family time – four crazies and a cop

travel review: the works- ohio center for history, arts, and technology

The Works: Ohio Center for History, Arts, and Technology is an amazing place (even better for free if you have a membership here or any other ASTC-accredited museum or science center). My kids went nuts over a plethora of hands-on interactive science-related activities on the first floor, beginning with a health and fitness exhibit with various fitness tests such as pull-ups (which I failed haha). Our little one then went off to the table with hundreds of magnetic blocks and other simple creative stations, while the older ones headed to exhibits with Dad that had more technology and buttons to push. The best part for a toddler or preschooler is the Tyke Lab in the back corner, complete with train table, dress-up area, puppet show stage, and even an ice cream parlor modeled after a Velvet Ice Cream Parlor, since their headquarters is in nearby Utica.

We then reconveined into the glass-blowing studio where we could watch Zach Layhew, the resident artist, work with paying customers to blow their own glass. Formal demonstrations are shown on certain days, as well as workshops (although I do need to mention they are not cheap). We then went to a small activity room while waiting for the planetarium show to begin, which was a nice quiet break where my husband and I could sit and watch as they played with various games, mini robots, and other STEM-related activities. In an effort to stay consistent in our parenting principles and not allow our children to leave until everything was cleaned up, we were unable to enter the planetarium show which we already had tickets for. When they say the show starts at 2 p.m., they mean it! Thankfully because of our membership, we did not pay for the tickets.

Upon wandering outside, we discovered an old train car (it is covered in case you go during inclement weather) that the boys loved! The train once belonged to the Jewett Car Company and has been restored and returned to its home town. Although I wasn’t able to read a whole lot of the history since the boys kept us moving, the company seemed to have played a huge role in the local economy at one point. We were able to board the train car, but the bell with the chain just in reach of at least three of the boys was a much bigger hit—the louder the better, of course.

After discovering the second building had a cool-looking restaurant, but not much for touring, we turned back around to check out the second floor of the main building, and I’m glad we did! The second floor is more of a museum than a science center like its counterpart beneath. As soon as we reached the top of the stairs, the boys went straight to the flight simulator and the Spirit of Columbus where they took turns flying a plane on a computer screen (we had a lot of crashes, going to need a lot of training) and sitting in the cockpit of a real, full-size plane once flown by Jerrie Mock, the first female to circle the globe.

We viewed a few more historical pieces, a lot of which was from the Pure Oil Company based out of Dayton, we found ourselves in an old-fashioned village. Different rooms showcased various professions and shops of the day. Our favorite was the game room where we stayed and played checkers, Space Force, and “chess” (this was more of the little one and me taking turns galloping horses across the board), and learned of Ohio’s history with the Etch-a-Sketch as well as Uno. It was a wonderful, cocooned family moment.

There were more exhibits involving local Native American tribes and prehistoric wildlife on the other side of the second floor, but we were past due on nap time and patience. Overall, it was a wonderful place for the kids and us. Everything besides the train car exhibit is stroller-friendly, although we did not need the stroller with our toddler. Next time we (as in I :)) plan to visit the Ye Old Mill where Velvet ice cream is made now that I know it is nearby. If you are in the area on a weekday between May 1st and October 31st you can even take a free public tour of the facility.

travel review: pymatuning pontoon-ing

I am no law enforcement officer so I’m not going to pretend like I actually know what it’s like to be out on the beat everyday. But I do see what it is like when an officer walks through the door at the end of his shift and hear what kinds of things he dealt with that day or night, which is why we have found it extremely gratifying to make time to get away pretty often, whether it be checking out an open house at an art center with the kids or hiking in the woods. Yes, I know there is a lot to be done at home, but the kids aren’t young forever and our emotional and mental health as well as our marriage needs refreshed.

One of our favorite now-annual trips is to rent a pontoon at Pymatuning Lake on the border of Ohio and Pennsylvania. This was our third year going with my parents (and this time one of my sisters), and is something we look forward to every year. It

is one of the few times we are all able to just sit and be still for hours on end, and just admire the creation around us. And somehow, as soon as we step on the boat, attitudes are wonderful and the kids don’t even argue. I don’t know what it is but it truly is an amazing experience!

We normally bring fishing poles, books, and maybe a few toys for the kids. And lots of snacks! This vast body of water allows us to just stop thinking about everything that has to get done and just be a family. If you or anyone in your family are feeling burnt out or just need some time away together, any type of boat trip is an amazing experience with so many benefits! I am highly considering moving to a house boat actually… everything seems to be so perfect on the lake!

If you have time afterwards, the Spillway is a wonderfully disgusting, yet simple place to go for a stroll, feed the carp, and maybe even stop for ice cream. It was only fifteen minutes from the livery and made for a peaceful ending to our day before our long drive home.

travel with kids: three beaches—cocoa, ormond, and daytona

Most families have a dream to embark on a trip to Disney. We wanted to get the whole experience, but my husband and I agreed we didn’t want to spend more than one day there. Beginning with Disney on our first full day in Florida, the boys didn’t mind going back and forth on the ferry in order to leave mid-day to relax. In fact, it ended up being of their favorite attractions. I highly recommend using the FastPass app if you don’t want to spend hours of your day in line. We knew we had to make the most of our minutes in the park.

The boys loved the ferry ride to and from the parking lot at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Trying to cram as much as possible into one day, we actually left the park, took naps and went for a dip in the pool at the hotel, then returned two hours later to the get the full experience, fireworks included.

After a crazy day of Disney, we took the family to Cocoa Beach to recover. This was the kids’ and my first time at the ocean, which of course Lake Erie did not compare. Although this beach did not have life guards, it was very clean and not very crowded. The kids had an amazing time, which anyone who has ever taken their kids to the beach already knows how wonderful a place it is.

The next day we found an educational, historical outing at The Casements—the winter home of the late John D. Rockefeller. Affectionately known as “The Jewel of Ormond Beach,” the tour provided an insight to the social and everyday life of Rockefeller and the local area. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a Florida Heritage Center, teaching visitors about the “Birthplace of Speed” and culture back to the early 1900’s. Although our children wouldn’t consider this their favorite stop on our trip, we did not have one complaint of boredom, and the vast amount of pictures lining the walls and intricate structure kept them intrigued, as well as the enthusiasm of the tour guides. I would recommend leaving the stroller in the car, however, being there are stairs to climb with no elevators available from my knowledge, and limited space in certain rooms. Entry and guided tours were both free at the time of our visit.

Upon finding The Casements, we decided this would be a wonderful history lesson, elaborating on a historical figure with whom we were familiar as Clevelanders.

Traveling just fifteen minutes down the shoreline, we embarked to the infamous Daytona Beach, where we found the Museum of Arts and Science, a great place to take the kids (included with the ASTC passport program http://www.astc.org/passport/ if you are a member elsewhere). We began our trip to the museum in the planetarium, partly because learning about space fascinates us and partly because we wanted to relax for a bit. The first gallery explored was expounding on the history of racing that we had just learned about at the previous stop, as well as antique machines used by the Coca-Cola Bottling Company founded right in this city, which my mom really enjoyed, being a huge Coke fan.

From there, we enjoyed the more interactive galleries with various science stations and a play pizzeria for the younger ones. Here we learned facts such as “Americans eat 350 slices of pizza per second,” and other fun statistics. At the bottom of an almost hidden staircase was a music corner where the boys could jam away on various styles of drums and other percussion instruments.

Before leaving the area, we had to swing by the Daytona International Speedway, just to tell my dad—a huge NASCAR fan—we saw it in person. Tours run throughout the day, but can get pretty pricey for a large family unless you, too, are a die-hard fan. Also, as a plug for the local I-HOP, they had wonderful service and good food, and the waitress didn’t seem to mind us hogging the table for an extended period of time while we goofed around between bites.

Finally, we traveled to the infamous Daytona Beach and Pier. I would not personally recommend Daytona Beach as a wonderful place for children, after seeing a half naked man in his wheelchair waiting near the pier for loose change. I have nothing wrong with a man collecting change in his wheelchair, but when my husband points out his lack of clothing below the waistline aside from a small towel, then I reconsidered coming back with the kiddos. We did not swim at this beach, but we did catch the sunset from the pier. This was definitely worth the trip to this city. Roller-coasters and bungee-rides were nearby if you’re into that, but we were pretty spent and decided to wrap up our vacation without the thrills.

Beautiful sunset views from the Daytona Pier made the perfect ending to our final evening in Florida.

As you already know by now, we like adventure and we are frugal. Spending money on another night at the hotel made no sense to us when we would have to leave mid-sleep anyways, so we headed over to the airport to doze in the parking lot until four in the morning when we would head in to catch our flight. On a side note, we flew in and out of Orlando Sanford International Airport, cheaper and less busy, but still good service. Our flight was delayed after we had already boarded, but it made for a mini party once we were back off when we found out friends of ours were on the same flight with their little one. Often these unplanned moments make for the best memories. Overall, it was an amazing trip we and our children will look back upon with joy for the rest of our lives.

travel with kids: pittsburgh

Looking to take a trip as a law enforcement family on a dime with little time and little kids? A membership to any of the local Association of Science Technology Centers will allow just that, guaranteed fun! (http://www.astc.org/passport/) I am blessed to receive a membership every year to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History as a birthday gift, which means free or discounted admission to multiple science centers and children’s museums in almost every state, so long as it is outside of a ninety-mile radius. Our children have become expert travelers for day trips and if it is more than three hours a way, we’ll stay a night or two.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has been one of our favorite places and the city that started our travel addiction. Duquesne Incline, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Science Center are all must do’s, although if we would have known exactly what the incline was we may not have done that one from first glance! I’m glad we purchased the tickets ahead of time. (h ttp://duquesneincline.org/)

It was an amazing experience riding a century-old cable car up the side of Mount Washington and then not only wandering the museum, offering an experience that will take you back in time when the incline was a primary mode of transportation, but getting to witness the view! Be advised, the ride up is pretty rickety, but we happened to catch one of the tour guides on the way down who ensured us our safety and explained the extensive tests the cars and cables undergo.The kids had no fear, wondering why Mom and Dad were rushing them off at the top (haha). The view from the observation deck alone was worth the udder horror on the ride up, as it overlooks the entire city.

The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is an all-time favorite for our kids. All the basics of a children’s museum are covered… the painting area, light bar play, mechanics. But what makes this place so amazing is the full-floor water play layered with a drainage floor for maximum fun. Fountains, pipes, boat racing, all kinds of activities for the kids to enjoy and lots of sitting areas for the caretakers to relax. We planned a trip back centering around this water area! Pool attire is recommended, which we will be bringing next time. Dryers and changing areas are available as well.

Once we discovered that the children’s museum and the Carnegie Science Center are ASTC-certified, we decided to go back to Pittsburgh for a day, but ended up spending so much time in the science center we didn’t make it back to the children’s museum! The cornerstone to the science center was the tour of the USS Requin Submarine complete with a full-size torpedo to greet you as you enter the sub. The history comes to life as you squeeze through the hallway peering into each room—the kitchen, the bedrooms, the closets, the engine rooms. The tour is then topped off with memorabilia from the actual soldiers who once lived upon the magnificent vessel.

We are looking forward to another trip to Pittsburgh soon, possibly doing our first full family camping trip at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park and checking out Laurel Caverns. Wherever the road takes us, we will keep making memories and appreciating the moments with our LEO.