Practice

Today we did a little “summer test.”  Eric and I want to go to several museums in Europe and were curious as to how the boys would react to this type of outing.  We figured it would be better to learns some lessons a little closer to home.   So off we went on a bus to downtown Seattle to the Seattle Art Museum.

Each boy brought a backpack with lunch and their “nai-nai guys.”  Here’s Jack with is backpack and “Jellycat.”

We did learn that we need to buy some Purell as soon as we get off the plane as the boys like to touch everything. (And one of them may have even licked the railing on the bus – not sure if you can use Purell for that…) 

The Museum had an awesome exhibit of Calder’s work (lots of mobiles) and a wonderful kids’ booklet/worksheet that had Owen very entertained.  Here is Owen laying on the floor drawing one of the mobiles. (I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be taking photos, so this is the only one I have from the museum.)

 

Actually I am a bit worried that the exhibit and booklet were a little too good to allow this outing to qualify for a true test of a potentially “boring” museum.

We also learned that some of us have more stamina than others.  And that it is ok for some people to retire early (Daddy and Jack) while the others explore further.  Owen and I stayed another two hours after Daddy and Jack went home.  There was a special place to make your own mobile, which we made to bring home. Later we walked around downtown.

I was a little nervous about having our energetic Jack in an art museum.  I wasn’t sure if he would really like looking at most of the exhibits.  Not too long after we were there, my fears were affirmed as Jack walked right up and touched a piece of art.  I picked him up and gently reminded him not to touch.  “I don’t want to look at it,” he said.  I was a little sad, as I really wanted to keep looking, but his sentence wasn’t finished.  “I don’t want to look at that;  I want to go there.”  I guess that artist was effective.  And when Jack got tired, he did not ask to leave, he just asked that I pick him up.  If that is not appreciating art, I don’t know what is!

PS:If you are reading this and have young children, I highly recommend taking them to SAM this Thursday.  The first Thursdays of the month are free, the Calder exhibit was great, and there are several other sections in the Museum that are set up just for young kids!