After getting up, sorting stuff out, we finally managed to get out of the house about 10.30am, our original plan was on the road by 9am.....yeah, right.
I nearly killed us by cutting up a bus. The bus driver said I was mental. This was done in the form of a mime, he placed his finger to his head and twisted it back and two. I told him to piss off. This was also done in the form of mime. I raised my hand and stuck up two fingers.
I got the car parked in a space very near to the museum so we didn't have to walk too far. Dan got out of the car and said he was just going to calm down. His heart, apparently, was racing. I thought he was being a bit of a drama queen. I had everything under control.
As we strolled over to the museum I thought hmmm, there's a lot of people here. Thought it would be an idea to get a locker. We didn't have a pound so we sweated in our coats for a bit. Right then, I said lets go and get tickets for the Planetarium, they're free. Off we sauntered over to reception.
"Hello, can I have four tickets please?"
"No. Sorry. They've all sold out."
"What? There are four shows. Every one?"
"Yes. It's half term, people have been outside before we even opened at 10am."
Oh God. HALF TERM. I turned and looked at all the kids, the hundreds of kids and their families. What had we done.
"Oh what a shame, it's his birthday today and he has a visual impairment, I know he would love the show."
"I'm sorry we can't give any more out."
We left despondent. Dan turned to me and said,
"Well, you tried all the big guns there didn't you? Birthday and disability."
"Yep, and where does it get you? Nowhere. Come on lets go to the lifts."
The lifts. Oh the lifts. Five floors of this museum and two lifts. The lifts that stop on every single floor. The lift that can only fit in two, perhaps, three buggies. Do you know how long we spent going up and down in the bloody lifts? At least a good hour.
One of Zack's highlights of the whole day was using the (I have to say) very good disabled toilet on the first floor. That had a bed that you could lower and raise. Zack thought that was brilliant.
"Look I said, he loves this." I enjoyed at least a good five minutes worth of moving it up and down.
"Oh yeah", Dan said, "another lift to enjoy, do you know what? This shouldn't be known as the World Museum it should be called World Museum of Lifts."
Yes it was busy, but we managed to look at the small aquarium, tiny in fact. Zack liked that.
We did the dinosaur exhibition. Zack loved that. We on the other hand thought the adult price ticket was excessive. Scarlett couldn't give two hoots about any of it.
We managed to have a family meal in the cafe and get a table. We even got a locker, eventually.
We saw the museum on the local news the next night they were talking to parents there about access to free facilities during the half term and the growing financial problems in the UK. I said to Dan that I am glad they didn't meet us we must have been walking round with a fixed grimace on our faces. Plus, if they had asked a question they would have got twenty minutes on the use of lifts!
Zack finished his day off with a visit to nanny and grandads, where he proceeded to throw up twice. Second time over their sofa. This may have been a prelude to the vomit bug that entered our house for the next few days.
He got some lovely cards and presents, thank you everyone. But by far his best present was his Kota the Dinosaur, take a look at this, we've been after one for ages. That was his special present off Daddy.
Kota
He also got some of the hard stuff, cash. A Buzz Lightyear off his mummy. A garage with big cars and other little bits and bobs.
Here's some birthday pictures. Happy 3rd Birthday Zack. A memorable one to say the least. xxx
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| By this point he was knackered |
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| What's that I hear, a dinosaur perhaps? |
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| Zack and his dinosaur |
