When was the last time you hit a GONG?

Today we got to go to M.I.M.....that's not to be confused with Madame Mim, or "The Secret of Mim"...I'm meant Nimh.

Way out almost in the middle of nowhere is a relatively new museum called the Musical Instrument Museum.  Let me tell you, we were only there for 2 hours, and it was FANTASTIC!  I loved it!  Anyone who has ever loved music in the slightest should go there.  You will have a great experience.  We didn't even get to see half of the mammoth sized building, but the parts we did see were so much fun.

The "hands on" room was our favorite part!  My kids almost couldn't believe they could play the instruments after all the other rooms we visited that had so many wonderful instruments and artifacts they couldn't touch.  It didn't take long, though, before they dropped the "timid" facade and ran around like kids on Christmas morning.  It was so fun!

I can't remember what these were called, but the kids played on these the most.

The coolest GONG EVER!

Cheese!

This instrument is called the cricket.  It is actually carved in the shape of a large cricket, and it sounds almost exactly like a cricket chirping when you play it.

This instrument behind us had the largest/thickest/longest strings I've ever seen.  It plays 2 octaves lower than the....I can't remember which stringed instrument the plaque said, but at any rate, I was amazed at this ginormous, stringed, bass, creation of beauty.

What a perfect family outing!