Saturday 'Nay' Life

If our day at the Natural History Museum & the Science Museum was ever made into a reality program, I surmise this could be its possible tagline:

1 family. 2 museums. 3 different life experiences...

Indeed, last Saturday was a classic example of how contrasting our reactions were towards a simple family outing. Dee initially suggested revisiting the Tower of London to catch up on the exhibits we'd missed in our last visit. I, on the other hand, suggested going to the Natural History Museum to check out the dinosaur exhibition. Countless parents had told me the Museum was a great venue for kids so I was eager to bring Danielle there.

As you'd expect, our '2YO's enjoyment' was the order of the day.

We headed to South Kensington, home to an eclectic range of museums. From the Serpentine Gallery to V&A, Natural History to the Science Museum - that district is veritably a melting pot of art, history and learning that's waiting to be unfolded.

But the 'unfolding' of anything, was the last thing we adults could do.

Dee walked around sullen & disgruntled -a tad unhappy he was't able to read the captions or view the exhibits thoroughly.

In stark contrast, Danielle was enamoured - a new & unexplored territory, wide open spaces, loads of interactive stations that she could touch (without being tut-tutted at), see & play with- it was all very exciting for her. She asked to twist & turn every handle/knob, feel rocks and surfaces, press buttons etc.

As for yours truly, how did I enjoy it? Well... let's just say I 'admired' the exhibits, but not without trying to stifle multiple yawns. Science was obviously not my pet subject! I went through display after display showing 'The Earth's Core', 'Volcanos', and 'Rocks & Minerals'. Was well and truly bored. Zzzzz....

But hang on, where were the dinosaurs we were after? Were they extinct even from this museum?

We finally located 'Dino Jaws' at the Ground Level. But alas, it was a paid exhibition. To gawk at dino carcasses, we'd have to pay 8 pounds per adult. I turned to papa for his opinion. Was it going to be yea or nay?

Not surprisingly, we marched out of the Museum.

But... not before taking pictures with 1 of 2 dinosaur displays that were gratuitously hanging above the museum entrance. I had, afterall, promised Danielle we were going to see the dinosaurs. And I intended to keep to my word. Since she didn't know exactly how many, I reckoned it was mission accomplished... somewhat?

Rather aimlessly, we trundled to the Science Museum next door. Almost immediately, I thought our family day was saved! There was an IMAX theatre screening exciting 3D movies: In the Wild (on Lions), Sharks, & the Deep Sea!

I managed to convince Dee to buy us tickets to one of the shows as I thought it would a fabulous experience for Danielle. She had watched Disney's 'Finding Nemo' and enjoyed it, so a movie about the Deep Sea would certainly be a thrill for her!

And we were not disappointed, the show was amazing. All 40 minutes of it!

Brilliantly narrated by Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, we learned about the habitat & hunting habits of the Triton sea snails, wolf eels, sharks, barramundis, sea anemone, and all kinds of other amazing sea creatures!

Danielle obviously didn't understand the mechanics behind 3D, this being her maiden experiece. So throughout the movie, she kept reaching out to 'catch' a passing fish, or cowered in her seat to 'duck' from an advancing Mola Mola. She also muttered, I'm swimming, I'm swimming! and urged me to join in her 'watery escapade'. It was particularly gratifying for me when I heard her identify some of the sea creatures: A hermit crab! A turtle! Shark! Octopus! Seaweed! Sea shell!

But the thing that completely floored me was her ingenuity at improvising. See the 3D googles we have on? They were waaaay too big for her even through the straps went round one's head. They kept slipping off her puny and rather flat button-nose (my bad gene) so both Dee and I had to take turns holding them up for her. But in the end, she fixed the problem herself. She turned the glasses upside down such that the 'straight side' rested snugly on her nose. It didn't slip off her nose thereafter! Kids - they never fail to amaze us daily with their growing cognitive abilities...

All in all, I'd say the day ended on a high note for Danielle, satisfactory for me, but rather dismal for Dee. He kept ranting about what a wasted day it was. But I said something to him, which I hope helped put things in perspective:

Once we have kids, we have realise that it's not going to be so much of US, but more of THEM.

We should learn to embrace the fact that our lives will be tampered with, inconvenienced and dare I say, turned helter- skelter?

Gone are the days you can do things outdoors (and indoors for that matter) at a leisurely pace. It would be wiser to relinquish all thoughts of being able to browse unhurriedly in a bookstore, or eat and actually taste and enjoy your food. For in truth, it will be a few years before you can truly enjoy all that again.

But all things said, the important thing to keep in mind is that we only have a few years to keep our children by our sides. We have only a small window of opportunity to inculcate good values, lay foundation for ethical behaviour, instill virtue & a deep sense of conscience, teach sensitivity to others, and expose them to all sorts of sights, sounds and textures.

I'd like to think that even though Danielle will not remember her years from naught to 3 or 4, the scenes we bring her to will be chiselled in her mind, and will hopefully broaden her vista. And at some point later in her life, she'll appreciate the things we've exposed her to.

But for now, nothing's a waste of time with our little girl. Even though she doesn't know it, her mummy (and papa, when he bullishly realizes it) is relishing every moment spent with her.

Because every moment with her adds a treasured memory to my life. And such times, are never a waste.