Jurassic Quest - Lexington
So, this trip started bright and early yesterday morning; what was supposed to be a 7 hour ride to Huntington, West Virginia (our overnight stop), turned into 11 hours on the road. Well, we did have to eat and pee and stop for gas, but mostly we were stuck in traffic in Virginia and moved very slowly through most of WV due to a nasty summer storm. However, Mikey was absolutely stellar on this long trip. I guess all the "practice" we did in Utah finally showed some results, cause the boy was good, pleasant and made this trip so much easier! There was no sleeping, no whining, but lots and lots of very interesting conversations, ranging from the duties of the president, to coming up with new school rules (watch out, Brinson peeps), to a list of "what are we going to argue about when I'm a teen" (Lord have mercy, that time is coming close), to aliens and UFOs.
Our night stay in Huntington was really ordinary, and in the morning we started the drive to Kentucky. 2 hours later we are at the Lexington Center, the focal point of this trip. Here, what else, but dinosaurs. Big and small, moving, opening their jaws, stretching their legs, whacking their tails, flapping their wings, roaring, chirping, and purring....you get it. It's the Jurrasic Quest, a travelling dinosaur exhibit with 80 robotic dinosaurs in what I assume is life size.
Mikey is more than excited and is everywhere! they are his friends, he recognizes most of them even if I still can't even pronounce some of their names, and spews up information about them as he passes along. This exhibit, like any other self-respecting exhibits directed towards kids, also has all the bells and whistles aimed at the kids' parents' pockets. Rides. Bouncy houses. Pictures. Face painting. Walking dinosaurs. Arts and crafts. Science experiments. Fossil digs. The toy store. You get the idea.
And we go EVERYWHERE! at least I was smart enough to get the VIP ticket for Mikey which saves me money for most of these (I still have to pay for the face paint, but everything else is included, so I get away pretty cheap). As a new parent a few years back I would have probably just gotten the regular ticket, thinking I'm saving money. Then one of the two things would have happened: I would have had to cough up a whole bunch more money to get Mikey all the "extras"; or I would have had to drag him out of there screaming and kicking if I didn't let him do the "extras". But after 6 years of parenting I got a little better at things like this, so we're all good. It's a dinosaur extravaganza, and I let Mikey indulge in it. Every bit of it. And the kid is happy, and I am happy for him too.
A sad realization during this experience. Mikey doesn't need me anymore. At least not for things like this. He does his craft by himself. He spends 45 minutes digging out three fossils from a clay block and he vehemently refuses my one offer of help. He is able to read most of the signs, and understands how things work. He chats with and charms most of the attendants at the events. He is patient and calm and talks and plays with other kids while waiting in the long lines. He reads the lunch menu and orders his food, and even asks questions about options and sides.
I feel useless, and bored. I miss my little boy, the one I had to chase around and threated to put on a leash, the one that needed my help to cut, glue and glitter, the one that was either clinging to me or running away. He's growing up, and way to fast.
We spend almost 5 hours hanging out in Jurassic, then head back to Huntington. We drive slowly, and stop a few times. We have dinner at Cracker Barrel. This has become a tradition of ours, when we travel. We have our routine. Mikey loves their broccoli, and hates their lemonade. We play the brain teaser game there, and we rarely have less than four pegs left. We eat then get a treat from the store. Then sit on the porch and play checkers. This time I wipe the floor with him, and, strangely enough, he does not pitch a fit about it. He takes it well. Another sign he is growing up. The little boy is almost beginning to fade out. I have a big boy now, "almost a pre teen" as he puts it.
Back at the hotel, another uneventful evening. Tomorrow we start the second part of our trip, and I am so looking forward to unplugging. About it, in the next post.
Our night stay in Huntington was really ordinary, and in the morning we started the drive to Kentucky. 2 hours later we are at the Lexington Center, the focal point of this trip. Here, what else, but dinosaurs. Big and small, moving, opening their jaws, stretching their legs, whacking their tails, flapping their wings, roaring, chirping, and purring....you get it. It's the Jurrasic Quest, a travelling dinosaur exhibit with 80 robotic dinosaurs in what I assume is life size.
A sad realization during this experience. Mikey doesn't need me anymore. At least not for things like this. He does his craft by himself. He spends 45 minutes digging out three fossils from a clay block and he vehemently refuses my one offer of help. He is able to read most of the signs, and understands how things work. He chats with and charms most of the attendants at the events. He is patient and calm and talks and plays with other kids while waiting in the long lines. He reads the lunch menu and orders his food, and even asks questions about options and sides.
We spend almost 5 hours hanging out in Jurassic, then head back to Huntington. We drive slowly, and stop a few times. We have dinner at Cracker Barrel. This has become a tradition of ours, when we travel. We have our routine. Mikey loves their broccoli, and hates their lemonade. We play the brain teaser game there, and we rarely have less than four pegs left. We eat then get a treat from the store. Then sit on the porch and play checkers. This time I wipe the floor with him, and, strangely enough, he does not pitch a fit about it. He takes it well. Another sign he is growing up. The little boy is almost beginning to fade out. I have a big boy now, "almost a pre teen" as he puts it.
Back at the hotel, another uneventful evening. Tomorrow we start the second part of our trip, and I am so looking forward to unplugging. About it, in the next post.
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