show – Astronaut – was going to begin in a minute or two.  So we went there first.

When you enter the planitarium, you notice the odd seating arrangement.  Except for some chairs at the back, all of the seating comes in the form of colorful mats to lay down on.  These were surprisingly comfortable and afforded a great view of the screen as we looked up.  Yes, the screen is on the ceiling.

The movie was great.  It detailed just what astronauts need to do to get ready to go into space and what dangers awaited them.  ("Chad" better get some hazard pay after he was killed so many times!)

After the show, we wandered around the museum.  Since this is a children’s museum, not only are kids allowed to touch most of the exhibits, they are encouraged to.  We rotated windmills to generate power for a town.  JSL touched a snake.  We saw two owls.  We (well, the boys and I) entered a beaver’s lodge.  JSL rowed a canoe.  We even made some virtual trees grow by touching a wall.

There was too much to describe everything, so instead here are a series of photos from our visit.

In the end, this was a fun and educational excursion.  Given that it is inexpensive as well (adults and children over 2 are only $5 each and shows are an additional $1 each), I could definitely see this becoming a repeat destination.

Over the last two days, I’ve recounted how we saw animals and made seed packets.  I also told of our train ride to Sesame Street.  Now it was time for what was going to be arguably the kids’ favorite time of the trip: The carousel.

First, a little history.  This isn’t a new carousel.  It’s quite old.  It was first made between 1912 and 1916, but some of the horses date to the 1890′s.

The operator told us that it is given 15 minute rest times between runs to prevent breakdowns.  In fact, we were told, it’s so old that if it ever breaks down, they won’t be able to fix it!  Still, 15 minutes is an easy wait as the upside to this being an older carousel is that it goes faster than more recent ones.

During our first run, JSL and Cousin S took seats in a spinner.  NHL and Cousin B grabbed side-by-side horses.

Talk about old, this is what played the music to go along with the ride.

After this first run, we looked at a few exhibits that were on this floor.  Then, the kids enjoyed some rock candy.

I even got a nice photo of a church that is right next to the museum.  Love the architecture.

Before we knew it, our 15 minute wait was over and it was time for ride number 2.  Cousin B took a horse again.  JSL and Cousin S took side-by-side horses.  NHL decided to ride by himself on a spinner.  (This was on the other side of the carousel so I couldn’t get good photos of him from where I was supervising JSL and Cousin S.)

When the ride was over, the kids went back to their rock candy until it was time for one final ride.  This time, NHL and JSL mounted matching donkeys,  Meanwhile, Papa went on the spinner with Cousins S & B.

During the ride, I noticed the beautiful marble eyes that the animals had.

Finally, the ride was over and it was time to leave.  Mind you, this was over protests of "one more ride."  Still, it was getting late and we needed to leave.  It was a fun time and the boys are already itching to go back.

Yesterday, I began the tale of our trip to the New York State Museum.  As I ended part 1, the kids were running off to see more exhibits.

They first ran into a dinosaur.  They all marveled the dino standing in front of them.  I was barely able to get them to hold still long enough to pose for a photo.

A little further down, they loved seeing, first, a whale’s skull and then a whole whale skeleton.

Even the complete whale skeleton couldn’t measure up to the exhibit were were looking for: Sesame Street.  We wound our way through the museum, relying mostly on my fuzzy memory of where it was.  Then we spotted something that I didn’t remember:  An old A-Train car.

This car was presented in such a way as to let people walk in it and sit in its seats.  The kids were instantly in love.  They ran all around it abuzz with excitement.

As we exited the train, I spotted the familiar face of a certain large, yellow bird.  We had found the way to Sesame Street.

I’ll admit that the exhibit was smaller than I remember.  (I think I half-remembered a larger exhibit from another museum.)  Still, the kids loved seeing even the small portion of Sesame Street.  A bench was positioned so kids could watch snippets of the show on a small television.

Before long, they got restless, though, and it was back to the train car.

Our next big location to visit was the carousel.  However, the boys and I stumbled upon a hidden gem.  A collection of old fire trucks.  What kid doesn’t like fire trucks?

These were right near the second of the museum’s two 9-11 exhibits.  This one included (among other things) a heavily damaged fire truck and a girder from the Twin Towers.  I must admit that I had to touch it and bow my head a bit when I encountered the latter of the two.  Thankfully, the kids were so distracted by the fire trucks they had just seen and the promise of the carousel to come, that they didn’t seem to notice what we were walking by.

Once this was done, we headed for the elevators and went up to ride the carousel.

To be concluded tomorrow.

On Saturday, with Aunt M, Uncle I, Cousin S, and Cousin B in town, we tried to figure out something fun to do with the kids.  We decided upon the New York State Museum.  Not only is it a nice, bit indoor space with some nice exhibits, but there was a craft activity for the kids to do and a carousel.  Just to sweeten the deal, all of this is free.

As we pulled up, we found a spot right near the museum.  The kids excitedly got out of the cars and headed in.  NHL pointed out one of the only skyscrapers that Albany has.  (I grew up near New York City, so I’m used to seeing a lot more skyscrapers.)  He also spotted that odd-shaped building in Albany known as "The Egg" (used for concerts and shows).

Heading in, we asked where the kids craft activity was and headed right for it.  On the way, we passed by one of the two 9-11 exhibits.

The kids weren’t too interested in these, of course, but they got very interested once we found the animal exhibits.

There were also the minerals/rocks which the kids surprisingly liked.  Mainly, I think, because of the colors and sparkliness.

Then, we got to one of their favorite sections: Kids Cove.  In this area, were many animal skins, skulls, leaves and other items for kids to examine close up.  Whereas most of the museum is hands-off, this section encouraged kids to pick up and take a closer look at the items.  (Don’t mind the jackets.  The kids were so excited by all that they saw that they didn’t want to stop to remove them yet.)

Leaving here, we located a Woolly Mammoth.  This was one of our original directions to find the craft table.

The Woolly Mammoth led us to a Native American village, complete with a house we could walk into.

And Native American wedding clothing.

Finally, we found another mammoth.  This one, however, was more skeletal than his friends.

Right by him was the craft table.  We had located our first major stop: Kid Crafts.  The kids settled in and drew, cut, and pasted shut envelopes.  Into these envelopes went some wild flower seeds.  Then, they glued the envelope shut and were done.

The person running the event was great.  She was able to recover from bad cuts and bad gluing.

After the crafts were done, I got Cousin S and JSL to pose by a nearby dinosaur fossil.

Then, off we went to see more.

Tomorrow: Trains, Fire Trucks and Sesame Street!

As I mentioned earlier this week, the boys and I loved the new Phineas and Ferb movie.  I even bought the soundtrack and have been listening to it nonstop.  One thing I like about Phineas and Ferb songs is that, though kids enjoy them, they are intelligent enough for adults as well.  In fact, there are many words/phrases in the songs that kids just won’t know the meaning of.  Instead of simply leaving your kids in the dark, why not use the songs as a teaching opportunity?

With this in mind, let’s look at one of the new songs from Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension: Robot Riot.  (Lyrics are courtesy of the Phineas and Ferb Wiki.)  One quick warning, though, the following might have spoilers for the movie.  So watch the movie first!

It’s gonna be a mechanized melee
A bit of a big bot brawl
When we get through you’re gonna know it’s true
The more metallic they are the harder they fall
And don’t mess with me ’cause I’m a whole lot of trouble
when I’m backed up against the wall

Right at the beginning, we have four words to go over: mechanized, melee, brawl, and metallic.  Mechanized, you can explain, is a reference to the robots.  Anything mechanical – with computers or gears inside – can be said to be mechanized.  A melee, involves a bunch of fighters on each side battling in a disorganized fashion.  In the context of the movie, Phineas and Ferb’s friends, using all of their previous inventions, battle the Norm-bots for control of the Tri-State Area.  They aren’t using any kind of organized tactics, they’re just all destroying as many robots as they can.  Brawl is a similar word, meaning a large fight.  Finally, metallic means made out of metal (referring again to the Norm-Bots).

We’re gonna kick some robot chassis
So you better tell your robot nation
Say your robot prayer, ’cause you better prepare
For an automaton annihilation

Notice those last two words?  “Automaton” and “annihilation.”  Depending on the age of your child, these words might be new.  You can explain to them that automaton is another word for robot and to annihilate something meant to destroy it.  While you’re at it, you can explain that “automaton annihilation” is an example of alliteration – the repetition of a sound over a series of words.

You think you’re gonna take us down
Well, mechanical man you just try it
You gonna ride that rail out of town

This is a Robot Riot!

I think you know what I mean
This is a Robot Riot
I’m gonna break you down
And sell you for scrap metal
But I’ll keep enough to build myself a trampoline
‘Cause you’re momma was a blender
and your dad was just a washing machine

This is a Robot Riot!

I’m gonna rip you up, I’m gonna break you down
I’m gonna take you to a chop shop down town
You know that you’ll be dreadin’ this android Armageddon
I think you better check your fluids ’cause I know you’re sweatin’
You know you’re gonna lose and sing the robot blues
You’ll blow a fuse and take a robot snooze
I will deactivate ya, because I kinda hate ya
Don’t wanna beat around the bushes, gonna decimate ya

Here we have the phrase “chop shop” as well as the words android, armageddon, and decimate.  Children might not recognize that “chop shop” is a kind of operation (usually illegal) that takes a car and rips it into pieces.  Android, like “automaton” from earlier, is another word for robot.  Armageddon is a word that usually describes the world ending in a violent fashion.  In this case, though, it means that the end of the robots is going to come violently (as Phineas and Ferb’s crew rip them to pieces).  Finally, decimate means to destroy on a grand scale.  Considering the thousands of Norm-Bots streaming out of the portal, defeating them would truly be a decimation.

This is a Robot Riot!

Oh man it’s on!
I’m gonna rip you up
and put you back together
In a new configuration just to mow my lawn
‘Cause your sister is a fridge,
and you know her light is always on
This is a Robot Riot!

Robot Riot Robot Riot (Look Out!)
Robot Riot Robot Riot

This is a Robot Riot!

You better listen up
I got some breaking news
I’m gonna melt you down and pour you on some baby shoes
I’m really on a mission
I call it demolition
And when I’m through you’re gonna need more than a new transmission
No matter how you strive.
You’re gonna take a dive
I’m gonna mess you up and devastate your hard drive
I’m gonna shut you down, I’m teaching you a lesson
Rip out your CPU and show it to you still processing

Here we get into some computer terms (hard drive, CPU, processing), an automotive term (transmission), a phrase that might bear explaining (“pour you on some baby shoes”) and the word demolition.

You can explain what a hard drive (the place a computer stores items) and CPU are (the “brains” of a computer).  You can also explain that processing means performing a series of operations.  In the context of the song, this means that they would rip out the robots’ brains and show it to them while they (the brains) were still working.

A transmission is the part of the car that transfers power from the engine to the wheels.  It is stereotypically a part of cars that needs to be fixed at great expense.  A robot that is so broken that it needs “more than a new transmission” is pretty much broken beyond repair.

The phrase pour you on some baby shoes” refers to the custom some people have of coating their babies’ first shoes in bronze or other metals.

Finally, the definition of the word “demolition” (completely destroying) might not be known to kids, though the action would be familiar to any kid who built a block tower and then knocked it down.

This is a Robot Riot!

I’m gonna rip you up, I’m gonna break you down
I’m gonna take you to a chop shop down town
You know that you’ll be dreadin’ this android Armageddon
I think you better check your fluids ’cause I know you’re sweatin’
You know you’re gonna lose and sing the robot blues
You’ll blow a fuse and take a robot snooze
I will deactivate ya, because I kinda hate ya
Don’t wanna beat around the bushes, gonna decimate ya

This is a Robot Riot!
(I’m gonna rip you up I’m gonna break you down I’m gonna take you to a chop shop down town)

This is a Robot Riot!
(I’m gonna rip you up I’m gonna break you down I’m gonna take you to a chop shop down town)

This is a Robot Riot!
(I’m gonna rip you up I’m gonna break you down I’m gonna take you to a chop shop down town)

This is a Robot Riot!
(I’m gonna rip you up I’m gonna break you down I’m gonna take you to a chop shop down town)

Alright!

In the end, you can both enjoy the songs from the Phineas and Ferb TV show and movie *and* use them for educational opportunities.  When you’re done, your child will enjoy the songs even more as they understand some of the terms/concepts that might have escaped them previously.