09 June 2009

Twelve Dumpling Dinners

On a somewhat routine basis, Matthew drops in at our neighborhood international market on the way home from work to pick up a few bags of the world's best frozen pot-stickers (or as my kids call them, dumplings). One bag feeds the whole family and costs about $4. Star LOVES dumpling dinners, but that's not all she loves.

Not too long ago, Star drew me this picture:

Here, she said. This place. I want to go to this place.

The bus on the roof was a dead giveaway. Star had captured the essential features of the City Museum.

We've been twice, but those visits were more than a year ago. Star's memory bowls me over, though the City Museum is not the kind of thing that she would easily forget. It's an engaging place to be no matter how old you are. Kids enjoy the tactile aspect, climbing, sliding, swooping, exploring their way through the interior and exterior. Adults can do all that too, but they'll likely also notice that whimsy and artistry pervade the entire structure. It's just cool. And they had a circus. No wonder Star wanted to go back.

Of course, she wanted to go now right now! Can we please? But it was late in the day. Maybe around 4 pm. So, really, with entry tickets at $12 a piece, no. No, we won't go to the City Museum that late in the day. Star, I said, for all of us to go, we would have to spend as much as 12 dumpling dinners, and we wouldn't get to play very long because it is so late.

Once I converted the currency from Dollars to Dumplings, I was talking Star's language. For most kids, money doesn't make any sense at all so I think I'm on to something with this.

6 comments:

Matthew said...

The city museum can be really fun. If the kids use the tunnels at all, it will be a tag-team even, since the exit is on a different floor than the entrance.

kat said...

Smart thinking. I'm a little confused by the picture though. It looks really cool, but is some of that metalwork just scaffolding amongst the sculpture?

When I went to Boone recently I was walking across campus with no glasses on (don't ask) and went past the art building. They switch out the sculptures every semester or so and now they have a humongous welded piece right out front of a half human/half octopus person. It's very intricate and very cool. I think you would like it. I think I would like it better with my glasses on.

Mary Ann said...

There are lots more pictures of the city museum at their site. I liked to it in my post.

Wish I could have seen the octo-man.

Karin said...

I told the guy who sold us the car that electrical doors would cost me the equivalent of 1 bag of diapers every month, he couldn't relate until we where talking pints of beer...works with evryone, you just have to find the right currency...

kat said...

Wow those pictures are amazing. One more reason to try and come visit. The sculpture I'm talking about can be found here if you're interested:

http://www.rosensculpture.org/exhibit.php4?entriesid=213&searchmode=nam&searchall=&competitionsid=24

A lot of the sculptures at App are pretty cool right now.

Mary Ann said...

I love it! Usually my imagination renders reality a disappointment, but I like how the artist executed the form. It's much better than how I imagined it.