Field Trip: Corning Museum of Glass

Once upon a time, we took a trip to the Corning Museum of Glass.

It was actually one of our 12 Days of Christmas treats, hence the Christmas tree in the entryway.  

The great thing about this museum is that it has free admission for anyone 18 years or younger.  

When a museum has that sorta perk, and you happen to have five children, you kinda wanna jump on it.  

Too bad I can no longer pass for 18.  

 Here is my sister and I and our passel of children.  

Passels of children make me happy.

Coolest chess set ever...

After seeing such incredible beautiful glass works, we continued following the hallway to check out the next room when Ineke exclaimed, in a clear and exuberant tone... "Oh my GOODNESS!  This is beautiful! So, so beautiful!"

What was she referring to?

This:

 

Ummm....... kay.

My favorite spot will always be the stained glass area. 

From far away, the pieces are so magnificent!  

But if you step up close, I discovered just how 3 dimensional the art can be, which I guess I never really knew.

We discovered Grandma has a glass museum in her kitchen!

The children thought a highlight of the trip was the unlimited access to any number of computer tablets explaining the different exhibits.  They don't usually have free access to the computer.  

All I could think about was the germs that they were undoubtedly laden with having millions of grubby hands swiping 'em all over every day.

But the puke bug had recently visiting our entire household, so these things were on my mind.

Then we entered into this brilliant, bright, white, ginormous wing of the museum.

And I discovered it was absolutely PERFECT lighting for portraiture!

And then I found all the people close to me so I could snap pictures of them...

Aw, Mama.  You are so WEIRD.

 

Some were more willing than others.  A-hem, Christiana!

The kids sometimes had a hard time trying to figure out what the art was 'saying'.  

(Me too.)  

I guess I am just not that sophisticated.

And then, right before we left, we watched a live demonstration about making glass eyes.   (They even make little red glass wisps for the blood vessels...)

You never know when this information may come in handy.

The Audacity

Three days before Christmas, this girl had the audacity to turn three years old.

 And I had the audacity not to post these photos for almost three months.

She wanted RAINBOW colors on her cake.  

 

It's tough having your birthday just a few days before Christmas.  It is a slapdash affair.

I bought her a doll when Toys R Us was going out of business (I am particular about dolls- they need to have pretty faces which happens less and less often these days.  Have you noticed this?) and she got a book (because.... well, books!)  

But knowing more Christmas gifts are going to be inundating us in just a few days really makes me wanna hold waaaay back on the *stuff*.

So the poor girl got mostly practical HANDMADE stuff (which may be considered not cool some day but until then- totally cool.)

Flannel PJ's

(she had totally stolen Adele's mermaid...)

A little tunic and matching dress for her birthday doll... which have matching hair accessories if you want to bother with hair accessories.  

Which we often don't.  Clearly.

And a reversible flannel cape for those milder days when a coat seems a bit overdone but still, a little something is needed.  

Those days are coming... right?

crafting on...

O Happy Day

The happiest day of the week:  Library day.

Blog Fodder

I have two big kids who do a lot of work on the computer these days which leaves me far less opportunity to blog than I once had.  So, again, I am waaayyy behind on getting my photos sorted in my online (and only) photo album- my blog.

Here's a nice plump helping of blog fodder to get me started.  

You're welcome.

(PS.  Thank you so much for all your enthusiastic responses to Cricket!  They were a true joy to bask in!)

The key to a magazine worthy food shot is to have piping hot food in a freezing cold house so you can see the delicious steam.  We do what we must.

The most popular spot in the house these days: the grate above the woodstove.  Not only is it WARM but it makes dresses into hot air balloons and ball gowns.

Sorting through apples.  Some for sauce, some for eating, some for drying into chips.  I've already done it once... I have to do it again with the rest of the apples very, very soon.  It isn't my most favorite job ever but I like the resulting grub.

  One of the rare Sundays I have successfully transferred a sleeping baby from van to house and she's remained asleep. SCORE!

Ash trees are under attack by the pernicious (yet beautiful) Emerald Ash bore beetle in our area causing terrible damage to trees. Matt has been busy getting the ash logs out of the woods to sell before they just rot in the ground.  That, coupled with getting logs for his brothers' saw mill, our neighbors have been seeing sights like this pretty often these days.

Ineke loves walking around with skirts on her head.  She says it is her beautiful long hair. 

It does seem to age her a bit though.

The kids dressed Ineke up as an "Indian"...

...but to me she looks like an authentic (and cheerful) Mountain baby.

Authentic, that is, until she turns around....

WHOOP!  There it is!

Eating Keto can be so CHALLENGING.

(It really can when mornings look like this...)

All the coolest people

An owl jumper I made for Ineke  in honor of her rapidly diminishing thunder thighs.

 

It's not a party until every last miniscule toy is out.

Mozzarella making before bed.

A baby boy gift whipped up last week.

  There is a tsunami of boy babies (both here now AND soon coming) that are in need of some handmade goodness.  And a few babies who will be surprising us.  This is the first of many (almost a dozen!) handmade gifts in my near future.

Don't ever expect to see clean windows in my house.

Just sayin'.