WOW

I want "wow", said my daughter to me in one morning a few days ago, meaning she wanted to be amazed by something. So I took her to Tate Britain to she could see some great masterpieces... and so she got her "wow" thanks to Lelia who came as well, rather than Picasso.

Tate Britain is an older and perhaps more serious sister to the Tate Modern - so no musical slide I'm afraid. They do some children's activities from time to time though, so it's good to check out their website.
It's a beautiful building and amazing space... at the moment they are running exhibitions of Pablo Picasso and Damien Hurst.

The girls pretty much took over whole building - they were running from one room to the other, singing, dancing and laughing non stop. Their favourite thing was a video installation featuring a high-wire artist - they lay down on the floor and watched the projection together holding hands. And in moments like that I am so grateful that two years back we decided to live in the countryside where we met Nadia and Lelia (a year later they followed us back to London). The girls loved each other before they could properly walk and 'Lelia' was one of Odessa's first words. It's magic when they are together... (definitely a big wow).

from Earlsfield to Vauxhall

On the train to Tate Britain, a week ago, I have never gotten used to the bizarre English weather - last week Odessa had to have a fur coat on, but today she was running naked in the garden.

afternoon at home

Little queen Odessa and her five kittens...

meow!

after the rain

theatre again

As my three year old daughter becomes more cultural than her parents are, and when we suggested for her to go shopping with us she screamed back 'No! No shopping! I want to go theatre!!'  There was little else we could do but book another ballet show. This time we went to see 'Little Princess' - a nostalgia trip for me, as I still remember my mum reading this book to me when I was little girl.


The play was was very charming, Odessa loved it especially that this time it was children doing the dancing. And as if that wasn't perfect enough, her very much loved friend Lelia was sitting next to her. 


Below; some images taken after the show in front of Peacock Theatre in Archway - central London. 

 

hello kittens!

Odessa with two of five kittens born in my bedroom a few days ago. They are all ginger, healthy and brought lot's of happiness to our home. 
Odessa's names suggestions for them are: "Tiger", "Bear", "Four" (yes as in number 4!), "Leila's cat" and "Kitten"! 

  

I spy with my little eye ...Art!

'Picasso likes triangles' - said my three year old daughter to me this morning. And my heart sang!

And it is all thanks to those books.

Odessa is a logical thinker with a surreal sense of humour - she is not big fan of mixing paints and getting her hands dirty. The favourite thing she likes to draw is number '9' - because its 'a  circle with a leg'. She also likes "ssssss" (for snake) and "mmmm" (for mama). I decided to follow her recent number and letters obsession as well as introduce art to her from different perspective (at least that was the theory). 'I spy (...) in art' is perfect for it.

It's a series of books with famous paintings (representing different styles and periods) and interactive tasks like finding a word starting with a letter (for example, 'A' in Rene Magritte's 'Son of Man', or B for ball in in Henri Rousseau's 'Football players').  

 In the 'numbers' edition you need find particular amounts of an  object (like one fly, for example).

Reading them with your children is also great opportunity to introduce some of the biggest names in art and different styles. It might sound a bit heavy for a three year old, but it seems their brain at that stage can really process a lot of information Also, what I have learnt being a mum is that it's more important how you do things not what you do.

So use simple words like Picasso likes shapes or Chagall likes countryside and weddings - point out things they are familiar with and gradually introduce new elements. 

It has been an amazing experience looking at all those masterpieces through a little  child's eyes - it really allows  you to analyse them. And now I'm not sure who has learnt more - me or Odessa.

just before the rain