This time, my TCK Travel just took our family an hour down I-40. Even so, we were transported.

We spent Saturday morning at the Greensboro Children’s Museum and I’m going to start by telling you what happened at the end. As we headed back towards our car, strategically parked in the shade so that the kids’ carseat buckles wouldn’t scald them, Ella asked, “when are we going to the museum?”

We laughed and told her we had just been there but I couldn’t fault her for that innocent question. The GCM was more wonderland than museum. We began outside on the playground. Of course, all Jack wanted to do was push his stroller around and Ella ran from structure to structure, unable to choose which one to climb and slide down and swing across.

When it got a little too hot to bear, we headed inside and that’s where the magic really began. It was our world, only pretend and miniature. A grocery store where Ella could pick her own food and consult her own list and finally get all the ice cream.

A play airplane, with her dad as her trusty copilot. That was closer to real life than pretend.

Mail trucks and race cars and fire engines— Ella could finally sit in the driver seat. Jack, of course, just wanted to run around.

A doctor’s office, a construction site, all of these grown up places made to perfection for their small hands and growing minds. The kids were delighted and it was delightful to watch and experience with them.

It hit me that the entire place was designed for kids to pretend to be grown ups. How many times, especially since birthday party planning began, has she asked me when she’s going to be a grown up. Once on a car ride home, I asked her what she thought grown ups did. “They type and pick up clothes and put them away. And they drive cars.”

To her, that’s a wonderland. A place where you can make all your own decisions and you know what time it is and who’s coming over and yes, you can buy all the ice cream. Of course, we all know the truth about adulthood and I want her to hold onto the magic of childhood as long as she can. I’m grateful to the Greensboro Children’s Museum for finally letting Ella have the best of both worlds.

xo

eb