Mark has been on the interview trail a lot lately. This week the kids and I tagged along for his trip to Case Western in Cleveland. My cousin, Taylor, is based there for work, and it had been ages since I’ve seen him, so it made for a great opportunity to sneak in a visit. So while Mark went on his pre-interview dinner, the kids and I ate cupcakes and had some quality time with Uncle Taylor.
Thanks to Priceline, we were able to get a great deal on a hotel downtown, and the kiddos, loved being in the middle of city. It made for great people and car watching from out hotel window. Cleveland also made a big impression with them by virtue of having trolleys, which is a must in our kids’ minds.
While Mark went on his interview, the kids and I spent the morning at the Cleveland Children’s Museum, which was, in a word, amazing. Clearly well-designed and thought out in both structure and content, this museum had all three kids hooked.
We started in the Wonder Lab, which boasted two giant water features, including a steam area, and a wall of sinks filled with ice cube trays and measuring cups. The variety of activities was impressive, and the kids were able to explore to their hearts content.
When Charlotte woke up from her nap in the carrier and got squirmy, we headed upstairs to The Meadow, an area of the museum designed for kids 0-3. This room impressed me the most. Filled with activities designed to promote both fine and gross motor play, it was both beautiful and functional. Each and every piece appeared to have been carefully designed and crafted to spark imagination and exploration, for even the littlest of children. Charlotte enjoyed the mirrors and the sensory walls. She also appreciated being free to scoot around the floor, showing off the army crawl that she had been perfecting all night long the night before (yay for quality sleep!). William loved the push cars and the tunnel of noodles he called a carwash. Gianna was enthralled with the open-ended play area.
After The Meadow, we headed downstairs again to explore Adventure City, which is a two story giant playhouse. There really is no way to describe how awesome this area is; you really need to just visit and see for yourself. There is a large farmers market area, wooden cars that can be built and rebuilt, a room that has walls filled with various latches and levers and things to be turned, and lots of climbing space. William and Gianna were in heaven.
We were there for about three hours while Mark was at Case Western, and when he came to pick us up, no one was ready to leave. If we leaved closer, this place would be a regular haunt of ours. I cannot recommend it enough if you visit Cleveland.
As an aside, Mark’s interview went well, and he was very impressed with the program. We’ll see what happens when the final rank list is made, but for now Case Western is definitely one of his top choices so far.