Goin' to the Getty Part 2, or Train of Doom

One of the reasons I was excited to go to the Getty again is because they are having an Ansel Adams exhibit and I really do love good photography.  This was the very end of the day and Livi was DONE.  She hung on for a long time, through statue halls, impressionist paintings, and even 18th century paneled rooms, but this was her breaking point and I just wanted to quickly look at the prints.  She was whining and pulling on me so I did what every great mother does and handed her my phone to play a game.  She then decided that the one place in the WHOLE museum where you can't take photos would be a good place to start her budding photography career.  I got yelled at by a guard, who seemed awfully mean about a 5 year old taking pictures, which means I got beet red and teared up (because I fear breaking rules) but then looked at the photo she took and thought her interesting composition  was worth it.

 We went out into the gardens before we left, and was sad to see we couldn't go in the majority of it because they were trying to fix the problem of the sun scorching all the plants planted around the water. Who would have thought that the sun could get really hot in Southern California? Oh, everyone who has ever spent time there in the summer??? Yep.

 In the background is the arch that Eric and I took a picture in front of for my 18th birthday.  It was part of the roped off area and I'd had my fill of being yelled at by authority figures so didn't risk going down for a photo.
To get to the Getty itself you have to park down below the mountain and then take a train up to the museum itself.

On our way back down we barely made it to the stop in time and Ella raced right on.  I was right behind her, but the door closed right in my face.  She was on the train, all by herself, surrounded by strangers, in L.A.  Luckily they are the type of people in L.A. who frequent fine art museums, so they tried valiantly to get the doors open, but none of our efforts worked.  The automated train started taking my 8 year old off without me.  I yelled at her to wait down at the platform for me and not go anywhere.

It was an excruciating 5 minutes waiting for the next train.  I could have run down the path, but didn't think my already tired knees and out of shape body would get me there any sooner than the train.  As we pulled up there was at least 5 workers who saw our group waving at Ella and cheered.  The group of strangers on the train alerted the workers about the situation and those workers kept close to Ella.  I will never see those people again, but I am thankful to them from the bottom of my heart.  It's not typical California behavior (outside of Disneyland) and honestly nothing probably would have happened, but it made me happy to know that there are still good people out there

Goin' to the Getty Part 1

For my 18th birthday I was lucky enough to have a wonderful boyfriend, and two great friends who were willing to humor me and my nerdiness and go to the Getty Art Museum (not something most 18 year olds want to do for fun).  I hadn't been back since, but I had always wanted to since I had had such a wonderful experience the first time.

My mom pointed out that the kids were probably old enough that we could possibly have a good time at the Getty.  We arrived on one of the busiest days (Spring Break gets us again) and had to wait in line just to get some food.  One we had full tummies and empty bladders (which getting 3 kids to all go even if they "don't need to go" is a chore itself) we were able to head off and enjoy the compound of museums.

The first building is always one of my favorites because it houses the illuminated manuscripts.  It also held Livi's favorite piece "Venus and Mars Embracing."  She stared at it a good 10 minutes, which was fine, but then I would try and get her to go into another room to look at manuscripts or stained glass windows and she would always want to go back.  We kept going back, because I like that she was interested in art, but I was starting to get a little concerned by her obsession with the sculpture, and was able to finally pull her away with a promise of M&M's.  Because no matter how intriguing kissing, naked people are, M&M's are better when you are 5.

They have a small kids area where there are some interactive stations that incorporate famous art in other parts of the museum.  Here the kids made the creepiest masks ever, to match the creepiest painting ever

There is also a reproduction of an 18th century French aristocrats bed. 

Livi was VERY taken with the real thing, and although very respectful of the bed and good about not touching, she did inform me that she WILL have a bed like that when she is grown up.  Yep, because I totally have my VW Bug, and pink bedroom.

Also in the kid center (which was actually quite empty.  I think the rest of the museum was busy with all the teachers and professors on Spring Break) was a giant illuminated manuscript the kids could add to using white board markers.

Ethan added a ghost and a farmer saying "You scared me," because all provincial landscapes need more ghosts.

On this one he added the shepherd saying "Let me just check my email," and the sheep exclaiming "WHAT?"

The craziest story is yet to come, including one of my worst nightmares as a mother, but I have to go get kids in a second, so I'll make this a two part post.