Skip to main content

Our Day at the MFA


Having some banana and beeboos at the MFA.
 The MFA, Boston had their annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Open House, which allows everyone to visit for and enjoy the galleries and special events for free. Since I had the day off and Matty didn't, I decided to make it a Maddie and Mama day to enjoy the museum together. Maddie has been to the MFA before but we have added art museums to the list of places we try to go with her when there are special events or family friendly days so that there is not so much pressure to keep her quiet and worry about ruining the experience for other people. Luckily, today was a day that there were kids bursting out of every gallery and no one had to pay to get it, so they couldn't be too sore over an excited toddler who hasn't quite perfected her art gallery whisper.

We waited in line about half an hour to get in but Maddie was really patient; we passed the time discussing the art outside of the museum, chatting with other people in line (Maddie wanted to know if everyone had been in a plane, ha!), and getting prepared to go inside by discussing not to touch the art and to try and use our "church voice" in the galleries. Maddie was really into the banner for this exhibit and has been telling me since we left that she loves "pewicans". She is with Dada watching 'Finding Nemo' in the living room and I just heard her point out the pelicans for him. Guess we will be back for that one!
Maddie wanted me to take this so she could look at it later.



We nixed the stroller and walked through the Fens on our way.









 Once inside I let Maddie take the lead; she was super interested in the Asian sculptures and especially liked talking about Buddha. She also liked the Degas sculpture of the ballerina (La Petite Danseuse of Fourteen Years) and was drawn to the colors and textures of the contemporary art. When it was my turn to choose the galleries I showed her my favorite renaissance period paintings and some beautiful Monets that are there right now. We even got in a little bit of the story time and some of a Brazilian band that was playing. 
I love this list of rules.
We had a great time talking about the colors and the subjects of each piece, and I loved seeing her interpret and take in everything. This is such a fun phase she is in; I love watching her soak in the world around her and start to ask questions and form opinions about what she sees. I think that I am going to invest in the annual membership so that we can start going more with her and taking advantage of the Monday Playdates that they have each week for her and her nanny.
She lasted over an hour before I could tell it was time to go and get working on a nap, but we had a really lovely time and I am excited to go back soon to see those pelicans!

Although Madeleine is too young to understand what holiday kept Mama home from work today, I hope that our discussions about Dr. King in the car on the way home and the books we read at the library about all of the great things that he did will someday inspire her as they have me. I enjoyed seeing all of Dr. King's quotes all over my internet feeds today and I pray that people can continue to strive to live those words and pass them along to this next generation. Hopefully next year we can spend the day volunteering with Boston Cares like was my pre-kiddo tradition. 

I also want to share one of my favorite quotes from Dr. King:
Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

Dada is home early from work and I have a peanut chicken recipe I am excited to make before prepping for the (short!) work week. My phone keeps telling me of the upcoming winter weather warning so I guess I should enjoy this hot chocolate and warm house as much as I can tonight! Happy Monday y'all! I'll be back tomorrow with a good soup recipe from this weekend.
Someone had a hard time waking up from her nap. Art is exciting!

Enjoying a post-nap hot cocoa with Mama and a home early from work Dada.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Day in the Life: Food Edition

If you haven't figured it out from this here blog, my life is pretty darn busy but I crave routine and do a pretty good job at sticking to a "regular" schedule, even if it does start at 5am and end sometime after 10pm. One of my most consistent things in life is definitely my eating. I love to eat, and love trying new foods and new restaurants but during the week I am the most boring person ever because I literally eat the same things at the same time every single day. At dinner, we get buck wild, but between 5 and 5, I am like a senior citizen. Here is a day in the life of what I am munching on: 5:00am (or whenever I stop hitting snooze) : one cup of coffee brewed at home with a hefty splash of half and half. I recently switched to the "light cream" store brand but that is as low on the fat as I will go - milk just does not do it for me like cream does. Post-run/workout (around 6:45) : second cup of coffee with cream Commute breakfast (between 7:1...
Post a Comment
Read more

Good-Bye Green Line

Tonight is officially my last night as an Allstonian. Or a Brightonian. I won't even live off the green line after I wake up tomorrow morning. No more 45 minute train rides that stop every block, no more "This train will run express to Packard's Corner". Tomorrow when I wake up I will pack the cat into his carrier, grab my purse and my husband will drive me and this baby in my belly to Dorchester, to our home, where we will have our first baby, our first wedding anniversary, where we will be "mom and dad" for the first time instead of just "husband and wife" or "Stef and Matty". I will use the vacuum cleaner Matty bought last night, the first new vacuum cleaner I have ever owned in my twenty nine years, and I will hang up pictures from our wedding, our trips to other states and time zones, pictures of our friends and our families. And on Monday I will wake up and catch the Red Line into work. It won't take too long, despite being fart...
4 comments
Read more

Monday night and half a bottle of riesling.

You may be asking yourself now, "why the hell does Stef need a blog, she spends too much damn time on myspace/facebook/perezhilton as it is". Well, I have one because I need one. I get writers cramp too bad to keep a journal, and I can drink and type with much more ease. But really, I think this will be a good way to organize my thoughts, and keep my scattered friends better posted on my life. When your closest friends span from Seattle to Spain, it can be hard to keep them up to the minute on the important things in life - like what I'm doing on any given Monday night. (The answer tonight is sitting on the couch watching the Red Sox, while Matty reads the Augusten Burroughs book I just finished, having just ate a super yummy "smothered pork chop" dish that said Matty made, and applying for jobs at the Crime and Justice Institute). I really just plan on rambling on about my life, and sharing things that I think you ought to know like if Matty and I went for a bi...
4 comments
Read more