Family Day at the Rubin Museum of Art, NYC

My favorite thing about living near NYC is the vast hidden treasures.  There is always something new to explore.  Recently my family and I decided to head into NYC and take advantage of one of the few warm days we have had at the end of this winter.  We were walking near Union Square and came across the Rubin Museum of Art.  Not only had we never been there before but we never even heard of this museum.  Lucky for us they were announcing their Family Day, so we decided to check it out.  What a great discovery.  This museum is of art that descends from the Himalayas region (ex: India).  There were amazing statues and prints of the Buddha, an exhibit on the various kinds of prayer beads, and all kinds of Tibetan art.  While this wasn't necessarily an art form that we had ever really been interested in, the art was appealing and fun to explore.  Even my little guy at 22 months loved the statues, lights, and sounds.  This day was especially fun for him since the museum had a variety of activities geared towards their youngest visitors. 

The museum had many activities that helped children participate in art experiences and also explore this region's culture.  My guy loved making a peace flag from the art blocks that were available.  He also had fun adding to the collaborative mandala, listening to traditional music, and watching the butter sculptor. 

In the education center there was clay for the kids to use so that they could try their own hand at sculpting.

He also enjoyed using the instruments to make music.

Most of all he loved exploring the space that was filled with family-friendly activities that celebrated the culture of the Himalayas.   This is definitely a museum to check out with your family!!

Raise the FLF: We were inspired by the simplicity of the peace flags to create our own family memory flag.  This can be easily done by hanging a string anywhere you can make room.  We took a small space above his play area to hang ours.  Here you can hang a photo as you have your various family adventures.  This will not only display your best memories but also promote talking with your kids.  They can share in their experiences and memories whenever they reconnect to these moments. Having the visual reminder helps to jog their memories and help them in talking about their experiences.  It is so important to promote language and vocabulary from our kids because these are skills that are naturally imbedded and help them stand out in their development.  Plus it also deepens family bonds and is just plain fun to hear about their perspectives! Every time my son sees the picture of our day at the Rubin museum he says "Buddha" a new word he learned there which is funny because it is not even pictured.  I guess it was a memory that stuck with him.  What kinds of memories will you hang from your family's flag?

The Study of Doing Nothing

Hi- it has been a while! I have had a rough transition into 2014.  I have spent the last few months dealing with a few medical issues.  Nothing life threatening but enough to zap me of most if not all of my energy.  As I look back on the last few months my initial reaction is to feel bummed that I was not able to "do up" the holidays as would be my normal plan.  Not only did I barely have the energy to put up some minimal decorations, I was not able to plan and do the many amazing projects I saw all over the Internet that I know my son would have loved! However, now that I am slowly on the mend I realized the blessing in disguise that I was given.  I spent many days with my son doing absolutely nothing- yet it was everything to us! I spent hours on the floor with him- me wrapped in a blanket and not moving much, but him building a fun land with all his toys around me.  The babbling talk he shared with me was just as excited as if I had downloaded the latest Pinterest craft.  I also spent hours of cuddle time just watching my son watch and discover the world around him.  Nothing sketched out for him yet having organically magical moments.  Sure I wish I would have videotaped him, scrap booked his lego inventions, or written down his cute phrases...but in truth I know I will always carry these quiet moments in my heart.  As I am finally recovering my energy, I carry with me the reminder that the gift our children most seek from us is time together- whatever shape that may take. 

I hope that you all enjoyed the holiday and are looking forward to the many adventures 2014 will bring.  I am looking forward to health, happiness, and great moments with family and friends.

xoxo