Artsy Friday

Just a sample of the fun we had on Friday hitting MoMA PS. 1 in Long Island City, Queens.  As I've mentioned here before, it's a great little museum with suggested donation rates (bonus points!) that takes less than 10 minutes to drive to (or a few quick stops on the 7 train). So when our friend Monica mentioned she might be going this week, I asked her if she wanted some company and away we went before Nacho had to go to work later that afternoon. The outdoor WALL exhibit was what sparked my interest initially with its hidden pools as cooling stations. As we approached them, however, the security guard came racing over to tell us the kids couldn't walk around up on the decks. Oh joy. This was starting to feel like our disappointing outing in a Chelsea gallery last year. But after a little questioning, he said they could sit and put their feet in as long as they weren't walking around. Perfect. That's all I really wanted anyway. So we attempted to grab some seats from the rad-looking skateboard style planks hanging around when *oops!* Elisa fell in. She slipped just as her feet touched the water and down she went on her butt, soaking her skirt and scaring herself more than anything. As I stifled a laugh and pulled her out, we had barely started to ring out her clothes before Carolina went to move and *oops again!* fell in the water, only this was more like shoulder level on her. Really girls? I take you to an art museum and you have to go swimming first? I mean, in reality, the water was about a foot deep, so I wasn't exactly prepared for them to get soaked. But hey, we rolled with it, changed Carolina into dry shorts and let Elisa run around outside for a few minutes before entering the rest of the museum. 

The girls both loved all the open space inside the galleries, and Nacho stared wistfully at the diners eating inside the M. Wells kitchenette. I promised him we'll be back some time soon without the girls to enjoy a nice museum day on our own. Wouldn't that be lovely? Since to be fair, it's a bit hectic trying to chase two kids and read the plaques and keep them quiet and make sure no hands are flinging around touching exhibits. By the time we saw the room with the stone steps leading higher and higher to the ceiling, it was a welcome relief to let them out and down for a bit. The kind security guard even encouraged us to sit and take some photos (otherwise verboten in the museum)--so we did. Then Nacho was off to drive to work and we followed Monica and Bix out to lunch at nearby Cranky's on Vernon Blvd. The kids hung on for a bit longer but I could tell time was running out. Bix was really doting on little Carolina, and Elisa loved snapping pics of him and showing him the videos on my phone.  Of course, naps are always hard to return home for, and I long for the day when we can just keep going and going.  But with Carolina getting ever more vocal and annoyed, it was time. A quick dash into Baskin-Robbins for some ice cream first and then a sprint to the subway as the sprinkles began to pick up. Not a bad Friday enjoying some culture in the big city and remembering this is what we live here for in the first place. Even with kids.