Apollo: Party Animal

Apollo loves birthday parties. Like, loves them like School-Girl-Crush loves them. He counts down the days, and asks over and over how many days left, are we there yet, etc. You kinda get the feeling he doesn't really care who the party is even for. So even though another--yes, another--Nor'easter blew through (only this time it was sideways rain, not snow), we couldn't even think of not going to his buddy's birthday party at a Children's Museum.



They had a "Science" class before they played. They made play-doh, and some other stuff. Us parents don't really know since we had all just gone to our mid-year conferences with the teacher last week and we were all comparing where the teacher recommended our kids go next year. Our kids are all in multi-disabled kindergarten and so there are several options: do MDK again, go to a learning disability 1st grade class at another school, or be in pull-out classes. They recommended Apollo be in the LD 1st grade class, mainly because people still have a hard time understanding him and as a result, he is very hesitant to say anything at school, so a smaller class setting would probably be best. I don't want to start him over at another school, though, especially since we aren't even moving, so we'll have to see how the next months of school go.

One of the last things they did before cake was make bottle rockets. They combined alka-seltzer and vinegar in a film canister and then they all sat around it expectantly while it seemed to just sit there, before it suddenly shot up, punching the ceiling before it fell back down. I think Apollo must have stolen some of the alka-seltzer because as soon as we were released into the museum, he never slowed down. When he paused for a second, I tried to take pictures:

Pie, pie, must have pie!



He pretended the fish he was catching were really whales and they were pulling him overboard.

He and his latest girlfriend played for a good half hour in the ball pit that was so deep, they could bury each other and then scare other children by suddenly popping out. They thought this was hilarious (it sort of was).

Up in the "tree house"

Caught in a web

Hello.

This is only about 4" off the ground, and as far as he would go. Apollo is not fond of heights.

He also dressed up as spider-man and tigers and ran incessantly up and down theater steps for a half hour; played hockey complete with body-checks (sorry, anonymous little boy in the green sweater); dunked basketballs; drove cars; produced his own news show; picked fruit; and taped up hurt stuffed animals.

We used to go to these types of museums all the time, but we've only been to an-honest-to-goodness children's museum one other time since Apollo was born. The rest of the time he just has to find the fun at the regular Science Museums and Smithsonians that interest the older kids. I guess that's what sucks about being the youngest by 3 years. Well, I guess we'll have to point this out when the older kids all leave home and we're still taking Apollo on cruises.