In the Missouri Botanical Garden, there is a Children's Garden area. It costs money to get in after age two. Millie Janalee barely made the cutoff! She had a ball exploring the Children's Garden! Oh my! There were so many fun areas, and we didn't get to see them all. I guess that means we need to make another trip. The first thing she found was the giant beehive where our little "busy bee" raced around the giant flowers to pollinate them. Inside each flower, there were bells and other sounds when the children "pollinated" or played with the ropes coming out of them. And, as she does everywhere we go, Millie Janalee found a friend immediately. They enjoyed chasing each other around the flowers for a while.
Finally Russ and I talked Millie Janalee into seeing what else the Children's Garden had to offer. We found the General Store just around the corner where the children were shopping for fresh fruits and veggies, checking out with the "clerks", and putting all their food into baskets. Millie Janalee did a great job of locating foods when we called them out. Her favorite part was filling her basket! Of course, there was another little girl who kept it interesting by shopping out of Millie Janalee's basket. Ha! The carrots held her attention the most as she kept holding it up to her eye like a telescope. I suppose she was trying to be like Olaf from Frozen. It was quite funny.
Leaving this area took a little more encouragement. It helped that she needed a diaper change, so I just picked her up and headed toward a bathroom. We returned to a outdoor musical paradise for this girl. She has music wherever she goes! Nonstop singing. I love it! She loved playing the xylophone with her Daddy. Russ plays pretty much everything by ear. It has always amazed me. So he showed out a bit by playing some Little Mermaid "Under the Sea" for us.
Of course Millie Janalee took the opportunity to turn hers into a microphone. Probably singing "Let it Go!" Everything can be turned into a microphone. Didn't you know that?
While my musical talents spent some quality time together, I found a rock and took a moment to eat my lunch. Since I was the one packing the bags and getting Millie Janalee ready, I was the one who didn't eat before we left. It didn't take long for my sweet Miss Priss to walk over asking for "a biiiite." So I had to share my little Uncrustable.
We found so many fun areas to play and explore, including a rope bridge that I volunteered to carry Millie Janalee across. I didn't realize until we got on there that it was more like a tight rope walk with nets! Oh my. Ha!
The Children's Garden closed at 4 pm, so we left this area and began our stroll through the grounds. It was beautiful and relaxing to see all the variations of plants and flowers. We saw ducks, geese, and huge fish in the water. We let Millie Janalee walk some and find her own special places along the way. Her favorite thing to do right now is to sniff the flowers and make a big dramatic sneeze. My brother finally figured out that she picked it up from Olaf on Frozen. Little sponge!
We also found a wedding venue preparing for a wedding during our stroll. We could see the guests beginning to arrive. (We could tell by the way they were dressed.) We also found the reception area. I wish I had taken a picture, because it was lovely! Little to no decoration needed when you are getting married in the Missouri Botanical Garden! A fabulous idea! When we left, we saw the wedding guest checkin where guests picked up their own little wooden umbrella for the sun. It was so perfect.
Our Saturday was full of fun and fresh flowers! I love that we are able to experience these things with our little family...right here at our back door!
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