I wanted to include the kids in these day trips as much as possible because that's just how we've lived our lives as parents so far. Elizabeth and I take Elliot and Eleanor everywhere with us without a major concern as to whether or not they're "kid friendly" (of course, they don't come with us to the biker bars anymore...Eleanor picked too many fights). They've come with us on long road trips and to nice restaurants and to parties and to shops where they are the only kids inside. My parents did the same thing with my brother and I, and they saw it as a way to expose us to different experiences and a way to teach us how to act in different social situations. We want to do the same for our kiddos.
For this first stop on the "Trip Around the World," the theme was Germany. When we visited Europe before Elliot was born, one of the most memorable things that Elizabeth and I did was visit art museums. So, on Saturday, to honor those museum trips, the first part of Germany day was a visit to Raleigh to check out the North Carolina Museum of Art.
The museum had a great modern art exhibit, which meant that we got to see some artwork that was truly skillful and thought provoking...
Probably the most impressive pieces of art that we saw in the modern wing were two portraits by Kehinde Wiley, a Brooklyn based artist that does incredibly beautiful and challenging work. I first learned about him while watching CBS Sunday Morning, and I was surprised and excited when I turned the corner at the museum to see that they had some of his work on display.
The museum also had wings devoted to European paintings and sculptures, some of which dated back to the 2nd century. To be standing next to something almost two thousand years old, and to have Elliot see those statues as well, was awe-inspiring (although, Elliot was more concerned with where the arms of all the statues were to really appreciate the antiquity of it all).
Eleanor, for the most part, did this:
We got to meet up with Bonnie, one of Elizabeth's sorority sisters from college and her little boy. Gabe, at the tail end of our visit to the museum. Elliot and Gabe ran around outside and climbed on statues (the ones that expressly encouraged this). There was still snow on the ground in the museum park, and the boys had fun throwing snowballs and generally just being goofy little kids. We didn't get to see everything in the museum this go around, so I am willing to bet that a return visit in the near future is in the cards, especially if we get to meet up with them again.
After the museum, Elizabeth and I took the kiddos to a German restaurant in Raleigh, J. Betski's.
It was a great experience, and Elliot and Eleanor were perfectly well behaved...
I bring that up because of something Elizabeth and I noticed upon arriving at the restaurant. While the wait staff ended up being nothing but pleasant and helpful, the hostess was clearly put out that we brought little children out to eat. And on the bottom of the menu, it was stated that "For the respect of other customers, please discipline unruly children outside." Granted, it wasn't exactly a "kid-friendly" restaurant, but it wasn't five-star-fancy either, so these things gave us an odd impression right off the bat (as I said, the waitstaff made up for it and so did the food and German beer, all of which was excellent).
But that initial attitude and sentiment that children weren't exactly welcome is exactly why I think it's important to expose kids to different experiences and environments. They won't know how to act in a restaurant like that unless they actually go and see what other people do. If they don't do this, if they don't soak up the environment and see what adults do and see what's expected of them, then of course they'll act out when they are eventually put in those situations.
There's a great big world out there, and Elizabeth and I think it's vitally important to share it with Elliot and Eleanor right from the start.
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