It was a lovely - if freezing, President's Day.
We celebrated by taking the train into the city and visiting MOMA.
This is not a trip to take lightly with a kid with sensory issues. But I bought our tickets online so that we wouldn't have to wait in line to buy them. (Very smart if I do say so myself!)
The first hour in the museum was quite nice. I love the enthusiasm he has for all kinds of artwork. Cubism, Impressionism, Fauvism, Abstract Expressionism and Surrealism, we saw them all, (or at least an example or two of each). But then Daniel got hungry. The gods were smiling on us because he was willing to eat the food that passes for a kid's meal at the frou-frou cafe in the museum.
When we were done with the food, there were alot more people walking around and the low-level hum of talking had become more of a small-airplane drone. We tried to see a few more key paintings, but there were just too many people and the noise level was just too great.
There were several mini-meltdowns but he managed to push through them, and I WILL remember this as a successful trip. (I have a selective memory, so I can do that if I want.)
Let's face facts here, Manhattan is a very difficult place for a child with sensory sensitivities. Everything is too big, too loud, too busy, too bright, too smelly, you name it, it is too TOO much.
And because of this little "trip to the city", I have decided that when I become Queen of the World, (didn't know I was going for that title, did you?), I will abolish all Patterned Floors. Especially in public spaces. All floors will be of a solid, preferably dull color. And not shiny.
This is because it was near impossible to get Daniel out of Penn Station today what with the alternating tan and white squares on the floor of the NJ Transit section. Yes, it looks lovely, but have you ever seen a kid who is hell bent on only walking on tan floor squares when all of Manhattan and half of New Jersey is whizzing by as fast as their little legs can take them?
If you were in Penn Station today - I'm sorry. Daniel probably got right in front of you and made you stop short to avoid hitting him. (And if you are the lady with fox collar coat and red handbag...watch where you're going!)
I would love to take the train down to D.C. and spend a weekend there going to the museums. It sounds like so much fun. But I think we'll do a few more trips to the MOMA first. (And maybe next time we can go on a day when your ears don't fall off your head the moment you step outside because its just that COLD.)
