Day at the Museum

I sometimes hate that my sister moved to Logan. Also, it should be pointed out that she's not my real sister. I feel the need to explain that because, given the twelve year age difference, I didn't want anyone thinking my parents were, like, eleven when they started having kids. Anyway, she's like a sister where neither one of us knew the other one existed until we were 38 and 26. Kind of like that scene at the end of The Joy Luck Club where June Woo finally meets her twin sisters and it's like they've always known each other even though they've been separated by years and, in their case, a giant ocean.

Anyway.

We discovered the really awesome fact that even though we live two hours away from each other, we can meet in the middle and then no one is spending a total of four hours in the car with a three-and-a-half-year-old repeating, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" and a not quite one-year-old continually pushing the button on a Winnie-the-Pooh toy that incessantly makes animal sounds. And by no one I mean me. Her kids are all old enough to know better than to make ribbit noises for hours on end.

So last month we met at a plane museum and today we went to a train museum. First we had lunch and then we headed over. The Rock Star had a blast playing with old train parts and hanging out with her two youngest kids--whom he loves dearly. We pushed Little Buddy around and talked. At one point, we walked through a door and Garrett ran up to a man on a cell phone. He touched his leg and the man turned to look at the small creature who was acting as though he knew him. When he turned and faced Garrett, the smaller of the two got a look of horror on his face and jumped back several feet. The man smiled and continued his conversation. Garrett, who did you think that was? I questioned. He usually understands boundaries and doesn't practically hug the legs of strangers.

"A statue." He replied, awkward, perhaps somewhat embarrassed.

The man chuckled. I burst into laughter. There were several mannequins and statues of conductors and the like hanging around the museum so it wasn't a giant leap. It happened hours ago and I still find myself giggling when I think of it.