........................................................Mozart Experience: National Museum

we went with Aunty J and her brood. e kids hardly stopped to spend time with each other once inside (except perhaps when they locked themselves into the carriage time and again!). we arrived when it opened and it was pleasantly quiet. the kids managed to do everything they wanted when they wanted, except the calligraphy section where they had to wait qt a while. this section was poorly designed. it really shd have offered more seating, perhaps 2 more tables the same size wd have bn more adequate.

kayla loved dressing up. she changed numerous times, and studied herself in the mirror, straightening here and there. then she walked to the bike/carriage to don a horse's head and tried to peddle. later on she requested a moustache and changed to boys clothes. (still with the horse's head on!)  at the calligraphy table she was not too happy at all the giggles and smiles she kept getting...all because of her funny attire! 

we left when some kindy kids arrived and it started to get noisy. timing was perfect for some lunch. but 1st we toured an interesting art installation on perspective. the kids found the swimmer going across the wall to be incredibly realistic. (like they were viewing him rt in the pool!) even i cd appreciate it :) then they headed out and played with their friends in a kiddy-zone. after that, lunch was calling... and a little run-around the museum of course!

when our friends left, we settled down to what turned out to be a rather expensive treat while we waited for the rain to stop. when it finally did, it was only abt 3,.30pm, so we decided to head back to Mozart.  it was very quiet by then... probably about 10 or fewer kids in total.

our kids had lots they still wanted to do... ky decided he was ready to dress up now that it was quieter :) and with fewer eyes looking his way.  after some posing, they headed back to write something for their daddy using the quill and ink. then on to their 2 favourite spots: 1 where they cd pound their own herbal tooth-powder, and another, where they cd make their own healthful teabags. the students manning the booths were very sweet with the kids, particularly the young men. (...mostly from the art college they said.) the kids were treated with patience and given special attention, even allowing them to make teabags for their moms and dads, in addition to their own!  so i got to choose my special mix of ingredients. :)

before leaving, the place was practically deserted, so the kids tried their hand at toys from that era. kayla's favourites turned out to be a wooden hobby-horse that she pranced abt on, making horsie sounds as she went... along with a little wooden wheeled animal on a tattered string, which she pulled here and there.

kynan tried his hand at the wooden spinning tops, actually managing to get some to spin by looping the string ard and then giving them a quick pull. (i wasnt terribly good either). his favourite though, was a wooden hoop which he mastered rolling about the floor with a wooden stick. (him and the hoop ran into a partition wall a few times, but otherwise, success! :))

it was hard to pull them away... i was worried about how bz the mrt wd be heading back during rush-hour... and how cranky kay mt be.   thankfully she fell asleep in her stroller, but with a very moody, pouting look on her face...and still boasting her black swirly moustache! (sure to brighten the way for fellow-passengers i discovered! :))

another very productive day... and more fun for the kids than i'd ever imagined it cd be!