Ozzi vs The Octopus

Target Family Day at MIA was great. The highlight, making shadow puppets.

K8 made an Ozzi puppet:

I made an Octopus:

Q and Ozzi made it worthwhile:

Bread Experiment #3 and a trip to Como Zoo

Last night we tried to make some semblance of chocolate babka. Its bread with a layer of chocolate rolled inside like chocolate babka, but that's where the similarities end. Totally different taste but it is still bread with chocolate rolled in.

Last week I took the boys to Como Zoo. Good times. We even ran into some friends. Gotta love living in "Small Paul".

Arty Pants at The Walker

Today we made it to The Walker for Arty Pants. Despite it being damn cold outside there was a really good turnout. Q's Homeboys Max and Carter even showed up with their moms in tow. All in all it was a great time and we managed to leave all the priceless works of art relatively unscathed. In Carter's defense that sculpture totally looked like park equipment.

GO! The Walker Art Center: Arty Pants

Next Tuesday is yet another installment of Arty Pants at the Walker. We haven't been there for quite a while. Unfortunately we missed this months First Free Saturday, another awesome regular event. This month they were celebrating the new Frida Kahlos special exhibit. For December it looks like First Free Saturday will be everything Hip Hop.

Any-who, I think we are a bit over due to get our art on, so we will be doing our best to make it to the Walker next Tuesday (Nov. 27) at 11 am. That's really the only downfall of this program. It starts at 11am. This kinda forces you to either leave after only an hour or less or to have lunch with the kids at the 20.21 Wolfgang Puck restaurant upstairs. But doing that is like having a perfectly good date night dining experience wasted on the food flinging product of a similar date night from the distant past.

Picture Perfect Twin Cities - The Weisman

From time to time I will be posting about places around the Twin Cities that I have found to be great locations for taking photographs of children.

Today, The Weisman Art Museum. Located on the U of M campus overlooking the Mississippi River, The Weisman was designed by world renowned architect Frank Gehry. I'll spare any attempt at an architectural review by simply saying that it is an amazing building, an explosion of angles and shapes all covered with shimmering stainless steel.

Inside you will find a few small galleries that are definitely worth walking through, especially since admission is free. There are an assortment of paintings and sculpture that seem to appeal to kids. If, while inside, you plan to take any pictures make sure your flash is off and its best to check with the front desk for any other restrictions they may have on photography in the galleries.

Now it's time to get the really good pictures outside. Take the elevator down to the parking garage entrance level and walk outside toward the river. You will find a nice patch of grass right in front of the building. Let the kids run off some steam while you start snapping as many pictures as possible. Don't worry too much if they don't want to "pose" for you. Most of the pictures that I really like that I've taken there of Q and some friends are of kids being kids. Remember that the building is reflective so it can be just as much a subject as your child. Showing up at just the right time of day could make a nice picture spectacular! The following pictures were not taken in ideal conditions but they give you a good idea of the potential.