Exploring Art on the Streets

Miranda and Paulo both in lots o' fish (from le•top's 2010 Spring collection).

It was a gorgeous (and I mean GORGEOUS!) Spring day last Friday. Although I didn’t plan on being outdoors all day, the kids and I ended up doing so. We were only supposed to have lunch with friends then drive back home for my son’s nap. The sun was shining and people were happily walking around. My daughter, Miranda, asked after our meal, “Can we go for a short walk?” (Sure, why not?)

As we walked around Downtown Pleasanton, we saw life-size art figures* displayed sporadically around the street. At a distance we thought they were real people, but as we got closer, we realized they were bronze sculptures. And they were cool! So cool, in fact, my children thought playing around them was more fun than a playground! (This one is inspired by the “American Gothic” painting by Grant Wood, 1928.) Miranda couldn’t get enough! We spent the entire afternoon walking up and down the street counting the number of unique and interesting sculptures we encountered, and admiring the precision and patience the artist put into each work of art. Since we were still in Pleasanton and it was getting late, we called Daddy to meet us here and join us for dinner. So up and down the street we walked again till Daddy showed up.

Who thought we’d spend the day appreciating art? Great idea, Miranda!

(* Works by artist Seward Johnson.)

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Birthday Theme: Safari Adventure!

Thrills, action and adventure!

Time flies when you’re having fun! And having a son surely made it go even faster. Paulo turned a year old this month, and to celebrate his first year, we had a little safari adventure. It wasn’t too difficult to pull together, just some coordinating. First of all, Paulo already had the perfect outfit to wear: Hip Hop Grasshopper from le•top’s 2010 Spring/Summer collection. All I had to do was to dress my family to match his attire. I bought pith helmets and bandanas to accessorize our khaki gear. We had a custom cake decorated with tiny snakes, handed out 3-ft. stuffed snakes as our party giveaways, and invited our dear friend, Jungle James, to bring his corn snake and other critters to entertain our guests. Oh, did the children have a wild time!

The party only lasted 3 hours, but at the end of the day my husband and I were exhausted. I realize now (after almost six years of party planning for my kids), it doesn’t matter how long the party is or how many guests are invited, the amount of work is still the same:

• planning
• writing out invitations
• shopping (food, drinks, party supplies, etc.)
• order the cake
• cleaning the house
• setting up the food
• mingling with the guests
• replenishing the empty food trays and drink cups
• serving the cake
• opening the presents
• cleaning up – BIGGEST JOB OF ALL!
• writing thank you cards

What I’ve learned is Children’s Birthday Parties = Work. THEMED BIRTHDAY PARTIES = EXTRA WORK!!! But it’s worth every moment when I see how much fun everyone* is having. So now that I’ve got one child’s birthday party under my belt, it’s off to plan my daughter’s birthday party. She’s going to be 6 years old, so I know it’s going to be a sassy one. I’ve get less than three months, so I better get to it.

(* That includes the parents!)

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