The good thing about being a technology hoarder is that when your laptop breaks your husband can find an old one he reformatted to run some crazy obscure operating system and fix it up with nice normal stuff like Windows and Picasa so you don’t go into laptop withdrawal  It also means you can post pictures of your family trip to the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular in a semi-timely manner. Hooray for my awesome husband!

The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular was pretty spectacular. I’d heard it can be insanely crowded on most nights, so we planned as well as we could for a non-busy time: the last night it was on, after Halloween, we had advanced tickets and we got there before they opened. It worked, really well actually. We were the third people in line at the start of the trail and the hardest part was entertaining two toddlers who are used to being allowed to run wild at the zoo. Caroline was being particularly…toddler-like, so keeping track of her once they opened the trail was hard, especially because she refused to ride in the luxury of her stroller. I’m really glad we went and that we got to see it – but I don’t think we’ll be going back until the kids are old enough to appreciate the pumpkins.

Those are all real pumpkins, really carved by hand, and each lit individually by LEDs. They do a theme each year, and this one was something about great films or stars of stage and screen or…whatever. The best part was that they piped John Williams movie theme music through the whole thing. At the end there’s a giant tree FULL of pumpkins called The Laughing Tree. Even though it was the last night of the display there was a guy carving a pumpkin larger than both of my children combined. And the best part we got to see it all, go home, and be in bed at a nice decent hour.

I know that’s a super long title, but I actually wanted to call it The 5 Best Memberships For Families In Southeastern Connecticut And How To Get The Most For Your Money (Also One Is Technically In Rhode Island But Just Ignore That). Brevity has never been my strong point.

Visiting these places is definitely worth it – they’re all fun, educational, and make a great day trip. Having a membership carries the added benefit of your day not getting ruined if it’s crowded, raining or your kid’s just not into it – you can just come back later. These spots are all approved for many repeat days of fun by me and my gingers:

Mystic Aquarium

Mystic Aquarium

1. Mystic Aquarium – I’m not sure how the aquarium got a reputation for being a must-see tourist attraction, but it’s a relatively small place and is totally packed in the summer. Luckily, once school starts (literally, the day after Labor Day) it’s deserted in the mornings and kids can have a private audience with belugas, penguins and a whole rainbow of fish. The inside building is carpeted (good for crawlers or early walkers) and very open (good for strollers). My 3-year-old and 1-year-old love the Titanic exhibit and the sea lion show too, although they’re a little young for the Sponge Bob 4-D movie. Since tickets cost $29+ a membership is definitely worth the price. Tip: If you have little kids, get a single membership with the add-a-guest option. Kids under 3 are free so you can bring your spouse OR a friend who also has small kids. I did that when Caroline was a infant and it made a great winter playdate. Another tip: They open at 9 am, which is GREAT for moms with kids who get up early.

Mystic Seaport

Mystic Seaport

2. Mystic Seaport – The mini boat playscape and children’s building make visiting worth it even if you never board a single vessel (although you should, since they’re really fun!). My kids love the horse carriage despite never having ridden on it. There’s also a fantastic play room hidden on the 3rd floor of the Stillman Building, so we visit even in less-than-ideal weather. It’s a big place, so unless they’re holding one of the extra-popular events (avoid antique boat weekend!!) it’s never too crowded. And the normal events – Dog Days, Chowderfest, etc – are really fun. Children under 5 are free, so a dual membership can get you in if you have pre-k or younger kids. Membership also includes coffee, hot cocoa and lemonade in the Member’s Building, discounts in the store and the chance to visit Santa in December.

Children’s Museum

Children’s Museum

3. Children’s Museum of Southeastern Connecticut – Full disclosure: we don’t actually have a membershipto the museum yet. We’ve been twice – once for an awesome birthday party – and it is full of creative play spaces and experiences for the kids. There’s an outdoor space for good weather and plenty of space inside for bad/hot/snowy/New Englandy weather. Their little gift shop is pretty amazing too, with lots of cool educational toys perfect for birthday gifts. We’ll be joining this winter, to add another indoor play space to our rotation.

Roger Williams Park Zoo

Roger Williams Park Zoo

4. Roger Williams Park Zoo – OK, so Providence isn’t in Connecticut but it’s only 40 minutes from the border and the drive is totally worth it. During the hot summer months the water features in Hasbro’s Big Back Yard were a huge hit with the kids and the tree house is really fun. The zoo is a great size for kids to walk, the animals are all close enough to enjoy and the staff has always been super nice and helpful. Did I mention there’s a Dunkin’ Donuts IN the zoo? Membership is pretty affordable and the add-a-guest is only $10 more, so it’s a great place to bring friends. In the summer we aimed to be there at 9 when they opened and left around noon for naps and it was never crowded.

5. Your local library! – I know all these memberships can add up really fast in a tight budget. The good news is many of the local libraries offer free or discounted passes to these locations. That’s the link to my town library but the ones in other towns have similar or better options. It would be worth checking these places out for yourself to see if you like them before springing for the full cost – and if you see us while you’re there, say hi!

Am I missing anything, friends? Where should we go next?!

I seriously don’t even REMEMBER the beginning of this week, it’s been so busy. Which is good, since I’m still solo-parenting these munchkins and the more I wear them out the easier bedtimes are. You will notice a distinct lack of couch naps in this week’s photos.

Sunday:

Those are my children, that is not our stroller.

Hockey Fans

Why don’t pirates eat peanut butter sandwiches? Because they can’t open the jAAAAAAARRRRRRGH!

Monday:

Adorable tunnel vision

Too much cute on one swing

Obsessed with Chuck the Truck

Tuesday:

She’s worried about falling behind now that Evan is in school, so she’s working on her math skills.

TOO MANY PICTURES, MOM.

Cart safety experts!

Wednesday:

Tiny gymnast

Practicing his balance beam skills in the real world

Gorgeous evening for a walk

Thursday:

Are you done Mom? School is way more exciting than you.

This Paleo thing makes grocery shopping interesting.

Modeling the latest knitting fashions during our yarn store playdate

Friday:

Visiting her friends at the duck pond. “HAI DUCKS! KACK KACK!”

My view of Friday’s playdate. I guess my kids are over there somewhere.

I’m pretty much useless these days.

Saturday:

Ferris Wheel stink eye

Skeptical of a guy holding a frog

I think it’s time to move the kitchen stool

And now it’s 8:15 on Saturday night, I’m in my jammies and eating cheese like it’s my job. We have ANOTHER full day tomorrow followed by a week of our new, busy lives and I sort of feel like I’m going to blink and it will be Christmas so I better start planning even MORE fall things to do but I’m pretty sure if I try I actually will keel over from exhaustion. True story: I fell asleep sitting up on the couch today and woke up to Evan shouting from the bathroom to come wipe his butt. Exciting days, y’all.

Did you take any camera phone photos this week? Link up with one or lots using the linky below and grab the code (so it shows on your blog too!) over at Amy’s . It’s really fun!

At BlogHer, Kim and I made slightly tipsy plans to get together in real life as soon as possible. Amazingly, we actually DID and our kids are new BFF’s. We’re doing it again in a week, this time at her place.