One of My Favorite Moments of the Whole Year

My son dutifully holds onto his littlest sister's hand. (She's fast!)

In Norfolk, VA we're fortunate to have The Chrysler Museum. This is not a particularly large art museum, but it has a stellar collection, inventive, thoughtful exhibits, and awesome staff. I LOVE this place. I would live there if I could. I would go every single day and just sit, or draw, or paint, or study. I don't go very often because the bulk of my life right now is taken up by raising these three little monsters. (I say that with the utmost love - I'm blessed to have such great kids, but now with No. 3, my husband and I are officially outnumbered and exhausted!)


So earlier this month I was able to pack the kids up into the car - right after No. 3's first nap, but before No. 2 & 3's other nap - and run over to the museum to catch a glimpse of Vermeer's A Lady Writing a Letter, on loan from the National Gallery for just 6 weeks. We caught her in her last week! We also strolled through their extensive glass exhibit, which my son enjoyed immensely. You know it's a good sign when your kid actually reads all the information on the walls! By the time we were wandering through the 18-19th century European art, he asked if he could take the baby out of the stroller and let her walk around. I nervously said yes and reminded him to hold tightly to her hand as I didn't want any of us to end up as one of those horrible viral videos where a kid's destroying some priceless work of art!

I wish I had my phone ready to snap a picture of her the moment she was free of the stroller. She stood there, pointed up at a nearby statue, and just babbled happily about it. No. 1 held onto her hand as the three of them made their way from one end of the room to the other, and at that other end I was able to capture this moment. I wish you could see No. 2's face. She wore her crystal-studded pink sunglasses the entire time, like a little movie star.

I love my kids. And I love art. I hope that in sharing this place that is so special to me they'll develop their own appreciation. Yes, I'm waxing sentimental but it's the last day of 2016 and this was one of my highlights.

Happy New Year!