Giving & Thanks

• I am thankful for the opportunities to give away wonderful things (winner below).

• I am thankful for my little family who makes me laugh and cry and cry laughing.

• I am thankful for the friend whose loving message brought tears to my eyes and is saved on my machine for days when I need to hear those words and her voice.

• I am thankful for my friend Steph who forgot our meeting place, then went to my favorite restaurant, then realized it was the wrong place, then went back to read my email again, then found the right place, then saw the sign on the door regarding plan B, then went back to his computer to find the address of Bubby's, then hugged me tightly for as long as I needed, then to the delight of my 4 yo son, said the word poop as many times as possible, then made a photo booth cameo.

• I am thankful for fearless shaved heads and impressions of Mr. Magoo.

• I am thankful for the friend who drove out to my mother's house Saturday night to spend a few hours on the sofa catching up and remembering fond moments shared.

• I am thankful for my hands that can make anything I can imagine.

• I am thankful for tall trees, mountains and streams and the mud and bugs that bring joy to my little boy.

• I am thankful for the birds that provide the soundtrack for my early wakings.

• I am thankful for all the people who inspire me daily.

• I am thankful for good music and delicious food.

• I am thankful for the many loved ones no longer physical yet strongly present.

*Bubby's was the scene of our first date and it was magical to return to that very spot with our son.

And the winner of the Holiday Gift Picks Giveaway is Nina Bean of The Whole Self!

Making Merry

Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things - Rodgers & Hammerstein

Tis the season! The holiday cards are printed and ready to send. I've been burnin' the midnight oil making gifties for our beloved wee folk. This year I decided to stock the play pantries with felt pasta. I don't know why, maybe I'm tapping into my Italian roots or maybe it's because I haven't had good...I mean REALLY good ravioli in at least 5 years. Sigh.

Some of the kidlets will be receiving these...
 

And some will be receiving Jumbo Ravioli bean bags to play with while the holiday feast is being prepared. They can toss them into pots or at each other if felty food fights are approved of by their respective big persons. Super easy...just cut 4"x 4" squares (of beige wool felt) with pinking shears; sew three sides, stuff with beans, and sew the opening.

Tutorials for these and all sorts of yummy felt food can be found here!

Some will be receiving these "I Spy" jars to while away the hours during lengthy road trips. I used upcycled spice bottles, peanut butter jars and roasted seed jars. I dyed the rice with a bit of food coloring. *Tutorial here!

The tiniest tots in our tribe will be receiving a super soft wooly jingle bonbon.

*Some terrific instructions can be found here!
*I buy my wool here!




And others will be receiving my felted snowballs...

The grands will be receiving our yearly calendar.

*Some scenes for holiday's past here and here.

In the weeks ahead, Satch and I (and a few recruits) will have to start making our gifts for our annual solstice celebration: Lanterns for the Lilliputians (tutorial here) and Peppermint Bark for the Brobdingnagians.

And I MUST get cracking on this art project. That said, I'm going to pry myself away from my journal for a spell. We leave for NY to feast with family and friends. I'll be back on Monday to announce the winners of the holiday giveaway!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Holiday Gift Picks

Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things - Rodgers & Hammerstein

T'is the season! I thought I would share some great holiday gifts for the wee folk. On this holiday, we look for imaginative, creative indoor toys for cold weather play. Here are the pics on our Xmas list:

Satch is seriously into building and we have all sorts of sets. At the moment we're loving the ZOOB Mover by Infinitoy! ZOOB is an award winning, open-ended building toy that snaps, pops and clicks together. What makes the ZOOB Mover so interesting is that it comes with a little remote controlled contraption to transform the creation into a kinetic sculpture, or bug or robot or whatever the wee one can dream up. See video below a bit of coolness...

Infintoy also manufacters the Quizmo, an interactive palm-sized quiz game that knows the answers to 693,135 questions. It's a brilliant travel toy in my humble opinion. The generous folks at Infintoy will give you a chance to win a Quizmo at the end of this post.

Since Satch loves his marble track so much, we thought we would expand upon his marble play with Kerplunk, a game that I loved when I was a child.

Speaking of marble love...the generous folks at Fundex sent us a sample of Labyrinth to try. It's a classic, high quality, wooden marble maze that takes precision, concentration and patience. It's great for those cold winter days. For ages 8+.

And we'll be sending peepers to our puppet lubbin' peeps! They make great stocking stuffers, & party favors.

As you know, Satch is learning to read and since he doesn't go to preschool, I've been researching products that will help nurture his interest in a fun and natural way. There are some wonderful products on the market that foster learning through play and would make ideal holiday gifts for the Pre-K crowd....

We love the Simple Word Puzzles by eeBoo. We received a sample and gave them a test run in our home. My son really enjoyed them. It was a great confidence booster for him. The words are simple, though there are a few that will certainly challenge beginners. The illustrations are as lovely as one would expect from eeBoo.

Another learning game that we had the good fortune of sampling is Er-u-di-tion, the sight word game. There are several ways to play this game that will accommodate the skill level of various players. The color coded cards enable beginner readers to play along with advanced readers. The game was created by Denise and Kelly Bossard to help their children learn the sight words that were part of the Kindergarten curriculum. The Bossards designed a game that would help their children learn to read in a fun and engaging way, through play. Er-u-di-tion is the winner of Creative Child Magazine's, 2009 Game of the Year Award!

Another nifty gift for the wees who are trying to learn days and months is the Sukie Perpetual Calendar. I looked at several different calendars for Satch trying to find just the right one. I liked the idea of a magnetic calendar, but I couldn't find one that was fun to look at. Then I found out that our beloved Sukie created a perpetual calendar, so I bought it. It's made of durable heavy gauge cardboard and is way too adorable. It is designed as a desk calendar, but I attached it to the refrigerator with a magnetic bulldog clip. What makes this calendar extra cool is that kidlets can not only turn the dials to change the day, date, month, but there is a dial for weather too. We love the little tree house!

We always like to include books in the gift mix and this year we're getting Satch...


Around the Year by Elsa Beskow. We just love her other books and this little book is perfect for the Pre-K set who are learning their days of the week, and months.


We're also getting Return of the Light to add to our Winter Book Basket.

Speaking of books...the cool peeps at Black Dog Publishing are offering a 40% discount on Making Stuff for Kids to all Mother Rising Readers until December 31st. If you'd like to purchase a discounted copy of this book, just email Jess @ blackdogonline.com and let her know you're from Mother Rising. She'll place your order directly.

If you would like a chance to win the aforementioned wicked cool Quizmo toy, simply leave a comment on this post by midnight on Saturday November 28th. The winner will be picked by random generator and announced on Monday November 30th. *Please include your email so that I can contact you in the event that you win.

Most Alive Monday will resume on December 7th!

( See last year's gift picks here.)

Presto Puppet Theater!

We took Satch to Ikea a while back to pick out some fabric for his portable stage curtains. We bought an Ikea tension rod and PRESTO! Instant stage! It fits most doorways AND in our case, the dining room archway. It's ideal for all sorts of impromptu plays as well as some quick fort making. I kept the curtains long for kidlet performances, but the bar can be lowered for puppet play.

By the way, my friend Pixie is giving away some of her awesome Animama note cards....go check them out!

Have a good weekend.

Was and Is

"His beautiful, light imagination is the wing that on the autumn evening just brushes the dusky window." - Henry James

There was the miniature train ride; and the highly coveted toy cobra.  There was the trip to the caverns with the super psychedelic rock formations...

There was the walking stick bug that we brought inside to live it's last Autumn days in the lap of luxury...and the subsequent burial and eulogy for said bug written by my son:

"Dear Sticky, We hope you had a wonderful life. Here is some lettuce what you loved to eat when you were alive. Everything is AOK."

There was the variety show written and performed by my wee son and the "Spider Cookie Recipe Cards" that he made for me. There was dinner with friends and the sound of three boys lost in play.

There is the ginormous Katydid, the last lime green handful of summer, brought inside to live the rest of its lifespan in the comfort of our observation tank full of fresh, juicy leaves. There is tumbling, swimming, and Creative Zone classes. There is a trip to NY. There is planning our solstice party. There is holiday crafting and gifties to make.

The days are shorter, but no less sweet.

Bliss

Every leaf speaks bliss to me - Emily Bronte

c'mon

"Mama loves you so much, baby
watcha gonna do with that love
Papa loves you so much, baby
watcha gonna do with that love." - renee & jeremy

Hey! Have you heard that renee & jeremy have a new album out?

YESSS!

Last year, I had the honor of interviewing Renee about motherhood and the first album.

Well, life got even sweeter because Jeremy sent me their new cd in September and we've been groovin' on it ever since. Their voices are soothing, the lyrics are meaningful and the music is funky! One of our favorite songs (and we have many faves on this cd) is "Share" which I'm hoping will have a subliminal effect on Satch as sharing has never been easy for him.

Speaking of sharing, the generous and talented renee & jeremy would like to share a free track from their new cd with YOU!  Have a listen to their righteous new grooves, won't you?  And check out this cool vid! Then head over to their site and buy some music! You and your kidlets will be groovin' all weekend....



See you Monday.

*Jeremy, Satch REALLY wants you to play DC (I do too)!

The Science of Sound

Who's gonna make our music?
We're gonna make our Music!
What'll we do?
Bang 'n sing!
What'll we use?
Everything! - Billy Jonas

Inspired by The Science Book of Sound and motivated by evening bath drama, I gave my wet headed wee one a project...to make music with his marble track. The marbles ran down a ramp, across a xylophone, bounced off one tambourine, hitting a bell, then landed in another tambourine. The teamwork coupled with our successful mission put us both in a much better mood.

Sugar Fairy...

or how we got rid of all that Halloween candy.



We heard a rumor about a sugar fairy who leaves small gifts in exchange for sweets. Apparently, she needs the sugar to survive the cold winter months...

Most Alive Monday: I Am

I saw this link on my beloved Nina's blog and thought it would be fun to do with Satch. He enjoyed it so much that I think we'll revisit this project again. I am posting it here so that you can give it a go with your kidlets...

I Am
by Satchel

I am a child warrior
I wonder what those red beetles are called
I hear air and myself sniffling
I want some robots
I am a child warrior

I pretend to be Max on Halloween
I feel sniffley
I touch the whole earth
I worry about stumbling
I cry when I get boo boos
I am a child warrior

I understand Seahorse Milk
I say "jump on the bed!"
I dream I am a red beetle
I hope I could be an astronaut
I am a child warrior

*About Most Alive Monday: I've decided to make at least one "most alive choice" each day and post my favorite each Monday. This, of course, is to motivate me to consciously "live juicy"! I hope you'll join me and share your "most alive moment" in the comments section so we may inspire each other.

Fairygreen Cluster

Upon that night, when fairies light
On Cassilis Downans dance,
Or owre the lays, in splendid blaze,
On sprightly coursers prance;
Or for Colean the route is ta'en,
Beneath the moon's pale beams;
There, up the cove, to stray and rove,
Among the rocks and streams - Robert Burns

We built another fairy house near the mailbox. Satch and I made a pact that we would keep it a secret. Later that afternoon four neighborhood kids came knocking on our door with a pad and pencil in hand to take notes. I could see the house numbers of the other neighbors they spoke to.

"Ummmm...there is a fairy door on a tree by the mailbox!"

"Oh yes, we saw it earlier today."

"Did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"The fairy house"

"ME?...I'm not a fairy"

"We don't believe in fairies"

"Really...what about the tooth fairy?"

"OK the tooth fairy is real, we believe in the tooth fairy."

"If you believe in the tooth fairy then you believe in fairies"

(the kidlets were getting more excited)

"All I know is that Satch and I built this fairy house in the woods and then some fairies came...do you want us to show you how to make a fairy house?"

"YESSSSS!!!"

The kidlets went wild and worked on the fairy house well into the evening, taking breaks to swing in the hammock. They picked berries and smashed acorns into nut butter then filled the acorn caps with food for the fairies. The wee folk didn't want to leave when their parents came calling for them and asked if they can come back to keep working on the house. "Of course", I told them and let them borrow a fairy house book for inspiration.

Have a good weekend. See you Monday!

Imagination Box

"Imagination will take you everywhere" - Albert Einstein

I've mentioned our "Imagination Box" before, but not in great detail. This is my son's latest invention, a "Breakfast Cooker Flipper" for helping with pumpkin pancakes. It is comprised of two spools, a rubber band, and the display hook from his crocks. It is a levered spatula!

Although Satch has some wonderfully creative toys, he often pulls out his "Imagination Box" and invents gadgets. Here's what's inside...

• 0ld shoe box with cut garage door in case
• rubber bands in various shapes, sizes, colors
• clothes pins
• empty spools of all sorts
• assorted twist ties and chenille stems
• wire
• wood bits and sticks
• floss
• assorted pieces of string, yarn and ribbon
• tape
• golf tees (to hammer into the box bottom)
• empty match box
• scraps of heavy cardboard
• shipping tags and ring tags
• paper clips
• bells
• plastic hooks from socks (he uses them for pulleys and cranes)
• felt ball a/o pompoms
• net bags from onions etc.
• misc. found objects like springs etc.
  

Mom to Mom: Jennifer Ward

"It is a happy talent to know how to play" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Recently, I received a copy of Jennifer Ward's new book, "let's go outside" for review...WOW...I was honored! If you're looking for some fun outdoor things to do with your kidlets then you'll enjoy this sweet little guide full of projects and activities. There is a chapter with TEN types of tag that brought back memories from my own child and helped me recall some versions that I played as a child. The chapter on panning was our inspiration on this particular afternoon. Needless to say, I just had to chat her up. It is my great pleasure to introduce kindred mama, Jennifer Ward...


Mom: Jennifer Ward
Of: Kelly (17)
Where: Illinois and Arizona
Site: Jennifer Ward Books

1. In what ways has becoming a mother changed you?

JW: Wow, that is a question that has an infinite number of answers, because the changes are many and ever-evolving. I was once the overly protective and overly doting mom to my only daughter, and now I'm learning to practice complete trust and faith with my daughter's growing independence and freedom as she approaches adulthood. The protectiveness is still there, in my head and my heart, but I've learned to rein them in and celebrate her independence with confidence and faith. In a nutshell, though, I'd say being a mother has humbled me as a person, and has afforded me an opportunity to grow emotionally, spiritually and intellectually over the course of years as I share my life with another human whose life I help foster and facilitate -such a gift.

2. What message would you like to share with other mothers?

JW: Structure and routine with family life is important, but so is spontaneity and unstructured play time with young children - so create the balance in your child's life that allows them to "be" children. Children have such a strong sense of imagination, curiosity and wonder, and unstructured play ignites all three. In addition, it's vital that parents spend time with children outdoors. Nature is a huge stress reliever, and even children experience stress. And don't we all need a change of scenery now and again? Why not take time to gaze at the clouds, as each peek to the sky is a unique one? : ) Encourage your kids to get dirty when they play in nature. Allow them to experience the choices they make and learn from them, all the while facilitating their actions with love and wisdom. And finally, hug your children often, and tell them you love them.

3. How do you orchestrate your passions as Mother, Author?

JW: The two are fairly intertwined, as I've been writing professionally for most of my daughter's life. She actually gave me the idea for my first published book, "Way Out in the Desert", when she was three years old. Being a writer, though, has been a wonderful profession to embark on as a mother, as it has allowed me to work at home and keep flexible hours. As my career as an author evolved and grew, Kelly's love of creating, reading and writing also grew - we share those passions, which is really wonderful. On a more specific level of orchestrating the two, I try to do most of my "bizzy" work (office work related to writing) and structure my writing time while Kelly's at school, leaving weekends and evenings free. When I do work on weekends, such as having to do a book signing somewhere, Kelly will sometimes come with me, which is nice bonus for me, indeed.

4. What inspired you to create "let's go outside"?

JW: Let's Go Outside! was written as a resource for parents of older children, in order to provide fun, open-ended experiences in nature together. It's a fact that children today spend far less time outdoors as my generation did. And as kids get older and more independent, it can pose an even greater challenge to get them outside and away from the nearest electrical outlet or electronic gadget. Research has proven the many benefits of nature's impact on people of all ages, so "Let's Go Outside" is a simple, user friendly "tool",-if you wish to call it that - that offers activities, games and experiences parents and kids can enjoy together outside, all the while using primarily just your imagination and your senses.

5. What are some simple things that parents can do foster a connection with nature?

JW: The most important thing a parent can do to foster a connection with nature is to serve as a role model in nature. Help your child to be aware of what is outdoors and what nature offers. Point out the sights, smells and sounds you experience in nature. You don't need to go far to discover and enjoy what's outside. It can be experienced while waiting at the school bus stop, in a tree in a parking lot, on a small patio, in a crack in the sidewalk...just make your child aware. Explore a tree's bark. What's going on upon that tree? Experience the sounds wind creates on buildings and in trees. How many different sounds can you hear? Let the rain fall on your face; catch snowflakes on your tongue. Immerse and enjoy! Let's Go Outside! offers many simple activities families can do in nature together, such as taking story time outdoors. And for those families who are regularly immersed in nature as part of their home-routine, there are activities, games and experiences that take your outdoor experiences to a much deeper level of appreciation.

6. Lastly, what moves you, grounds you, fills your well?

JW: Coincidentally, the very things we discussed above: first and foremost, being a mom. Spending time in nature, my family (including four sisters) and having close friends in my life definitely fills my well and grounds me, too.

Most Alive Monday: I'LL EAT YOU UP!

Our Town Center hosted trick or treats for the kids on Thursday eve and the wees ran amok through the streets collecting their sugary loot. There was a Halloween Parade on Friday and the route was right behind our nest. We sat on the curb while the marchers threw candy at us.

 On Saturday there was a Halloween party at our community center where there was a moon bounce, games and MORE candy. Our wild thing's pumpkin was nearly full even before we went trick or treating - for real! We've heard a rumor about a sugar fairy who leaves small gifts in exchange for sugary treats. Tonight we'll leave her a nice bundle and see what happens! (wink)

 

*About Most Alive Monday: I've decided to make at least one "most alive choice" each day and post my favorite each Monday. This, of course, is to motivate me to consciously "live juicy"! I hope you'll join me and share your "most alive moment" in the comments section so we may inspire each other.