In My Mom Era

There are days when motherhood is peaceful. Days when the children play quietly, everyone eats what they’re given, and nobody needs anything. I have absolutely no idea what those days are like. But I’ve heard they exist.

Yesterday, Declan turned TEN. I’m still trying to figure out how that’s possible, considering I’m fairly certain I just brought him home from the hospital.

For his birthday adventure, he chose City Museum in St. Louis—with his brother Tristan and their friend Wyatt. So we loaded up, brought Ty along for climbing duty, and headed out. And that’s how we ended up with three boys running around like heathens, a phone battery fighting for its life, and a $220 purchase I had NOT planned on making.

The $220 Birthday Decision I Wasn’t Planning to Make

We arrived at approximately 5 PM. The museum closes at 9 PM. Four hours. And then I learned that admission was $34 PER PERSON. There were five of us. That’s $170 for one afternoon. I nearly fell over.

But five season passes, good through the end of 2027, cost $220. Just $50 more than five single-day tickets.

Did I WANT to spend $220 on a Saturday afternoon? Absolutely fucking not. Did I spend it? You bet your ass I did.

Because there’s no way to see everything in four hours. And now, apparently, we’re going to be the family that shows up every other weekend. If you see us here constantly, mind your business. WE HAVE PASSES. 🤣

Three Boys, One Giant Architectural Fever Dream

City Museum isn’t a place where you quietly admire exhibits and tell the children not to touch anything. There are giant climbing structures, tunnels, suspended airplanes, stone towers, gargoyles, slides, and artwork tucked into practically every corner.

The boys were in heaven. Me? I’m approaching forty, and I’ve reached a point where I can appreciate a climbing structure without personally crawling through it. If somebody has to squeeze into a tiny tunnel, that’s Tyler’s department. I carried the children. I’ve done my part.

I was perfectly happy taking pictures of the strange and wonderful architecture. Gargoyles! A huge vault door! A spiral staircase! Painted columns! The whole place feels like somebody gave an artist an old building and said, ‘Nobody is allowed to tell you no.’

And since it’s October, there are glowing jack-o’-lanterns, skeletons, spooky green lighting, and the Fright at the Museum decorations everywhere.

There’s also a tunnel glowing with purple lights that Tristan apparently interpreted as an invitation to make the most ridiculous face possible. Naturally, I got photographic evidence.

Meanwhile, at Grandma’s House…

While the boys were exploring, my mom had the three littles: Nora, Adaline, and Colton. You’d think that would be the quieter assignment. You would be wrong.

Grandma texted that, for the first time, Nora asked her for food. Sweet, right? WRONG. Because that apparently triggered an immediate feeding frenzy. All three had their own bowls, and all three wanted Grandma to feed them.

One bite here. One bite there. ‘HELP ME!’ Another bite. ‘HELP MEEEE!’ My mother said she couldn’t remember the last time her hands moved that fast.

Eventually she abandoned the three-bowl operation and switched to ONE bowl for all three. After everybody got a bite, Addy was still standing there, mouth open, waiting for more.

Ma’am, your next customer is prepared for service. 🤣

The Crispy Fruit Incident of 2026

And speaking of hungry little girls: earlier today, Nora and Addy demolished TWO WHOLE BAGS of Crispy Fruit snacks—pear AND pineapple—before I could photograph them for our new Gegg Family Tested page.

Two flavors. Two empty bags. Zero product photos. Apparently, two extremely satisfied customers.

At this point, I might need to put the girls on the payroll as official snack testers. Although I’m not sure we can afford their appetite.

Five Passes and a Phone Battery on Life Support

When I first sat down to write about our adventure, my phone was at 39%. Then 16%. Then 14%. I kept photographing everything anyway, because apparently I am incapable of visiting somewhere interesting without documenting every weird little detail.

I did manage to upload thirteen pictures to my blog’s media library before my phone completely surrendered. So there’s that.

And those $220 passes? They may have been an unplanned expense, but we already know this won’t be our last visit. I reserve the right to complain about the price, though. Because DAMN.

Ten Years Ago, I Was Holding a Baby

Somewhere between the climbing structures, purple lights, bizarre artwork, and endless maze of things to explore, I found myself watching these three boys just being boys. Laughing. Making faces. Discovering something new around every corner.

And it struck me that this is what Declan wanted for his tenth birthday. An adventure with his brother and his friend. And I think that’s pretty wonderful.

Ten years ago, I was holding a brand-new baby boy. Today, I’m watching that same boy climb toward his next adventure. And I suppose that’s what motherhood is, isn’t it? Learning when to hold on, and when to sit back and watch them climb.

Someday the boys won’t need us tagging along. The littles will feed themselves, Grandma won’t need to run a three-customer restaurant, and the house will be quieter. And I know I’ll miss the laughter, the ridiculous messages, the pictures, and the little moments that make up a childhood.

So tonight we’ve got three boys running wild in St. Louis, three little ones keeping Grandma thoroughly employed, and a handful of adults just trying to keep up. Somehow, I wouldn’t trade it.

Although I WOULD appreciate it if my phone survived long enough for a few more pictures. And if Grandma gets a tip. She has absolutely earned one.

Happy tenth birthday, Declan. I hope we never stop finding new places to explore together. ❤️

In My Mom Era — where the adventures are real, the kids are feral, and apparently we’re City Museum regulars now.