Things to Do - Think About Spacecraft

At the planetarium, a few weeks ago, we watched a show on our galaxy, which mentioned that the Voyager spacecraft shouts out greetings in several different languages as it drifts through the blackness. Just in case. And lately I can't remove this image from my mind, such an odd combination of hope and emptiness. Maybe we really are all alone.

Then on Friday I read this wonderful article written by a man who gave up the internet for a year. At first, he bettered his life, wasted less time, etc. - all the stuff we'd like to believe we'd do. But eventually he settled into a new pattern of laziness, one which was more solitary and disconnected than his life before. According to the article's author:

"It's hard to say exactly what changed. I guess those first months felt so good because I felt the absence of the pressures of the internet. My freedom felt tangible. But when I stopped seeing my life in the context of "I don't use the internet," the offline existence became mundane, and the worst sides of myself began to emerge. . . . I would stay at home for days at a time. My phone would die, and nobody could get ahold of me. At some point my parents would get fed up with wondering if I was alive, and send my sister over to my apartment to check on me. On the internet it was easy to assure people I was alive and sane, easy to collaborate with my coworkers, easy to be a relevant part of society. . . . So much ink has been spilled deriding the false concept of a "Facebook friend," but I can tell you that a "Facebook friend" is better than nothing."

At a party last weekend I found myself in a conversation about childhood memories and siblings. I mentioned that for me, as an only child with no extended family, the strangest part of raising three children is realizing how much time and effort goes into their relationships with each other - the constant battles and apologies. So much work. Even today, I still can't quite grasp that while I was at home as a child, probably reading a book on the couch, my friends (almost all of who had siblings) were engaged in constant socialization experiments, continually navigating human relationships. My husband finds it odd how much time alone I need in comparison with other people (even introverts), but perhaps my childhood explains it. Not that I didn't enjoy being any only child (though I did constantly ask for a sibling). My family was close. I was happy. But the idea that people can fight and then somehow just forget about it continues to allude me. Relationships are such fragile things, worse than fine china. oh so breakable. and the cracks, the endless map of lines and fissures.

I'm not sure any of this comes together in a coherent way, just that I've been thinking about Voyager a lot lately - programmed to float through darkness, constantly trying to say hello.

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE! Have a wonderful weekend.

Places to Go - Azaleas at the National Arboretum (Washington DC)

Sometimes I think I should use this blog to promote myself more, become a real photographer with a website and client specials, rather than rely on word of mouth. But the trouble is that sometimes really fun stuff happens around noon on a sunny day. Stuff you want to record and remember.

Last week, one of my best friends came to town with her absolute gorgeous 18 month old daughter. After a cloudy morning (photographers LOVE mid-day clouds), we decided to head to the National Arboretum to check out the azalea gardens (which are amazing this time of year). And then the sun came out. Everywhere. Causing bright, dappled, awful light to fill my camera. Plus, we had to bring the dog with, as she's destroyed half-my house lately and I'm scared to leave her alone (the problem with adopting a 5 year old boxer? crazy dog anxiety). So I tried to take pictures of a toddler and preschooler while having a 55 pound boxer drag me around.

Basically, bright noon light + crazy leashed dog + a green color cast everywhere = crappy pictures. These are the only salvageable shots (so sorry for the lack of actual flower pictures). But, for better or worse, this isn't a photography blog (I'm much more random than that). And this was a wonderful moment with three of my favorite people - we saw multiple frogs, and listened to them croak (a sound that fascinated all - ages 18 months to 37 years). Plus, I love to post on places to go and in spring, once the cherry blossoms are gone, there are few sights in the area that are this beautiful.

So hurry up and check out the azaleas. Meander through the flowers. Feel the beauty of nature. Hopefully take pictures better than mine. But go soon, due to the sequester, beginning next week, the National Arboretum will be CLOSING ITS GROUNDS TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. So no more weekday picnics and awesomeness. In addition, the National Arb will reinstate recovery of user fees (janitorial, security, staffing) and space rental charges for use of space by outside organizations in the recently renovated Administration and Visitor Services Building and in selected gardens.



Frogs! Who doesn't love frogs?

Things to Make - Our Family Art Game

As frequent readers of this blog know - I LOVE the Artful Parent because of her simple and open ended projects. She rarely recommends tough to find materials, instead she often relies on kitchen staples or art cabinet basics, using everything in new and different ways. Often, after I read her blog, I say to myself, "well, why didn't I think of that?", but I never DO think of that, hence why I need her.

Anyways, she now has a book out - The Artful Parent: Simple Ways to Fill Your Family's Life with Art and Creativity--Includes over 60 Art Projects for Children Ages 1 to 8 and even though I LOVE her blog I hesitated over whether or not to purchase a copy. Part of me wondered "what more can the Artful Parent possibly teach our family?" Luckily, I overcame my indecision and bought the book. And I must say, I'm loving it. I have no idea how many of the crafts she's already blogged, but there is something wonderful about reading a book over perusing the internet. And I really like how the Artful Parent has categorized the projects - art for playdates and parties, quiet activities, action art, first forays, quick and easy projects, etc. A great resource, whatever your mood.

We have only begun to dive into all of the book's suggested activities and crafts (i.e. summer vacation hasn't started yet), but we've already come up with a favorite new family activity (based on artful activity 49, musical chairs art). In order to "play" I fill the table with markers, crayons, oil pastels and a timer (borrowed from a board game). We all take a piece of white paper and draw until the timer runs out. And then we pass our drawings to the person on our right. And on and on. Until your original drawing returns to you. Easy, right? But so fun to play with your kids. I love that it forces me to think out of the box, to create or add to drawings that are so different than my own. The other day Dan drew a landscape and by the end of the game he had a plethora of underground "imaginary" animals burrowing under his hill. Or F's friend, L, made my giant circle (I tend to doodle shapes when I draw) into an earth, my other doodled shapes became random objects in an unknown galaxy.

The book recommends several variations on this theme - simon says drawing, musical chairs painting (create to music, than switch), composite people drawings, scribbling for a minute and then trying to find shapes in other people's random lines, etc. Eventually, I hope to try them all. But for now, we're having a ton of fun completing each other's artwork. (Well, except for T, who after making his first drawing always proclaims it "too good to share" and then spends the rest of the game creating on his own terms, which works as well).

So thank you, Artful Parent! Thank you! I cannot wait to try more of your book's wonderful ideas.









Unfortunately, the problem with participating in a time limited art game is taking pictures becomes tricky. We've played a few times, but I only photographed the last session, when the kids wanted to use Kaleidographs, which are wonderful, but produce somewhat abstract works of art.

Things to Do - And the Days Keep Flying By . . .

Lately, it seems like 7 pm arrives earlier and earlier. Before we've even cleared the dinner dishes, bedtime start encroaching into our night. Dog walks, bath time, it all sort of spirals, ending with T falling asleep during storytime. The girls often make it a little longer, passed out in bed with some random book. And downstairs, a glass of wine awaits.

Happy Friday everyone!! Have a wonderful weekend!

Places to Go - An Afternoon at the Hirshhorn and Air & Space Museum (Washington DC)

In the past few weeks T's had a crazy busy playdate schedule. A good thing, all in all. But on the downside, we don't spend as much time together, just the two of us, as in previous years. To fix this, we decided to take Friday afternoon "off" and visit the National Mall. I always forget how easy such adventures are. On weekdays, you can usually find ample metered parking in front of the Hirshhorn (right next door to Air and Space). Plus, free admission means you can pop in and out of different places. So see some art, run through the sculpture garden, "fly" an airplane (in the Air & Space Museum's How Things Move exhibit), watch a show on the "ceiling" (i.e. planetarium). Then hop in the car and drive home. All before rush hour.



T's favorite part of the art museum? Watching three video screens in an unseen person SLOWLY covered tvs with different colors of masking tape (one tv in red, one in yellow, and one in blue). "Who's going to win, mom? Isn't this exciting, who's going to win?" I can't say I shared his enthusiasm, I found the exhibit as boring, as well, as boring as watching someone cover a tv screen in masking tape (sometimes an analogy isn't really necessary).



We ended the day with a freeze-dried ice-cream sandwich, just like real astronauts.