My First Field Trip: aka Calgon take me Away!

John went to Curriculum Night and signed ME up for a bunch of stuff this year....

So Thursday morning, I got to go with Mary on an "Urban field trip" where we visited a bunch of parks/sites in the city of Rochester. But first--what to do with the other two kids?

Yeah, John wasn't thinking about day care issues for the other two when he signed me up for this stuff. So after many phone calls and panicking on my part and schedule rearranging and meeting-missing on his, we finally arranged it so that Izzy went to Leona's for the day and John stayed home and put Keith on the bus at 12:30.

I got up later than I intended (ugh) and got Izzy across town later than intended. John and Mary had violin lessons, so I had to drag Keith on the round trip, too. We got back late, and I had to drop off Keith with John, pick up our lunches, and then rush to Mary's school and attempt to find her classroom (labyrinth, people!). I was almost 15 minutes late--but still had 10 minutes until the bus left, at least. Mary was all in a panic because she didn't have her lunch in her backpack ('cause *I* have it, sweetie, you're OK!).

We first drove to Cobbs Hill Park to walk around and see the highest point in Rochester and the reservoir. Back into the bus for a trip to Highland Park (where we have our annual Lilac Festival) to see the conservatory (beautiful!). Back on the bus for a drive around and through the campus of University of Rochester (the reason John and I moved to this @#$% city in the first place). Then we drove to High Falls (Yes, Rochester has a waterfall DOWNTOWN where they used to mill grain--it's so cool! We have taken some of our visitors for a walk through there....). There we had a guided tour through the museum (I didn't even know it was there!). We ate at the museum then walked around and gawked at the Falls. Now it's back on the bus AGAIN (and this is where my head started HURTING) for a quick trip to the Charlotte Light House--which is on Lake Ontario. And if it weren't for this trip, I would never have known about it. The kids got to run around here and play tag (the lighthouse itself was closed) and expend some stuck-on-the-bus-for-too-many-trips energy. Then we went home--my head splitting the whole way through the bus fumes and bumps and noise--and Mary and I just cuddled together throughout....

Fun trip--despite the headache. I learned a lot about Rochester and its origins. Mary's favorite part was the museum, of course. Lots of hands-on stuff to do there.

After the trip, I had to go back across town to pick up Izzy, and after chatting a bit with my gf, I had to rush home to get Keith and Mary off the bus.

Busy, busy day.

Now I just have to figure out what I'm going to do with Izzy while I have to go to Keith's Halloween party next Wednesday. I'm hoping his teacher will let me bring her--just so that I don't have to make an extra trip to Leona's that day (as we're going there that evening to trick-or-treat with them, anyway....