The Enchanted Little Alden

In an effort to avoid the flu bug, we gave Alden a two-week break from play school and let him recover from a terrible cold. After almost two weeks of 'quarantine', Alden got better but started misbehaving every chance he got; shouting at mom and dad, throwing tantrums and pinching little Alva. I guess being absent from school and not being able to socialize with other tots made him a grumpy little man. Yesterday, I decided to cheer him up with a fun outing. The destination? Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Not exactly the most exciting place to visit but to my boy Alden, it's the ultimate playground.

Strategically located at 45 Harvard Ave, Wigram, the museum is only a stone’s throw away from home. Admission is free and guided tours for pre-booked groups are available at a cost of $6 per person.When we arrived, I was particularly excited for Alden because he is sooooo into airplanes, helicopters and space shuttles. The moment he saw a replica of a WWI airliner at Harvard Ave, his eyes sparkled with glee as he shouted "mane! mane! mane mane! mane! mane! mane! mane! mane!". Saying that he was over-excited is an understatement. Alden was ready to jump out off the car to get on the aircraft! Hehe. Good thing he was strapped on the car seat. By the way, the word mane here means PLANE ;-).

It took us at least 10 minutes to park the car, get the stroller out and coordinate baby and overly-excited boy. Since Alden wasn't happy to see little Alva in his stroller (jealous + manja), I had to carry him and scurried to the entrance before things went out of hand. I wasted no time and started taking a few shots.

Alden's new hair cut...

Air Force Museum of New Zealand in Christchurch keeps the national collection of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). The collection is varied and includes objects used in the early days of New Zealand military aviation, from the time of pre World War I, post-war period to the present day. As we entered the atrium, we could see five different types of aircrafts, each representing a different era in the history of aviation. 

 Seeing this reminded me of the movie Night at the Museum 2.

Alden was absolutely thrilled when he saw all the aircrafts. The word "mane" echoed in the quiet atrium but no one seemed to mind. Thank goodness!

     Pilot wannabes....

Sampai Alva terbangun.....

Inside, there were more "manes".....

We took loads of pictures. At one point, Alden finally got tired, sat limply on his stroller and just marveled at the airplanes silently. No running, no outbursts, no more shrieky noises, no more "mane! mane! mane!". Just silence.

                                  

The tour was a hit. Alden was exhausted but he was once again his charming self. On the way home, he was all smiles and kisses. No more grumpy little man. I guess this means I should take him out more often :-)