Thank goodness for freezer meals!  Huge saver tonight!

It is President’s day and of course  my daughter’s day care was closed so it was one of the days that I couldn’t schedule myself to work so that we could have one of those coveted Mommy-daughter ditch days!

They are legendary around here.  They don’t get to happen all of that often.  Our daughter is in day care 5 days a week.  I work three but it is never the same three days during the week.  This also allows us to keep me mostly sane and it helps her stay on a schedule.

Anyway, we had an EPIC day.

We even got to spend it with daddy!  We got to go out and eat breakfast, a big breakfast at that.  We piled into our car and braved the rain and flooding to head over to the Discovery Museum.

I had a feeling that it was going to busy.  No school and it was raining.  I was hoping that it would be raining too much for some people……but not at all.

There was a line out the door and around the corner.  Trying to find parking is always an adventure.  The two typical parking lots were packed full.  So we tried a third.  The hubby has parked here before, but I never have.  I turned the corner and the dreaded LOT FULL sign greeted us in the driveway as I was ready to turn in.

Bummer, Bummer as our daughter would say.  Because it is ok to vocalize disappointment.  Just need to teach her the appropriate words and feelings.

I look over and there are people walking into the lot and packing their cars up to head home. Wooohoooooo!  The attendant waves us in! So happy to not have to drive around looking for a parking spot.

Tension rises

Tempers flare

Words are muttered under breath out of frustration

Not a good mental state to be in.

So thank goodness for, honestly, being in the right place at the right time.

We got a parking spot closer than our typical lots….which is great news when it is down pouring.

And as I look out of the windows in the family room….guess what I see

RAIN!!!!!!!!   Ohhhh and some Hail!

Ok back to the topic at hand.

Long.  And I mean long.

Thank goodness for being members of the fantastic children’s museum.  We got to skip the line and head on in.  It would have probably been at least an hour before we had gotten in.

Wow!  This place is a mad house!

First stop…..Bathrooms…..but of course there is a line there too!  Yikes…..I hope that munchkin can hold it long enough to wait out this line.

Ok….made it.  Off to play.  Ohhhhh Disney On Ice is here…..lets see if I can win free tickets!  ohhh and a dance party later…munchkin does love her dance party.

Then off to the ambulance and the kitchen, the pizzeria and the toddler room with tunnels and sand and the art projects.  A new fantastic building room where the kids can use these huge blocks.

WE built an awesome ramp that became the place to play.  Using smaller wheels to roll down the ramp.  Then it was time to see which one went down the ramp the best/easiest/fastest.  We used a wheel, a hexagon, and a cross.  I am sure that you all know which one won.  Then we had a contest as to who could get the most wheels into the baskets we set up at the bottom.

Another bathroom run

off to the bubble room and time for a break down because she is getting pushed around and getting the soap/bubbles in her face and eyes.  We stand on the side and just keep an eye on here.  She needs to learn.  How to interact with others, how to make sure that her needs are met, that she doesn’t get taken advantage of….but most importantly….how to work with others.

Dance Party break…..

Water area….this will have to be the last stop at the Museum….and Munchkin knows it.  We stay on the side again and observe her.  Making sure that she knows where we are and she knows that she can come to us and she gets to play until she comes and tells us that she is done.

Totally what happened!  “I’m done” and we are off.  Over to the bathrooms and time to change out of our super soaking wet clothes and into the dry ones.  And as we are starting to melt down and we are trying to get to the car…..it is of course down pouring.

I take the backpack and the umbrella and daddy and munchkin decide to put the hoods down and run back to the car. I swear there is nothing that pulls at my heart more than a daddy and his little girl.  Especially when they are having fun and enjoying each others company.

Time to head home and let all of the wet clothes/jackets/umbrellas/and shoes dry out.

I have to admit….when we got home I was so tired.  Made some of our Quinn white cheddar popcorn (affiliate link) and munchkin and I watched Brave together and had our popcorn.

But the freezer saved us tonight.  Turkey Chili that I had made last month and then vacuum sealed and froze was dinner.  And it was as good as when I made it.  I didn’t take anything out of the freezer to actually make dinner before we left so an already made meal……that means that we are not eating Mac ‘n cheese for dinner……although munchkin would love it.

I really can’t say enough about freezer meals.  And as we prepare for #2, those freezer meals will mean more and more for this family.