Milwaukee Art Museum | ArtPacks

We are very lucky to live so close to a wonderful art museum with an exceptional children's program.  We visit quite often, Ignacio loves it.  This will be the first in a series of posts dedicated to the MAM.  The museum offers ArtPacks that you can borrow free of charge while during your visit.  Each pack includes a self-guided (hands-on) project to be completed in the galleries.  Each pack is unique and inspired by a specific art work found in the museum.  These are just a few that we've completed.

On this day we were joined by Mia and another friend of theirs.  The first pack they tried corresponded with Red, Yellow, Blue II by Ellsworth Kelly.  It consisted of three large stretchy tubes of fabric to make their own performance art.

They then worked on the pack available for The King's Jester by Joán Miró.  They were able to make a collage version of the jester as well as draw a smaller version to keep for themselves.

The girls went home after lunch, but we decided to stay a little longer.  Ignacio was able to try their King for the Day costume by borrowing the General Monk Receiving King Charles II on the Beaches of Dover by Benjamin West pack.  He had a blast and said it was his favorite part of the day.  How awesome is this?

I thought I'd try something different with the pictures, I like it.  I really want to get in the habit of blogging regularly again and thought I'd have a little fun.  I'll be back soon.

Shedd Aquarium | Follow Up

I thought I’d stick with the aquarium theme for a few days after visiting the Shedd. Nothing big or formal. We borrowed Life-Size Aquarium from the library before our visit. Ignacio read his Dive into the Ocean issue of Chirp Magazine on the way to the aquarium. Back home, we saw Dolphins: IMAX on Netflix the next day. I also left a stack of ocean related books on the kitchen table, Ignacio was free to read from them as he pleased. I took care of my three year old nephew for a few hours that week, Ignacio had a good time “teaching” him about the ocean.

Books we read:

Usborne’s First Encyclopedia of Seas & Oceans by Ben Denne

Usborne’s 1001 Things to Spot in the Sea by Katie Daynes

Usborne’s See Under the Sea by Kate Davies

Life-Size Aquarium by Teruyuki Komiya

Field Trip | Shedd Aquarium

We recently spent the day at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.  We had a great time.  I thought I’d share a few highlights.

1. This adorable turtle has a spinal injury.

2. Rainbow fish… isn’t it beautiful?

3. Ignacio had just read a magazine article about Rainbow fish. It said that they are usually about the length of your finger. He was checking to see if it was true.

4. I love the way Stingrays swim, they look like they are flying.

5. Stingray smile!

6. Francisco, waiting for the show to begin.

7. I love seahorses, but they are so hard to photograph. I’m glad I was able to get some good shots.

8. Ignacio comparing his size to that of an Emperor penguin.

9. What an end to the Aquatic Show, four Pacific White Sided Dolphins jumping out of the water. You should have heard Ignacio the first time one of them flew out of the water. All he kept saying was “wow!”.

10. Pacific White Sided Dolphins.

11. The dolphins really like swimming upside down.

12. My beautiful boy. He wanted to have a puffin painted on his face, like The Mighty Sven in Happy Feet Two.

13. He just turned five in November and already he is 3’10” tall.

14. Veteran’s Memorial at Soldier Field.

15. Beluga whale.

16. Francisco, shortly before he had a meltdown. My husband ended up having to take him out for a walk and missed the end of the show.

17. They have workers blowing bubbles for the kids waiting in line, it was a huge hit!

18. A Beluga swam by to say hello. I love Beluga whales’ expression; something about that constant smile feels so sincere to me. I swear they make eye contact!

We don’t go to the Shedd as often as we’d like to, unfortunately it is just not in our budget.  The cost adds up quickly, but it is definitely worth it to go at least once or twice a year.  You should definitely plan a visit if you find yourself in the area.