I took G and I(child) on the bus to Te Papa yesterday. This is the first time I have tried taking two toddlers (plus the double buggy) on the bus, and it worked out just fine, thanks to the helpfulness of the public and one of the bus drivers.

(We also saw E and her mum on the bus - what a bonus!)

I've often taken 2 year olds on the bus (up to 3 of them), and a couple of 2 year olds and a baby are fine to manage. The difference is that their legs are long enough to climb up the big steps themselves - which is not the case for I or G. (Or E for that matter). The double buggy is also unwieldy to manage with one hand.

But yesterday my Auntie Connie was in town, so I arranged to meet her at Te Papa so we could catch up, and that provided the impetus to venture forth on public transport.

Bus drivers have a reputation for being unhelpful at the moment. (And I have seen some grumpy ones.) But I find that if you are polite and ask for help, they will give it. In the event, each time I was getting ready to get on a bus, someone offered to lift up the buggy, which was very kind of them. Once off the bus in town and with the kids back in the buggy, we zoomed around just fine.

The girls loved the bus trip, with lots of vehicles to see out the window. We saw the Brooklyn fire engine at one point too - I is very interested in it at the moment. They also had a great time at morning tea in the cafe, both sitting up in the armchairs ("like ladies"), and wandering around looking at the other coffee drinkers. At the end of the visit we went out to watch the ducks ("duck, duck"). Just a shame I forgot to bring any bread for them.