Growing up too fast

I took the day off Friday so I could get a 4-day weekend instead of 3. Melissa, Jayne and Abby picked us up and after we put Gabriel's car seat in the Durango, there were a total of 3 kids packed in and ready to go on an adventure to Berkeley. I really felt like the Brady Bunch in the SUV with all of those kids seats.

Gabriel enjoyed checking out Abby who is 4 months.

The Habitot is tucked away a block off of Shattuck Ave. It seemed like somewhat of a maze to figure out the entrance with the strollers. We took the handicap route through an ally, and elevator and down and around the hallway to the Habitot entrance.

Where to? Steering the Rocketship

I was pleasantly surprised. The museum was pretty nice considering it is camouflaged in a business building. Gabriel spent most of his time at the helm of the rocketship. He Loves stearing wheels and sat in the chair and kept turning the wheel. Jayne took up her position at the control panel punching away at buttons and talking on the phone. I asked Jayne where we were headed and she said "San Jose".

Jayne commanding the ship on the way to San Jose

The water works area was a little bunk. Unlike other museums where you have a constant flow of water, this one you had to handy carry the water to the top of the plastic river. I asked one of the attendants if there was some button or hose I needed to turn and and she said, no the kids can carry the water them selves, it makes it more interactive for them. Whatever! We are definately in Berkeley. I mean really would it be too much waste to have a hose hooked up at the top? The best Water Works was the the San Jose Discovery Museum. That kept gabriel's attention, so long we had to pull him away and move to teh next exhibit.

At Habitot, Gabriel couldn't decide what he wanted to do. He would go to the water area, wander over to the crawling corral with some water toy in his hand.. go in long enough for me to remove my shoes and then he would decide to head back to the grocery store or the rocket ship.

Painting at the Habitot

He also dabbled in some art for the first time. He mostly enjoyed moving his brush in and out of the cup and mashing it around. Jayne started using the glue paint on the wall and got gently reprimanded. That must happen all of the time. I'm not sure why they have a glue paint and a separate whiteboard paint. the glue paint was a little weird. the kids could use it to paint and glue cardboard peices together.

Overall I thought the museum was pretty good. I will go again. I may have been the only mother who shaved my legs before I went. There were a lot of "Berkeley moms". And Don't bring your kids favorite lunch - Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. Peanuts are outlawed at the Habitot or as they put it, they are "a peanut free zone". Lame! I'm surprised they don't check you lunch items for No-GMO and organic seals of approval.