Happy February!

This Valentine's Day mantle has really made me happy.  I love Valentine's Day; I feel like it is just about telling people you love them: your kids, your spouse, your coworkers.

Morning routine

Nutella toast is a favorite breakfast these days.  The first time I presented Nutella I was met with a strong "No, I don't want to try that."  He finally tried it and fell in love.  Since then, I use my "Nutella example" to urge him towards new foods.  Sometimes this works.

The routine of morning can be so difficult.  Some mornings just go wrong.  I have been in my closet - 10 minutes AFTER we should have left - with an outfit crisis of my own and a child who says his socks feel bumpy and he may need to change.  Mornings like that I just wish that a working mom could have a time freeze card.  Freeze.  Collect.  Regroup.  Change socks.  Okay, unfreeze, we are ready now.

Then there are other mornings when we really roll like clockwork. {thank heaven} Those mornings sort of shore me up and encourage me for the next one that may go very wrong.  But moments at breakfast, where we are sitting at the table, together - talking, reading, watching the woodpeckers, those short moments of still and routine are vital to me.  The effort of gathering, slowing a bit, waking up, being together. 

Rabbit's snow dance

We have been loving this book.  It really makes my day to come across a book that is equally enjoyed between mother and son.  And in the back of my mind, I love it even more because I love folktales and animal stories; I believe in their power. 

You must read this book to truly understand my story, but in the book, there is a snow dance. 

EEEE OOO

Thump! Thump!

EEEE OOO

Thump! Thump!

Yo Yo Yo!

Yo Yo Yo!

The rabbit gets his drum and sings the refrain so that it will snow.  Well, for the past 3 nights, at about 8:30 p.m., Calvin and I could be found on our front porch, squatting low near the concrete. Calvin has been in pajamas and bare feet.  I've been in shorts and flip flops (despite very cold temps for us!) We've been singing the snow dance, loud and proud, beating the rhythm on the concrete as we go.  It has been exuberant.  It is just one of those times where, as a mom, you get a vision of yourself 20 years from now, looking back at this silly, crazy, delightful moment in time. Those moments make me pause.  They sorta make me want to cry, too, but they are such a reminder to me that this moment is this moment.  Time keeps going. A child keeps growing. The timeline on these precious memories is limited. 
In an improbable twist...it "snowed" on Tuesday of this week.  Quotations are merited. Anyone above a certain southern latitude would spew their coffee all over me if I called what happened on Tuesday snow. But there's a 5 year old who believes his snow dance worked. ! So we're going to go with that.

The view from Christmas

 In a twist that I've never experienced before, we had a white Christmas.  Sleet began on Christmas day and snow began on Christmas night.  I still can't believe this photo of our neighborhood street.  Goodness.

It was all fun and games {drum roll} and then the power went out!  And stayed out! For 3 days! I do not mean to complain - we had it far better than so, so many people.  Our fireplace kept us warm and worked so hard for us.  We have a gas stove and Jason is such a skilled cook.  Many people had such a harder time.

After regaining power on Friday, I got a jolt of perspective when I opened the paper that morning and saw that Our House, a local shelter for the working homeless, lost freezers and refrigerators full of holiday food donations. A month's worth of meals gone in a few days.  Other people had sick children at home, newborn babies at home, or ailing parents.  At those moments you catch your breath to think how very fortunate you are at this moment in time.

When the power goes out, neighbors come out.  We had some neighborhood fun.  We chatted, shared, offered things, traded things, gave things.  Sort of makes you wonder why it takes so much to get people connected.  The holiday had its lessons, I think.  Lessons of thankfulness, adaptability, community.  It was a good Christmas. 

Play and Messes

 

 

A lot of time in my life is spent worrying over messes.  I wish this wasn't the case.  But, I function better if things are tidy.  With a 4 almost 5 year old, there is so much new ground to cover.  This little child has opinions on spaces and organizing, and I've found out - more than once - what can happen if you overstep.  (Not to say I let him rule the roost, but I have a tendency to go in his room and just clean it up.  And this, uh hum, is unwelcomed.)  And I don't want to be that mom. I really want to give him space to follow his creativity without worrying that mom will have a major freak out.

 

Last week, we had a spider web in our kitchen for about 4 days.  At one point, it involved stepping over a piece of yarn everytime we crossed over to the fridge.  At another point, the dogs had to have the "web" lifted for them to get to the backdoor.  This is when I can really admire my husband.  It doesn't phase him.  Let's make our whole house into a web, he might say!  Well, mama made it for 4 (almost 5) days before I took it down after he went to bed one night.  And bless his sweet heart - it was among the very first things he noticed the following day.

 

I must walk a careful line as a mom - between allowing the creativity and putting a major crimp in it. Even when it almost pushes me over the edge, I have to see it (admire it, love it!) for what it is - allowing my child the freedom to explore, create, invent. 

 

Mousie's Birthday

One day early in the year, quite out of the blue, Calvin announced Mousie's birthday was September 4th.  He requested that I be sure to write in on the fridge calendar.  As I flipped that calendar over when September came, I saw September 4th and thought, "hmmm...a party for Mousie!" 

Funny thing about that mouse.  He disappears for long stretches of time - off on his mouse adventures, certainly. So he was missing on his birthday.  Fortunately, he returned to us and we were able to celebrate on the 7th.  Cake, party hats, & a present were all in order.

Celebrating Mousie's birthday turned out to be such fun.  It wasn't something that was planned but just a cute little idea that presented itself.  A sweet idea, too, for remembering a little creature who is quite important to our family. And perhaps even a way to honor Calvin's childhood - I doubt a 15 year old would get too giddy over a mouse birthday party, afterall.  But a 4 year old? Absolutely.

A memory & a book

Parenting brings so many observations; some are simple and some, not so much.  A simple one is how a child can reignite joy for an activity that you view as...hmm, just something not high on your list to "go & do."  Like bowling.  Sure, it's fun - like, when you're 10.  I'm not much of a bowler but I'm glad people like it; I had several bowling birthdays as a child.  But as an adult, bowling alleys are gross.  Germ filled.  Other people's toe jam.  Eeek.  Until we took Calvin one night out of desperation for a new activity.  Joy filled is really the only way to describe his response.

And now I view bowling as a legitimately fun family outing.  Like I even suggested it the other day. As I helped Calvin put on his special shoes, size 10 lil' kids, I almost broken into tears.  Look at those feet.  I remember those tiny baby feet that used to wear puppy dog moccasin shoes.  I remember a new walker refusing to wear any shoes.  I remember a 3 year old's meltdown in Target over trying on a pair of flip flops - relieved that this past June, he eagerly tried on a pair and even thought they'd be "a good idea for the pool."  We are now in light-up Spiderman shoes and size 10 bowling shoes. How time flies and how it will continue to.  I don't ever want to forget how big these shoes look now & how small they'll look a few years from now. 

So this book came across my path in a special way, one I won't get into, but it was neat.  And it is just the book I needed.  It is about being present and calm.  About choosing peace and offering peace.  About listening to the heart of your child, truly listening, and then responding in a better way.  It's about compassion and perspective.  How to be the parent you want to be; how to be better.  I'm grateful to notice a precious pair of size 10 bowling shoes & I'm grateful for a book that teaches me to be a peace-filled and compassion-filled mom.

Mail Center

I've been trying to create a little mail center with one goal in mind: keeping mail off the counters.  Having a lot on the counters increases my stress level - for real.  I try to be flexible and, a lot of times, I am the very person who puts things there, but I love to walk into a kitchen that is clean and tidy and ready for a new project.  I can get a little up-in-arms when I come into a kitchen that has to be cleaned and reorganized before the baking can commence.

My bulletin board was made with a yard sale frame (spray painted) and cork tiles from target for $5.  you can duct tape the tiles together, fit to cut your frame, and then cover in fabric.  Being the bunting fan that I am, I sewed some decorative buntings on this one (getting a little crooked on that 2nd row, oh well.)  I use this for things I need to see or refer to, trying to keep a bit off the fridge. 

The long mail slot is magnetic and very clever, I think.  I got it from See Jane Work, a site with all manner of cute office stuff.  I would like the incoming mail to go there, as well as outgoing mail, with the goal of sorting and getting out of sight a.s.a.p.  This is a work in progress for our family, but we will keep trying!

Artwork for a librarian's kid

I recently put up new artwork in Calvin's room - inspired from some favorite picture books of ours.  A very (very) talented friend did Lowly Worm and his Apple Car (from Richard Scary) and I did the Happy Lion (by Louise Fatio).

I was pleased with both of them, and I confess to be in love with Lowly Worm.  For real.  But it wasn't until I found these large width frames at Hobby Lobby - with a pinch of ornate flair - that I really thought the images popped.  And, ah hem, I paid $30 total for these sweet frames! Once Calvin outgrows them, stop by my office at the Library; they'll be on the walls there!

More doorhangers!

I am particularly proud of the cupcake - it was made just in time for a special birthday at our house. 

There is a technique to making these:
1. Make them outside! Burlap is soooo messy.
2. Acrylic paint is the way to go; buy more than you think you need.
3. Think about your shape.  The flower got tricky because it was a lot harder to cut out. (There's a pretty big error on one of the flower petals; you can see it if you are looking.  Oh well.)  The cupcake was the easiest shape I've made yet.

Tic-Tac-Toe Pouch

My sister gave us this great tic-tac-toe-board for Christmas (or maybe birthday?) and it is one of Calvin's favorite games.  The best part is him telling you where you can put your pieces.  The box was falling apart, so I thought it would be a fun project to make a pouch for it.  Since I'm working on my ability to let things go (like chores) in pursuit of a bit more weekend fun, I spent my free 30 minutes on this project instead of a task.  It's a personal triumph, for sure, and it was a sweet moment to have Calvin in my lap helping me sew.

This would be a great gift  for someone.  You could even make a tic-tac-toe game for them - I've seen some super cute ones out of rocks that look like ladybugs.  Makes me want to go find 10 or so small flat rocks, pronto!  I love the hand-stamped front; Mr. Calvin did that tic-tac-toe board all by himself.

The Curtains that almost never were

See these lovely curtains?  You'd never know the back story on a project like this - or believe that these curtains survived a 4 year old's scissors and eye for a "project" (like his mama), a series of marital miscommunications (real life), and just the general time dilemma which is always a huge factor.

I have a very, very bad tendency to need to be geared up for a project.  Oh my goodness, I wish I was not this way.  I wish I could waltz into a room with 15 spare minutes and be productive on the project I want to be productive on.  Instead, I end up cleaning a desk, picking up toys, or noticing that the ceiling fan blades haven't been dusted in a good 6 months.

On Memorial Day morning, I woke up and decided to get going on my curtains.  I walked past a kitchen that I should have cleaned the night before, keeping my eye on the curtain goal.  I cut, measured, ironed seams, and got them "sew" ready.  Half the battle, done.  In the middle of doing all of this, a precious 4 year old woke for the day and he came in and watched me, chatted, and played with my pins.

After the day got going, I was headed back to sew the curtains and - guess who I found, scissors in hand?  Yep.  A good 6 inch gash taken out of my diligently prepped project, in multiple places.  I think my heart really did stop. I felt so many things in a millisecond - anger, major frustration, tears, sadness, desperation.  Okay, so I can be dramatic.  Calvin's first response was "Mom, I was just getting some fabric, you don't need all of this; this is so much fabric!"  Bless him.  I pulled from waaaay down deep and did not get angry, but I did send him immediately to his room.  I surveyed the damage.  Thank goodness it was out of the side and not the middle. 

The left panel of my curtain is 7 inches wider than the right, but that's okay.  In motherhood, I've been surprised at how quickly a temper can flare, frustration can erupt.  I am so very glad that when I look at my happy curtains, they can remind me of a moment when I showed Calvin grace and love, instead of erupting in anger.  (Believe me, I have so many examples of the wrong way to respond.)  I do love these curtains, though. In our old house, our kitchen was lime green, yellow and coral; I miss that level of color & I'm glad to bring it back in a more, ahem, grown up way.  I've never made curtains before and 90 inches of fabric (lengthwise) is a lot. I took a tip from my favorite house/ design blog (Young House Love) and "cheated" the window...i.e. hange them higher and wider to give you the look of an even bigger window.  Here's their great post on choosing the right curtains....so helpful.

Baby Bunting

I saw this baby gift option on etsy, I think, and I just thought it was so sweet.  Seems like the etsy artist used buttons and a different variation, but I think the simple bunting is perfect.  I was happy to make these for two new babies I've met in the last two months.

My general life philosophy seems to be: let's just stop and make a bunting, okay?  And if it is a rainbow bunting, even better.

Dad & son share watermelon & a root beer

As the parent of only one child, I'm surprised by things frequently - the relentless work load, yep.  But better things, too, like when your child adopts interests that you have or your spouse has.  I did not know how sweet this could be - a genuinely precious moment, and reminder, of how much your child watches you and learns from you.  Jason loves watermelons, a love that goes back to his childhood.  There's some watermelon lore in there - how to grow them, how they grow best, when to pick, when not to pick, yellow meated vs. red meated . . . I could go on. (He could go on).

So it was just precious today at the store when C saw the first watermelon of the season (admittedly from...Mexico?) and he had a total excitement freak out to buy it.  He said he and daddy would cut it first thing for lunch and they'd eat it all up together.  And that's just what the boys did.  Two root beers were added to the mix, and they were set in their adorable, father-son moment.

New breakfast idea

Our morning schedule doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room.  A teensy bit, but that's about it.  When we started having breakfast breakdowns, I got worried - "I don't want that....I don't like _____ anymore!"  (oh yes, you do! Eat it and put your shoes on!)

So yeah, I like to avoid the above response. 

Well, raisin bread came to my rescue.  Good ol' raisin bread with honey.  It's the little things that make a mom grateful.  We added this to our morning mix, and we seem to be back on track.  I'm sure next week we will not like any of our shoes, or we might start saying that all shorts are too scratchy to wear; I'll work on that when we get there.  But for now, it's raisin bread and honey a few mornings a week.

King Derwin

I'm so grateful when small things come together.  When a good idea comes and it does not involve a trip to the Walmarts for supplies. 

Little Pickelo is to dress up as his favorite storybook character tomorrow for school.  Totally NOT a big deal (they're only 4).  But these things mean a lot to me and I try to make them into fun, interactive experiences.  And helloooo, I am a librarian! So this is serious!  It was decided last week that Calvin would be King Derwin, of the Kingdom of Didd {The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins by Dr. Seuss}.

I tossed a few ideas around that would be low maintenance, but nothing stuck, and we don't have dress up clothes for a King anywhere.  Then today, while unpacking a box at work, I came upon some stiff but flexible white cardboard.  Took that home.  On the way home I thought about my fabrics and the idea came to simple cut a neck hole in a piece folded over and make a King's Robe, of sorts.

It took 5 minutes to make and I'm quite pleased with my little King Derwin.  A great deal of fun was had decorating the crown.  We talked about patterns and how good hot glue smells, and we decked it out! A crafter after my own heart.

Every Mouse needs a blanket

3rd birthday, 2011



Mousie is an important member of our family.  I did not know when I gave Mousie as a present on a 3rd birthday that he would become a treasured friend.  Mousie's attributes are many.  He's clever and sneaky.  He loves to tell secrets.  He is fairly well behaved as mouses go, and he likes to come along for all adventures.  Seems like he follows in the footsteps of many great literary mice - Ralph S. Mouse, Stuart Little, Santa Mouse, the Downstairs Cranston's {Secrets at Sea, Richard Peck}.

A request came up for Mousie to have his own blanket.  We talked about it what it should look like & Calvin decided upon stripes, rainbow stripes.  I took him into my fabric stash and he picked out each color and picked the flannel backing. 

After agreeing that I'd make it, Calvin checked on my progress for many days - asking when it would be finished.  "You're a Maker!" Calvin declared.  Stop my heart, baby; what a precious compliment. 

All moms are makers.



Easter 2008

Before you have kids, you have no idea that one photo can drop you into tears.  Case in point:

It is just when you are looking back, you cannot believe how fast it goes.  And when you are looking forward, you can't wait for the current moment (circumstance, crying child, job, car problem) to change, go away, get better.

The other night I got stuck looking at pictures (started out just trying to locate one for a project). And 2 hours later, I was still there - well after my bedtime - in tears, watching this sweet precious boy grow before my eyes.  This is a very good way to decide to have another child - start reminiscing about the 1st one (2nd one, 3rd one) and promise yourself to hold on just a bit tighter to any future children.

I think this is something moms just know, after becoming moms and making it a year or two.  You give other moms an understanding nod when they mention how fast their little ones are growing. You reflect on your own kids and you promise yourself to hold on a bit tighter, see more closely, love more fully. All you can really do is slow things down and work at being more present.

Burlap Door Hanger, part duex

My burlap door hanger skills have evolved!  {see the original Valentine door hanger here.} As it turns out, spray paint is not the best mechanism for painting your burlap.  Plain ol' acrylic paint is far better and gets you a sturdier, thicker, better end result.

• Cut whatever shape you want out of burlap.
• Paint the burlap with whatever details needed. Do you want to paint the back a solid color?  Totally up to you. Since my front door is glass, I typically do one or two quick coats on the back of my design.  If I had a wood door with no glass, I wouldn't be going to such trouble.
• Cut some wire and arch it so that you have that ready for the "hanger" part.
• After all paint is dry, stuff your design with plastic grocery bags and glue your design shut as you stuff.  I recommend doing this outside since hot glue can get everywhere and burlap dust can also get everywhere. Don't overstuff - it doesn't need to be too bulgy.
• Go slowly around your whole object and make sure you are glueing each seam nicely.
• At the top of your object, put some extra glue on there for the wire and then glue shut. 

Be careful of ears.  Like those bunny ears you see there?  Well, they ended up being a bit too top heavy for my sweet bunny.  This maybe could have been fixed with internal wires, but I think they are too tall to stand up on their own.  You can't see this, but I strung some fishing line through the tops of those ears and it is taped, ever so discreetly, to the top of my door frame. 

Next up on the burlap door hanger list?  A cupcake, for sure, for birthdays.  But other things, I cannot even say!  It is going to be so adorable you might fall out of your chair.

Let's party with the puppies!

For C's 4th birthday, we had a dog party.  It was so much fun to pull together.  I pulled from various online inspirations (Google images, I love you) and then tweaked the ideas to suit our party.

Something we do at Library programs that I find very helpful is "stations."  This may be the most common sense idea ever, and I just don't know it, but it is a very practical way to move a crowd through an event and to make sure people don't have to wait too long on something.  (Not that we had that many kids! but still, it is a helpful idea.)

Our stations:
*Adopt and name your dog (actual dogs the kids got to take home; this was their "favor.")
*Dog ears for the child
*Veterinary station
*Grooming station
*Imaginary play station with 2 dog houses, dog bowls and tennis balls
*Dog collar station
*Bone toss

Two things I learned:

1. Over-inviting is a good idea, particularly if you have two groups of people (school friends vs. personal friends). We had HALF of our guests show up, so, if I'd been conservative with invites, we'd have been in trouble!  You are really the guage of this. . . if your school friends are your best friends, then this might not be the case as much.

2. Birthday parties are expensive. Period. I did not spend money renting a location, but I did spend money on handmade everything and (hard truth though it may be...) all of that adds up.  Then there is the food factor.  Food is a big unknown because you can never fully trust RSVPs vs. not hearing either way.  So you end up possibly over buying just to ensure you have plenty.

This dog party was so fun to plan and host, and I got the biggest compliment of all when my son asked if we could have another dog party the next day saying "that was the best party ever!"  Melt my heart, kiddo. Happy 4th Birthday!