Lazy Days

We've had a few lazy days. For a couple of days there were teacher strikes so yesterday boy monkey couldn't go to nursery and today the whole school was closed. I love it when they are at home and can't wait for the summer holidays to start. Mr Betsy was reading a local magazine tonight that had some entertaining tips for the next few weeks but guess what we've got a full schedule already. So many great things to do in town and in and around the home, I'm considering making a lucky dip pot as we might not be able to fit it all in. That way we've got excitement every day!

Yesterday boy monkey and I went to the Whitworth Art Gallery. We went on the bus, sitting upstairs, to please boy monkey. There is a fabulous exhibition on at the moment entitled Neverland: Rediscovering Child Art? The exhibition shows works done by children over the last 100 years or so alongside works by the Modern Masters such as Picasso, Klee, Appel. Some of these works are considered naive or childlike by many viewers but the question "Could a child do that?" which was raised in the exhibition hit the nail on the head. Anyone can copy but to actually make a work of art that might resemble child art is extremely hard to achieve. It was very well put together and as I will be starting an arts and crafts club for children in September I took more interest in what the children actually had achieved in this exhibition. I just did not understand the question mark in the title, it is almost questioning the point of the exhibition. Anyway one of the commissions for this show Thinkspace, Makespace is a fabulous area where children and adults can sit down to think  about ideas and create art. There are several pods to relax in, tables, reading corners, all in bright colours, very inviting. I hope many parents will take their children there. 

Outside the museum were three tipees that were being used by a couple of school groups. We were briefly allowed to go into one, a great place to have a picnic or a snooze on such a lovely, sunny day. 

After visiting the gallery boy monkey used up some more energy by running up and down these steps in the middle of the lawn. We had a fabulous time, so much so that we'll go back on Saturday morning en famille.

Another lazy day today as both monkeys were of school. We intended to go to the gym and be active but as it was coming down in buckets again we didn't feel like walking all the way their and get drenched. So we had a craft day at home. In the morning we made miniature rooms from old shoeboxes, made our smoothie of the day (1 glass of orange juice, cup of greek yoghurt, one banana and a bowl of raspberries) which was downed in one go by girl monkey (it must have been nice......) and baked Doctor Who biscuits. After watching The Cat in the Hat in the afternoon they moved onto stenciling gift wrap for their teachers presents. We used Busy Betsy's favourite colours red, white and blue and the monkeys mixed a lovely purple. I am sure the teachers will love it, heart shapes and circles. 

Oh and we discovered seedlings on the cress ginger bread figures, very exciting!!