Conversations with Theo

Guest post by ROM Member, Anne Thériault 

When I was growing up trips to the ROM definitely topped my list of Amazing Fun Stuff I Sometimes Get To Do. When I had a kid of my own, I knew the ROM was something I wanted to share with him - plus I needed somewhere to take him on the days when it was too cold to go to the park but he was too squirrelly to stay home. So when he was just a few months old we got a family membership, a decision that I now realize ranks somewhere in my top ten parenting decisions.

When he was a baby and still pretty portable, I used to strap him onto my back and take him all over the museum, reading him the descriptions of artefacts in a soothing voice until he fell asleep and I could go drink a coffee in peace. When he was a toddler, he developed a bizarre fixation on the lute in the European gallery, so we spent a lot of time there pointing and exclaiming “lute!” over and over. When he was a bit older the only thing he wanted to do was play in the Discovery Gallery, and not even promises of the Bat Cave could lure him away from the dragon costumes and toy castle. These days we go everywhere, and he's become a tiny pedant about his favourite exhibits; a few weeks ago he parked himself by the Tyrannosaurus rex and asked every passerby if they knew that the T Rex was the largest land predator of the cretaceous era.

Now that he's five and has a full half decade of ROM time under his belt, I figured it would be fun to check in with him and see where his relationship with his favourite museum is at:

What's your favourite thing that you've ever seen or done at the ROM?

I looooooved when they had the space exhibit, especially the picture of Chris Hadfield and the Mars rover prototype. I liked everything about but my favourite part was when the Mars rover prototype scanned me.

That was a pretty cool exhibit! What's your favourite permanent exhibit – like, not a special event but an exhibit that's always there?

The dinosaurs. Because you know what? They were cold blooded and died out when it was the ice age.

What was your favourite part of the ROM when you were a little kid?

I've always liked the dinosaurs best.

Do you remember when you loved the lute? What did you like so much about the lute?

I liked that someone maybe played the lute a long time ago. In history.

What do you like other than the dinosaurs?

The bat cave, the mummy, the fox den, the bees, the armour. I like the part where they compare hockey outfits to armour! Did you know that the bees are real bees that make honey? But don't worry, they can't hurt you.

Would you ever eat the honey that the bees made?

No, because I don't like honey. But I like to watch it being made.

If you could have one thing that you've seen at the museum in your house what would it be?

The hockey sweater pads because I like hockey players. And you know which team I like? The Montreal Canadiens.

Not the Maple Leafs?

I like them too but they don't win.

What would make the museum even more fun?

I wish there was more about sports. And astronauts! I wish there were astronauts at the museum. And I wish it was open all night every night.

If you could spend the night in any part of the museum, which would it be, and why?

I would sleep in the Currelly gallery because it's haunted and I want to see the ghost. I want to know for sure if it's real. And I want to know if he's really wearing his pyjamas!

What's your favourite thing to eat at the museum's cafeteria?

Chicken fingers. I always want to eat chicken fingers at the museum because their chicken fingers are sooooo good.

What part of the museum do you think kids will like best?

All of the parts! Especially the totem poles. They're like different animal statues stacked on top of each other, which is really cool.

What part of the museum do you think grownups will like the best?

Probably the mummy because it's spooky and grownups can handle that.

What do you think is the scariest part of the ROM?

The dinosaurs, especially the Tyrannosaurus Rex because it has sharp teeth. Oh and also the Pompeii exhibit because the video of the volcano erupting was very scary!

But I'm actually not scared of anything.

~

Thanks Anne and Theo!

Stay tuned for more from Anne and Theo, share your #ROMmembers story with us!