Adventures in St. Louis: August 2011

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Hux's First Ballgame!

The Radiology Department hosted a box for Monday's Cardinal's Game, so Hux's first ballgame was in style...

By the end of the night, Hux had gotten an official St. Louis Cardinal's hat and bat!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

MOBOT Children's Gardens August 3rd

This took two weeks to put up; the pictures didn't want to connect when I first tried, then I was in Orlando presenting and Mom had Hux, then we were in Columbus and back to St. Louis for a whirlwind week last week. So we're back at it-another post to come shortly about today's playground adventure and Hux's batting skills. But, a great time was had at MOBOT first...

At first, MOBOT seemed a strange term, but when I realized it stood for Missouri Botanical Gardens, it definitely seemed to fit. Hux and I went (thanks again for the membership Mom!) on Wednesday-when you can get in free to the Children's Gardens with your membership-hurrah! We had a BLAST!

Everywhere we go-there is a water playground. Hux checks it out first...

'Then, if you jumped hard enough, water squirted out the sides. If only I could have taken a picture of Hux and me getting sprayed as we pushed together.

The general store was a great version of a kid's museum's grocery store area, but more rustic. Hux used a wooden basket to get his groceries (all fruits and vegetables).

There was also a puppet show area-Hux does a great flower impression...

This is the outside of the general store-most beautiful hanging planters I've seen lately (and there are a ton in St. Louis).

Hux was quite adventurous and climbed to the top of this structure with his rock-climbing skills.

Then he played a mean xylophone-really awesome sound, I have to say (note the pink and green scarves were for swaying to the music, should you be inspired. Alas, no little girls to dance around Hux...

The cool treehouse we climbed a steep staircase to stand in. Yes, it was a bit high off the ground, but sturdy.

If you stare intently at the wheel of this lovely steamship, you'll notice a small figure (Hux) steering.

Then, up the gangplank to another place in the garden...

An awesome fake tree slide! We went down this many times (okay only Hux, I "caught" him at the bottom).

Look Mimi, it's your village (guess since you paid for our MOBOT membership, they wanted to name something after you...).

At the end, Hux paraded around the canoe and checked out the covered wagon. Oregon Trail ho!

We walked elsewhere in MOBOT and came across the water/raccoon sculpture-cool!

We also rode the sheep.

Including Mommy and Hucky together (as Hux just said as he saw the picture). If you look closely, you can see one of many pirate tattoos on his arm. And no, he's not strangling me :).

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Contemporary Art Museum, Second Time Around!

Hux and I took Vivienne, Samuel, Naomi, and new friends Lana and Dennis (met through Vivienne) to the Contemporary Art Museum. Obviously because I had raved about it to everyone, it was HUGE with over 50 kids there!

Great Companion Bakery baked goods, fun craft and the best storytime we have EVER been to!

Look, Hux is channeling his muse!

Look, he is layering ModPodge on to layers of tissue paper...

Hux playing with colored lights upstairs before storytime...

The awesome installation.

Monday, Aug 1 -Webster Groves Again!

So Hux and I went to cool off again at the Webster Groves Toddler Time- wanted to show the awesome slide that Hux went down many times, as well as his "singing in the rain" dancing while under the whale spray (he definitely had fun when we went to the MUNY production of "Singin' in the Rain" last week-loves to sing the song and attempt to tap dance now).

See slide on the right.

Look-a whale-Hux actually said "whale tail" -luckily he was being literal :).

Hux kept his butt cool by sitting on the water spray!

Hux Runs the Bases with Uncle Ben

The biggest event of the week was Uncle Ben (Chad's bro's) traveling baseball team made it to the Northern Regional Competition held in, you guessed it, St. Louis-or the outskirts thereof.

While I snuck off to meet Maggie Stiefvater-author of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series-at an author event and interview her for my vocabgal blog (check it out by the end of the week) -Chad and Hux went to the Thursday night game.

Friday, we all went to the game and then Saturday, I worked on my presentation for Orange County Schools in Orlando (100+ teachers-no pressure!), Chad and Hux went off again. Of course, the lightening postponed the game so they had to go another field, but the end result-Ben's team won so they are off to the National/International Competition in California!

Check out Hux's running of bases-clearly he's ready to be an allstar already (he even got a ball from Fred, the field manager, for being so cute and "Ernest" in his love of baseball!).

St. Louis City Center Splash Park/Sculpture Garden

We had an awesome playdate last Tuesday with WUMCHA. This is downtown St. Louis (see shot of the arch) and Hux had a great time splashing with friends!