Strong National Museum of Play

We spent our last full day in Rochester at the Strong National Museum of Play, the best children's museum we've visited yet.  (We spent another day there as well, though we didn't take any photos.)  The museum wasn't too crowded, and we had a fabulous time.

Besides having an outstanding children's museum, Rochester is home to the most amazing grocery store on the planet, Wegmans.  (If only Wegmans would come to MA, my life would be so vastly improved!)  Wegmans has some pretty smart people running it, and they were brilliant enough to put a mini-Wegmans in the museum.  It's always Maia's first stop, and we usually return many times.  She loves to peruse the aisles of the store, selecting the best food for her kids.  The best part, though, is of course the checkout.  Here she and Nonni work the register:

To amuse the wee ones there is a crawling (or toddling) maze, complete with mirrors and a big "hill" to climb.  Cec loved it, she must have crawled up and down the "hill" a dozen times:


After all that climbing, it was time for a little rest with Daddy.  What better way to rest than with a puzzle:
Maia decided to take a position selling tickets for the trolley:
And of course Cecily decided she needed to buy one:

Next it was off to Storyland.  Maia was thrilled to try on a princess cloak and sit upon her throne:
Cecily found the "sandbox" in the pirate area of Storyland; it was a big hit:

Maia dragged her to a theater and dress up area, and tried to get Cec to be a princess with her:
Following our very brief foray into a life of the performing arts, we headed to visit the Berenstain Bears.  I have mixed feelings about these guys...  I'm pretty sure Uncle Gabe and Uncle Adam owned every single BB book ever written when we were kids.  And Nonni, being the wonderful Mom we love, always agreed to read these over and over and over again. Eventually, as all Moms will understand, she grew tired of them... and thus was born the Bad Berenstain Bears.  Oh the creativity of Nonni and two little boys... their new versions often made me blush (which, admittedly, was not too difficult a feat) and sent me running to my own room and the refuge of the Babysitter's Club series.  I cringed a little when I saw the BB exhibit, but the girls loved it and it proved safe. 

Maia greets Momma, Brother, and Sister Bears:
Cec found a cool frog guarding their fishing shack:
Maia visited the BB dentist and did an excellent job cleaning someone's teeth:
After all the excitement, it was time to head home for naps and a last afternoon playing with Nonni and Papa.  We promised Maia she could ride the Carousel on the way out.  She was unimpressed with having to wait her turn in the line:
Daddy got to take both girls on: