Another fine day with the two darling boys. The four of us went to the "Please Touch Museum" in Philly and what a fun day! It wasn't so jammed as to be uncomfortable, just enough to be festive, and we all had a great time. It isn't really a museum, though, it's more like a play and do thing. It features an immense array of things, in dozens of categories (space, shopping, repairing cars, Alice in Wonderland, water play, a park, and so on and on). Both boys loved it, although it's really geared toward the younger end. What turned me off, though, was the commercialization of so many areas: The miniature supermarket was Shop-Rite, the restaurant McDonald's, the auto repair shop Toyota, (with Hess gas). This prevailed throughout: Wherever little children could be reminded that we owe our souls to corporate America, it was done--sigh.
I was thrilled to realize that the building, Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park, was erected for the 1876 Centennial celebration, the only one remaining. My grandmother, Sophia Bub, appeared there at 17. She was hired to impersonate a Turkish maiden, and I have a picture of her with the merchant, Abdel Katy Abdid. There's an exhibit about the Centennial at the museum and I got the card of the curator of collections. I'll contact her and see if she wants a copy of the picture of my grandmother.
After, we went to a huge fountain in center city, at J.'s suggestion. The boys took off their shoes and socks and waded in it, along with a few other kids. It was over ninety degrees in late afternoon, so this felt so good.
Got back after 5:00 and home after 6:00. This may be the last time I see the boys for a while, darn it, so I cherished the day. Hope we can arrange something before they leave again for the north.