A Saturday In Memphis

We used to live in Memphis. Like any place, it has its ups and downs. Going back to the traffic is always a shock to the system, but seeing familiar sights is kind of fun. Our lives were very different then. Cate was a tiny baby, and Ava was not yet even imagined. We took the girls today. We had been planning a zoo trip since the long cold days of tax season. Our original plan to go a couple of weeks ago was thwarted by rain and the stomach virus. Once again, bad weather threatened, but with a full schedule upcoming and everybody feeling good, we just felt like chancing it.

Another reason to go to Memphis is to see our friends the Linos. Our families just seem to click. Several years ago now, I worked as an intern with a large accounting firm in Memphis. Christy worked there and had a couple of years experience, so she (and many others) were very instrumental in my internship experience. I learned alot. I took a job with the same company upon graduation, and we moved to Memphis. By that time, Christy had taken another job, but we remained in touch. Cate came along on January 27, 2006, and Christy and Andy's sweet daughter Claire arrived exactly two months later. We would get together for meals and to let Cate and Claire play as they grew, and leaving such good friends made moving away difficult.

We don't get to see them enough, and so we were eager to visit. We planned to meet at the zoo, but the radar was just too foreboding. Christy had previously mentioned the Children's Museum of Memphis, and so we called an audible and met over there. Cate was visibly disappointed as we explained that we wouldn't be going to the zoo, but she quickly forgot the zoo as soon as we got inside.

The Museum is very interactive. It has a firetruck (complete with fire gear) that you can climb in, as well as a police car and police motorcycle. There is also the cockpit of a FedEx plane. Kids can climb in and "fly the plane" for a while, and then slide down a two level tunnel slide to the ground floor. There is a replica grocery store complete with kid size buggies and scanners and even receipts. There was a Mississippi River replica with magnetic fish and fishing poles. There was also a play area for the little ones with small slides and plenty to climb on and ride.

Cate's favorite exhibit was what the museum calls Skyscraper. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but it is an area of big climbing tunnels enclosed with wire mesh. Kids can start at the ground floor and get up to thirty feet high, negotiating their way through the various levels. Cate had a blast. She did not want to leave, and we had to do Skyscraper twice. She was probably the smallest kid in there, but was very good at climbing and very adventurous.

Ava was too little for Skyscraper, but the museum had something for her too: a wide open space to toddle in. Ava likes to go. She spent most of her time taking off. When she would go an adequate distance, she would turn around to make sure one of us was following her. A couple of times, she wandered up to strangers who thought she was lost and tried to help her before one of us rushed in and scooped her up. She also spent an inordinate amount of time opening and closing the kid-sized grocery store door exit, annoying the other "shoppers."

After the museum, we got some fast food and headed to the Linos. We ate and the girls played. Even after not seeing each other for a long time, Cate and Claire really hit it off and play very well together. They spent some time on the swing set and then played dress up. Ava tagged along and played mostly with Claire's dolls. She also really hit it off with Andy and climbed in his lap several times, which is unusual for her.

After a couple of pit stops, we headed home. Great day. Great friends.