While the cats away, the mice will play

At the end of June I took the kids, with my mom, on a cross-country road trip to socially distance visit family in Oregon. Nearly all of our family and friends are in Oregon. When we visit, it is a marathon trip of fitting in as many visits with as many different people as we can while also trying to show off the amazing state to our kids. Because of the current pandemic, this year was very different. We kept our social bubble small and limited our visit to only our parents and siblings. No cousins, no friends, and no grandparents. I think I am most upset about not being able to visit my grandparents (J's only living grandparents reside in southern Florida). I recognize that they are reaching in the end of their biological clock and I would like my kids to have memories of them. 

J flew out to meet us and we drove back together. We took our two fur babies with us, Simba (our eleven year old orange tabby cat) and Link (our two year old gerberian shepsky dog). I often travel around town with Link so he handled the long stretches in the car like a champ. Simba on the other hand cried nearly the whole time and wanted to live under the driver's seat (which we did not feel was a safe place for him or us). Towards the end of the drive we finally figured out how to make the trip more pleasant for him (and subsequently us). 

When we got back to our home in Ohio we found that a family of mice had moved into our house. Droppings were all over the kitchen and stashes of seeds were in the closets. I instructed Simba to get to work on the mice while I cleaned up their mess. 

Before we had left for Oregon, Cincinnati was still locked down. Things had begun to open up while we were away and after our return I set up visits to the Cincinnati Museum Center, the Zoo, and the Art Museum (which we will visit a week from today). 

The Museum Center is usually full of people and bustling with energy. But due to restrictions it's functioning at like 25% capacity and we felt like the only people there. It was both sad and nice. The Children's Museum in the basement is still not open. I hope things have stabilized enough by December for it to open because my kids love the holiday themed displays but I recognize there are bigger issues happening in our country right now than if my kids get to ride a Christmas train or not.   

Outside Union Terminal

The Zoo felt crowded compared to the Museum Center. We went early because the train had opened and I was worried there would be lines. I hate lines. Turns out that I shouldn't have worried about the lines for the train because everyone was instead queuing to go into the newly opened Roo Valley (where kangaroos roam free! Apparently, I have no idea because after waiting forever in line at Hulk's insistence they were all in their shed to escape the heat). We came up with a game plan for the next time we visit: go early, hit Roo Valley first (before the heat and the plethora of people so hopefully the kangaroos will be out), and then visit the train - seeing other animals along the way, obviously. We don't go to the zoo just for the train. 

But honestly we kinda do. 

And I let my kids visit Fiona for the first time in a year because there was no line to see her. Why people will stand in line to visit a hippo is beyond me. 

Kinda like how people will stand in line to visit a kangaroo.

I hate lines.