Family First Saturday

It had been way too long since I went to Family First Saturday with Steph and Nora at the Cincinnati Art Museum. The museum is one of my favorite places in town and they do a wonderful job with Family First Saturday. Stories, music, artists, art for kids. All too often, I'm working on the first Saturday of the month, and it's only September through May. I understand that Aaron went along in September but he didn't really appreciate the experience. Or, maybe he did but his family didn't appreciate his experience.

Steph very nicely dressed Nora in a dress I made for her.

I think that "making art" is Nora's favorite experience at First Saturday. The museum workers do a great job of choosing art to match the day's theme and finding creative things for kids. This time was "In the Round" and Nora is getting ready to wind yarn around a thick plastic bangle. This may have been a little hard for kids - all over the room were parents wrapping yarn around bangles. There were beads and big sequins to add.

Then there were collages to make on paper plates. I love the way Nora hums when she's happy and engaged, and she's humming here.

Some creative soul came up with the idea of letting kids pick a clear plastic cylinder with a lid and filling it with marbles, plastic shapes, yarn, etc., then

putting it on a platform above a beanbag and turning it to make a kalidoscope. Really fun.

When we got back to my house, Nora wanted to stay. We had pizza at LaRosa's and made a trip to Rempke to get juice, Pop Tarts, and Goldfish. She was so pleased with the little shoppping cart.

For me, a highlight of her stay was introducing her to the sewing machine I got her. I have no pictures, but I took the thread out of the machine and she sat on my lap and guided lines on paper under the needle while I pressed the pressure foot. I think that next time we'll use thread and fabric, still with me on the pressure foot. I've heard that sewing skips a generation, in which case, Nora's up.