"Getty"ing into Art

I took the kids to the Getty Center in LA this week to celebrate our art and music history theme for the year.  Wow!  I had never been there before-what a beautiful place!  And, it is FREE (never mind the  $15 parking and $4.18 a gallon for gas to get there!)  We had a good time.  My advice to anyone going- DO NOT wander into a building with an exhibit you know nothing about!  I cut through one building, to avoid stairs with a stroller, and we walked right into the middle of an exhibit that was not art-it was trash.  I told my boys "Look down and go fast!"  When we got out of there, the only comment I got was, "Why did we run through that exhibit?"  Thankfully, I don't think they saw anything.     

But, we did love the Gardens,

Family Room, 

and Family Art Adventure (highly recommended!).

This little one, for as wiggly as she is, has been surprisingly pretty good at our last few museum trips!

We had fun at home this week too.  The first week of school is always fun as we get back into the swing of things, and start immersing ourselves in our year long adventure!  We learned about Picasso and created a Cubism chalk drawing. (Notice Hunter is wearing the mask he made at the Getty!)

We also explored the many wonders of puffy paints as we decorated our artist aprons for the year.

Happy Creating!

The Touch of the Master's Hand

A week or so ago, (after reading The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, and watching the movie during a special family movie night) my kids received this...

A beautiful invitation to a Masquerade Ball!  We spent some time making our mask and learning proper etiquette for a formal, elegant ball throughout the week.  Here are the exquisitely dressed young gentlemen with their masks on their way to the Ball!

We were headed to Edwards Mansion in Redlands for a night of elegance and refinement!  Everyone looked beautiful and so handsome.   

We were officially announced...

danced (Hunter's favorite part although the picture does not show it!),

Hunter's not sure if he should accept this dance from  an "older woman"...

ate delicious and incredibly cute art and music themed treats,

were inspired by a very talented young pianist,

and enjoyed the company of old and new friends alike!

Who are these two intelligent and beautiful women?

Oh!  It's Julie and Melissa!

And some Handsome men!

One cool dude...

I did not take these pictures and did not know this was going on, but I am sure glad it is documented...

  

 The kids each received a cookie with an art masterpiece on it. Then, they had to look for that masterpiece throughout the Mansion. Tanner ate a Degas 

and Hunter enjoyed Flaming June, by Sir Frederic Leighton, 

but it broke...

After we recovered from the broken cookie, and as they were enjoying their masterpieces, they received a mysterious note saying it was urgent to meet in the ballroom at a specified time, signed by none other than the Scarlet Pimpernel!

After meeting lots of new friends (Tanner's favorite part), it was time to meet in the ballroom!  Here, the Scarlet Pimpernel had us all laughing, but more importantly, he inspired us to seek truth, beauty, and goodness and champion the cause of these virtues.  

 

He invited the kids to join his league as they search for The Touch of the Master's hand in the music and art created by geniuses of the past.   The kids were excited to join him in this most important work, and excited to know our focus for the school year!

It truly was a fun, elegant, and inspiring evening. I feel so blessed to be working with a bigger group of families this year who all work so hard to provide a truly remarkable and meaningful adventure for their children's education.

Swim Lessons

Ring around the Pool,

 Swimming's really Cool,

 

Splashes, Splashes,

We all go UNDER!