Star Reader

Once every 25 school days, M is STAR READER. She chooses a book to read 'with expression!', to the whole class.

There is some debate about the stories and we have avoided some dull Disney tales, mainly thanks to some glorious alternatives provided by Grandma Di (One mole digging a hole), Tante Rina (The Mole Sisters), someone fantastic (The Odd Egg) and the School Book Fair (Pig Kahuna)...

MFA Open Studios, VCU Arts

Scott was lovely and can get graphite to do fabulous things, from firework plooms to stark forms, plus add in some sugar brick structures and it's beginning to be an oddly intriguing mix of strength and almost nothingness.

The man who'd filmed strips of red fabric being strung Christo-like across a snowy landscape, with an audio of the wind that clearly was in control out there, was visually poetic. There was a woman who had made a camp-fire scene with mini figures and a definite sense of crazy-forboding and another who was intrigued by couples in the water, snogging, drowning and with their Labradors.

It was a busy night and the studios themselves were fabulously resourced - like monastic cells, with access to furnaces and kit and a labyrinth passages and the sound of stimulating chatter. Great stuff from a great school.

Show and Tell

This weekly bit of public speaking passes us by most Fridays but today M decided to take in her mermaid Barbie - the youngest in her retinue - at a mere two years old. How does she know this? Each has a year of production and the word Mattel imprinted in their sveltely curved backs.

She then agreed to take her oldest too, at 46 year old c. 1966, with the Elizabeth Taylor hairdo and diamanté necklace. Attempts to fit her chest into more contemporary clothing failed and we were late as we had to find her original larger-breasted slip dress. So thankfully not naked like her peers.

Mrs M was much amused and shares a house with teenagers and still clotheless Barbies and sent us photos from M's top presentation (above taken back at home).

Substitutions for a game never played, Visual Arts Centre of Richmond

Listening to opera on a Tuesday afternoon a block from home... Vesti la giubba (Put on the costume) from Leoncavallo's opera Pagliacci. The artist donned her own big paper-mache head and then painted herself in her studio, amongst the many piles of toys to be seen strewn across works throughout the show - Clifford the big red dog, George the monkey and someone from Bugs Life, were all there, or so I'm told by my mini gallery guide.

I rather liked some dead bird + toy still life combinations - they were a bit Diary of an Edwardian Country Lady crossed with sinister rubber ducks.

Our house

Floor plan for future guests.

Note key, with piles of clothes (two locations!) and the giant rug...

Plus, first floor = ground level

Code Red

Not MILD red for hurricane days, full-on lock-down... it's going to be exciting, I'm told and they get to hide in special places. On our way to school I say, "Don't forget to be silent." "The only sound I'll make is breathing", she promises.

On they way home I find out they got to be 'groundhogs' and snuggle - it was fun.

Walking Field Trip #1, VMFA

Hand-in-hand we walked 'with purpose' up a few blocks to the hallowed halls of the Virginia Museum of Fine Art and what do you know, I learnt that Cy Twombly was Virginian! We looked, we thought a bit about lines and colour, we sketched,  and headed back. Lots more visits to come...