Last Week Before School

Why would Collin want to go back to school next week with all of the fun he has been having this week?  Besides a birthday party on Sunday and then celebrating with the family Thursday night on his actual birthday, he, Dad and some of his friends have been hanging around town exploring, being artsy and having fun.

Monday, Barton, Dad and Collin went to the museum district and visited the Fine Art Museum and the Children's Museum. At the Fine Art Museum, the boys were actually interested in some of the exhibits.  When Dad needed a break from the questions, they walked through the general section of the museum.  Dad had no idea how many nude paintings there would be so he used his distraction skills as they walked through the hall finally ending up at the Shadow Monsters.  As explained on the museum website:

Shadow Monsters, an interactive installation by New York-based British artist Philip Worthington, invites Museum visitors to take part in a fully immersive art experience. Participants create their own shadow plays as their silhouettes are recast in fantastic forms.

Essentially a digital version of a traditional shadow-puppet theater, Shadow Monsters turns a childhood game of imagination into a reality. People's hands become mouths with razor-sharp teeth; tongues, eyes, and fins appear from every appendage; and birds and dinosaurs squawk throughout the Museum's vast Cullinan Hall—all thanks to vision-recognition software that augments visitors' gestures with sound and animation.

They boys having fun with the shadows at the Shadow Monster exhibit.

In the afternoon, the boys went to the Children's Museum.  Collin's favorite is still the water exhibit outside.  The spent most of the time in the basement climbing, crawling and jumping on the interactive exhibits.

After being at the museums from 9am til 4pm, it was time to head home and not get into too much traffic.  Plus they were already an hour late dropping Barton off at home.

The next day, Collin woke up and announced it would be fun to go to Top Golf and hit some golf balls.  Thinking that WAS a good idea, Collin, a friend and Dad hit some golfs balls for over an hour.  Collin later told me that was way too short and he wanted to stay longer.

Thursday, it was raining all day so the boys went to watch a movie, Shaun the Sheep.  So many of his friends had the same idea.  He had more fun knowing his friends where there than watching the movie.  

Friday morning, we went to school to meet his 2nd grade teacher, Ms Briggs.  He was ho hum about going back to school until he saw which friends were in his class.  Some of his good buddies are in there including Clayton.  We have not heard anything about Ms Briggs from the other parents.  While we were there, some of her students going into 3rd grade stopped by.  We talked to their moms who had really good things to say about her.  

Collin and Ms Briggs

After going to school, Collin got a hair cut because that was our deal for the summer.  He could grow it out but then had to cut it before school started.  

He starts school Monday, August 24th.  I'm looking forward to the school year.