Mid-Autumn Evening in the Garden
Success! This evening, I got my darling husband to tag along and visit one of Jacksonville‘s fine museums for the first time in the nearly 4-years we’ve lived here. He’s usually too busy working while we gallivant around NE Florida. We were fortunate to have him around this evening and headed to the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens and enjoy the mild mid-Autumn weather.
Here are some spectacular garden shots from this evening’s excursions!
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Stop and Smell the Roses at the Cummer Museum
If you’ve never experienced the gardens at the Cummer Museum of Arts and Gardens, then you haven’t really experienced Jacksonville. We’ve been there many times but it never fails to be awe-inspiring. I could live in those gardens and be a happy girl.
We had an awesome, busy homeschooling day today. Academic time, drama club, library time, art projects, and life skills (aka: chores!) kept us on our feet most of the day. The hubby was working late today, so the kids and I figured it would be great to hit up the Cummer Museum for an art class. Unfortunately, it turned out that art class was cancelled for an event. No worry. We spend a great evening in the gardens with our awesome neighbor and her baby Evie. The kids did art in the gardens and enjoyed exploring. I loved chatting with a great friend and hanging out in the gardens.
If you’ve never been, the Cummer Museum of Arts and Gardens in Riverside has an Italian Renaissance and a Traditional English garden. Sigh. It’s heavenly. Here are some new pictures of one of my favorite places in the world. All I need is a glass of tea, a good novel, and I would be in heaven. Seriously… I think this is what heaven looks like. 
Original Creations at the Cummer Museum—Art Class!
Alex shows off her "Animal Mask"
What better way is there to spend a Tuesday evening than to drop your six-year-old off at art class? I can think of so many benefits. Someone else’s table gets covered with glue, not mine. Her creative muscle gets exercised and I don’t have to think up an original art project. Plus, she gets to socialize with some new kids and have fun! Win, win!
We tried out the Cummer Museum of Art and Garden’s Drop-In Art Class today and it was a big hit. Alex loves art. I mean, she lives and breathes art and creation! She spends at least an hour every day making ”masterpieces” and on Tuesdays we typically schedule art into our curriculum. Alas for her, mom was really tired this afternoon and had her play in her room while the rest of us took a little snooze. To make up for it, we headed to the Cummer for their 5 pm class once everyone got up from their rests. It was totally worth it.
Alex’s class consisted of five other girls, a boy, and an enthusiastic art teacher. They toured the museum and learned all about the Cummer family, then headed to the classroom to make animal masks. Alex impressed everyone with her vast knowledge of dinosaurs and accompanying dinosaur sounds. Oh, I am so proud. She’ll love hearing about that when she’s a teenager. I should record her making dinosaur “wails” and play them for her future children. 
Anyway, the class lasted for an hour and only cost $5! We’ll definitely do it again soon. Perhaps even Ethan will try it, if he can take part without crying and causing a scene. We may need to work toward that lofty aspiration.
The other kids and I hung around Art Connections for the duration of the class. This was the first visit where Bella was able to walk and she loved her newfound freedom. She was a busy little explorer! I don’t think there was a square inch of that gallery her little hands didn’t touch. The boys enjoyed spending so much time playing as well. Everyone had a blast and got nice and sleepy. Once we got home there was just enough time for dinner and bed. Now that’s my kind of evening!
I love the time we have now to experience the great classes Jacksonville has to offer. When Alex went to public school we were all so exhausted by the time she got home. We ate dinner, did chores, accomplished homework assignments, and started all over again. Now that there’s no homework, we have so much more time. Things are so much more relaxed. Alex has time for all the classes and clubs she missed out on before, and mom and dad don’t go crazy! It’s amazing what you can accomplish with a little free time.
If anyone else is interested, Drop-In Art Class is every Tuesday at the Cummer from 5-6 pm. General admittance to the museum is free on Tuesdays after 4 pm. Check it out!
Alex's Masterpiece
Learning All Day Long
Discovery and Team Work
- Who’s That Adorable Baby?
The Boys Love The Touchable Art
Jacksonville’s Gem: Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens
If you ever travel through Jacksonville, you absolutely must check out the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens at 829 Riverside Avenue. Located along the St. Johns River, the museum was built on the site of a historic Jacksonville mansion and houses a fantastic art collection, has two acres of spectacular, walk-able gardens (one Italian Renaissance garden, one traditional British garden), and boasts an amazing children’s art center. We’ve spent many mornings at the Cummer this summer and won’t tire of it any time soon.
Wednesdays are field trip days at our house, so after two hours of the basics (math and reading), we loaded everyone up in the trusty Sienna and headed out on the town. Our first stop was the library, a weekly favorite. This is the last week of the Jacksonville Public Library’s Summer Reading Program and the kids were excited to turn in their reading logs and get a prize. They each got a new book to keep and loaded up their library bags with new treasures to borrow as well. My kids are serious about their books and check out at least 30 new titles a week. Even Bella chooses her own books now!
Our next stop was the Cummer for some hands-on art before lunch. We made self-portraits and built sculptures. We painted amazing original paintings (and printed them!) and read books in the little lounge. We explored shapes, colors, and textures, and searched for our favorite pieces of art. Alex and Ethan made postcards with self-drawn pictures of Florida to send to Grandma and Grandma. All the kids rediscovered the wonders of mixing paints to create new colors and danced in the dark room where their colorful, moving images appeared on a projector screen in front of them. Bella showed more interest in the touchable art that she ever has before, walking slowly along the display and carefully examining and touching piece.
We only spent an hour there today, but came away with three self-portraits, two post cards, and 6 “original masterpieces” for the refrigerator! We also grabbed a flier about their weekly art classes and look forward to trying them out this fall. The kids are all sleeping peacefully now, their brains tired and their tummies full from a special Chick-fil-a lunch on the town. Hopefully they wake up nice and refreshed for some afternoon reading time and a few more at-home learning adventures.
