We had friends staying with us over the weekend, bringing with them their 3 year old son Paul and their 10 month old daughter Kate. I was thrilled they were coming up. We don’t see them enough, seriously.

Since we had them all to ourselves in Columbus, and since all three kids were in a cranky mood Saturday morning, I suggested we pack up and go to COSI.

Our friends had not been there in a long, long time, so they were totally willing to go along with this plan, if for no other reason than letting the kids run out their energy.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, COSI has an awesome play area. I think it’s probably one of the best in the city, if not the state. Sure, it costs money to get in (we have a membership), but it’s worth the price of admission just to come visit this little piece of Childhood Paradise.

It’s cool for several reasons:

1. There’s only one exit, and it’s guarded by a staff member and has a locked gate. Children cannot escape. Sure, it sounds like a prison, but if I was a kid and had to go to a prison like that, I’d be committing whatever crime needed to get me locked away in there.

2. The gate guard is responsible for making sure you leave with the same number of kids you came in with. Upon entering, you are given a slip of paper with the number of adults and kids on it. You must show this paper to leave the area, and the numbers must match. So no snatching kids, unless you leave an equal number of kids behind. (I’m sure some might consider that a fair trade.)

3. “But, if I can’t leave, how can I get a drink, or a snack, or visit the restroom?” No fear, my dear readers, they thought of that as well. Inside the play area, there are vending machines with drinks and snacks, including yogurt, sandwiches, and fruit. They also have tables to eat at. And they have three restrooms – men, women, and family. Best of all? There’s a nursing room that is not a part of the restrooms!

4. Only children 5 and under are allowed in. This minimizes the little ones getting trampled by the big kids. If you have an older child, they are welcome to wait in a gated area just inside the main gate (the Big Kids room), which is stocked with board games, puzzles and video games.

5. It has some of the most creative play spaces. Inside, there is a treehouse climbing area with slide, tunnels and rope bridge. There is a building area with lots of large plastic building blocks and frames of homes showing the wiring and the plumbing.

For the future med students, there’s a clinic where they can look at x-rays, put on doctor’s coats, and examine and care for the dolls in the area. There are also bandages to fix up boo-boos.

For those who like to drive or fly, there is a helicopter with a kid-powered propeller, and an ambulance with flashing lights. A small, yet well stocked, kitchenette is available for the FHA wanna-bees, complete with pots, pans, serving dishes, fake food, and a dinette table.

But wait, there’s more! There’s also a mini-studio where kids can record themselves on video. There’s a room to play with electronics and sound. A window into a locked room provides a glimpse of certain animals – rats, spiders, snakes, etc. (They’re also brought out for demonstrations occasionally.) And there’s my daughter’s favorite part – the water tables.

Beyond that, there are also smaller areas with other playthings: bead puzzles, beanbag chairs, air jets that hold up foam balls. There are also soft mats to place younger babies on for safety.

Essentially, it’s half of the second floor of the building, and it’s a huge, safe funhouse. On a busy Saturday, it’s filled with tiny humans racing around the room from area to area. I’ve also been there during the week, when it’s not as busy, but there are still plenty of children to interact with.

Our day was glorious. The kids ran themselves silly (well, Kate mostly crawled), and then they collapsed into the strollers so we could look at some of the other exhibits before closing time.

Two of the three fell asleep on the way home – can you guess which child didn’t sleep? Yeah, ours. Of course.

But the exercise mellowed all three out, and Cordy and Kate later sat quietly on the floor and shared a bowl of Cheerios while watching Wiggles.

(OK, fine. It was actually Kate’s bowl of Cheerios, and, as usual, Cordy saw food and immediately claimed it for her own. Luckily, Kate recognized how large Cordy is and didn’t put up a fight.)

Queen of Spain is having another induction into the Order of Saint Anne, and this month’s theme is love. She’s looking for photo posts that show what love is to each person.

My entry for the month has to be this one:

This was early on, when Cordy was still in her colicky, screaming-or-sleeping stage. While most babies this age slept for semi-long stretches, we were lucky to get a half hour to an hour out of her at a time.

Aaron had taken a turn with her, dealing with her crying so I could get some rest. He finally got her calmed down, and I walked into the living room to see this scene. At that moment my heart felt like it was going to burst: the two people in this world that I loved the most, snuggled together in peace. It took all of my self-control to quietly snap a picture and not disturb them by my desire to hug them tight.

Everything about this picture makes me smile; the look of exhaustion on Aaron’s face (we were both so tired back then), Cordelia’s delicate features, and Aaron’s arm gently covering her, as if he’s protecting her from the rest of the world.

Sigh.

In Columbus, we often have to deal with weather that is too unpleasant to be out in. Summer is hot and muggy, so little kids can’t be out for too long. Winter is cold, cold, cold, and again kids can’t be out for long. Usually we get about a dozen good days each year where the temperature is moderate, and it’s actually not raining.

Because of this, many of us here depend on indoor play areas. There aren’t a lot of them, but one of the rites of passage for a Columbus mom is finding where in the world she can take her kid to play and get out of the house.

There are the costly ones, of course. Gymboree, Little Gym, and local knock-offs. Even our local children’s science museum (COSI) has an awesome play area for the under-5 crowd. COSI’s play area is worth the annual membership alone.

But for those unwilling or unable to afford these options, Columbus has one other alternative: the mall play areas. They are usually large, have lots of brightly colored objects to climb over, under and through, and best of all, they’re free.

Three of our local malls have large play areas for kids, and all three are generally packed around lunchtime on a weekday. The edges are lined with strollers and moms chatting on their phones or reading books. The inside is pure chaos, with little legs racing around the area, jumping from structure to structure, and happy screams echoing through the mall.

The closest to us is Tuttle Mall, and yesterday was a day to get out and let Cordy run out some of her energy. We were both sick of being in the house, and she was clearly in need of a large area to run around in.

The Tuttle play area has a space theme. Lots of planets to climb on, a shuttle to crawl through and slide off of, and a floor covered in stars.

The only problem I have with this place is the lack of thought that went into the entrances/exits.

Soft, foamy floor to break falls? Check.

Climbing toys that are rounded and soft, with no sharp edges? Check.

Three wide, easy to access exits spread across the space? Hey, wait a minute!

Yes, the play area has three wide openings to allow people to enter and exit. One entrance is a ramp, the other two are made up of 2 stairs. In other words, nothing that would even stop a crawler from making an escape.

There are no gates at any of these entrances. And two of them are slightly hidden behind curves in the play area. While there is ample seating along the edge of the play area, I find I cannot enjoy this seating because Cordelia is fully aware of each exit and enjoys making a break for them any chance she gets.

This usually results in me breaking into a sprint to get across the play area to grab her before she gets too far outside the area. Then she will throw a fit when I grab her and turn her around to put her back in the play area. After about 5 of these attempted jail-breaks, I decide it’s time to go home, and she howls in protest, because now she actually wants to play in the play area.

While it annoys me that I’m constantly chasing my daughter and forcing her back into the play area, I also think these three entrances are a huge safety problem. The play area is slightly recessed, and there are fake plants surrounding the area. It would be very easy for someone to lure a child out of the area and take them, before anyone would notice. Columbus is a fairly safe city, but kidnappers and sickos are everywhere, and all of the sad stories in the news are proof that you can never be too safe anymore.

Even when I watch my daughter at all times, she occasionally slips behind a climbing structure and disappears from view. A child could easily get out of the play area and get lost in the mall. There’s a large anchor store nearby, plus several small stores with bright lights and colors to attract small eyes.

Why are designers so dumb to make a play area with so many exits? And if they feel that people need access from three sides, why not put gates up to keep the kids inside?

And why am I asking all of you this? I should be sending this to the folks at Tuttle Mall. I think I’m going to do that right now.

Last night started as an evening like any other. Watching American Idol and laughing at the auditions (to use Aaron’s favorite saying, “Do these people not have friends?”), surfing the web a bit, and doing some chores.

Aaron loaded the dishwasher and got it started, then got the sink full of bottle parts ready to wash. I called him in to the living room to read a post I had found. Earlier, we had discovered a slander site about my former (his current) company, and we were amusing ourselves reading all of the gossip and hate spewing from the anonymous posters. Everyone knows the company is in a death spiral. We then sat and chatted about what we read for about 10-15 minutes.

Aaron then walked back into the kitchen, and suddenly I heard, “Shit!”

I asked what was wrong, and he only answered with, “I’m a moron, that’s what’s wrong!”

I walked in to find our kitchen flooded. At first I thought it might be from the dishwasher malfunctioning. Then I saw the sink. “I left the water running and forgot to turn it off,” Aaron explained. The kitchen sink was full, and the water was running off onto the counters and the floor. On one side, the water was running off into the trash can (useful, that), and on the other, the water was going to the floor and inching its way towards the living room carpet.

At first, I thought: eh, not a big deal. It’s a little water on the counters, and some pooled on the floor. Aaron was really upset, but I found the entire thing funny, because I didn’t think it was anything to get upset over. I didn’t realize just how much water could come out of a faucet in 15 minutes.

I gathered up a few towels, handed one to Aaron, and began putting them on the floor. But those few towels were no match for the water. Each towel would soak up the water until full, but there was still water where the towel had been.

Aaron ran upstairs and grabbed all of our bathroom towels and brought them back down. We each took one side of the sink, cleared everything off, and began mopping up more water from the counters. It was everywhere, and it was clearly going to require every last towel in the house.

Once my side of the counter was dry, I started to dry the floor under it, but noticed water kept dripping from the edge of a drawer next to the sink. “How is there still water dripping? The counter is dry.”

I got my answer when I pulled open the drawer and was splashed by a wave of water. The entire drawer was filled with water. I looked at Aaron, with a large wet spot on my shirt, and said, “I think there may be more water.” I grabbed a cup and started bailing the drawer out quickly. Once the water level was lower, we pulled the drawer out, dumped the contents into the sink, and propped it up to dry.

Then I looked in the cabinet below the drawer. “Aw, hell. There’s more water in here!” Everything was emptied from the cabinet, and it was also dried out.

After a half hour of soaking up and mopping up water, the flood was contained and the kitchen started to dry out.

Luckily, not much was lost to the flood. Several boxes were soaked, but their contents inside were protected by foil or plastic wrapping. I once again gave praise to The Container Store for their airtight plastic kitchen containers, which protected the sugar, flour, and tea bags.

The cookbooks, however, did not fare as well. I’m sorry Betty Crocker and A Man, A Plan, and A Can, but you were not strong enough to face the amount of water that hit you. The bottom halves of your pages are now yellowish and wavy. I tried to dry you out, and although you are still readable, you will never be the same.

Of course, it’s not much of a loss, I guess, since we never even cracked open those books. Good thing we’re not cooks!

*stepping up to the microphone shyly*

Hello. My name is Christina, and I’m addicted to kids’ TV. I enjoy watching my daughter’s cartoons and shows. I realized I had a problem yesterday morning, when I was up before anyone else. I switched on the TV, and instinctively turned it to Playhouse Disney. Even though my daughter was still asleep, I watched Bear in the Big Blue House. I knew she wasn’t in the room, but I sat there and watched the entire episode.

I’ve always been a TV addict, especially cartoons. Just read the first entry in my baby book for confirmation: “June 28, 1976 (1 week old) – Christina already likes watching the TV”. Seriously, folks, that’s what it says; 7 days old, and already hooked.

As a child, I was a big fan of cartoons. It started innocently enough with He-Man, She-Ra, and the Smurfs.

Then I got sucked into the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon, and G.I. Joe. Inspector Gadget and Voltron were then added to my lineup, along with My Little Pony, Belle and Sebastian, and Rainbow Brite. OK, so I was an uncommitted tomboy.

In the mid-80’s, the cartoons kept coming. Jem, Ghostbusters (the REAL Ghostbusters, of course), Transformers, Silverhawks, MASK, Danger Mouse, and Thundercats. Oh, how I loved Thundercats!

Each Halloween I would dress as a character from one of my favorite cartoon shows. Thanks to my grandmother’s excellent sewing skills and a lot of cornstarch for my hair, I was an awesome looking Wiley-Kit in 4th grade! No longer was a generic witch or a simple white- sheet ghost good enough for me.

Once I hit the late-80’s, I was beginning to grow too “old” for cartoons. I was in junior high, and I was supposed to be more concerned with make-up, hairstyles, fashion, and after-school specials on TV. But I couldn’t give up the habit. I watched Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I also enjoyed live-action kids shows, like Hey Dude and Kids Incorporated (sing it with me folks: “K-I-D-S, Kids In-corporated!”).

High school was a big change for me. More responsibilities, more homework, and more acting like a grown-up and thinking about the future. But for my secret love of cartoons, nothing changed. Oh sure, I watched 90210 and Melrose Place like every other TV obsessed teen. However, I wonder just how many teens were hurrying home after school to catch Sailor Moon and Animaniacs?

Even in college, I continued my animation obsession. Animaniacs and Tiny Toons continued to be my favorites, although I was branching out into anime thanks to Sailor Moon.

And now. Now I have a child, and I’m watching Bear in the Big Blue House without her. Can I really call myself an adult at this point? I mean, half the time when I let Cordelia watch TV, I’m really the one sitting there watching Blue’s Clues, Higglytown Heroes, and Dora while she’s on the floor with her back to the TV looking at her books.

(Of course, not the Wiggles. We both love the Wiggles, and that kid would fight off a gang of irate midget clowns to get to see her Wiggles.)

So yes, I admit that I’m a kids’ TV addict. I’m not proud of it, but I’m not about to get rid of the TV, either. I admire the strength of those like Dutch and Wood, who can survive without the lure of the TV and raise their daughter in a mostly TV-free environment. I can’t do it. I need my TV.

I try to limit the amount of time Cordy watches TV. We have plenty of TV-free time when we play, sing, chase each other, and read books. There is a little bit of time when I use the TV to distract Cordy so I can accomplish something (like laundry). But most of our TV time is together-time, and I’m stupidly happy to sing along with the characters on the screen and clap my hands with Cordy as we watch together. I’m seriously considering putting together a workout video for moms using footage from Wiggles DVDs.

So there it is. I’ve come clean about my obsession. I’m not the cool, hip mommy people might think me to be (then again, no one probably thought I was a cool, hip mommy to begin with). I’m actually an overgrown child who still loves the innocence and “good triumphs evil” mentality of children’s programming. And I will still be first in line if they ever put Animaniacs out on DVD.

Whew. That felt good.

God, I’m such a geek.