A Certain Part of the Day

There have been parts of great beauty that produced squeals of delight for the gosslings that crossed our path...and tender parts with tiny hands rescuing fistfuls of caterpillars from the tennis courts...and parts of wonderment at having discovered the tiny Red-banded Hairstreak Butterflies (Calycopis cecrops) at the playground with Satchel's friend H...

and parts that left me slack-jawed and the only thing that came to mind were these words by Walt Whitman (from Leaves of Grass)

"There was a child went forth every day,















And the first object he look'd upon,

that object he became,

And that object became part of him

for the day or a certain part of the day,

Or for many years or stretching cycles of years."

-Walt Whitman (There was a Child went Forth)

Fuzzy Wuzzy Was a Pupa

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious" - Albert Einstein















A dying bug, crawled in from the outside. Though it was clearly on it's last leg, Satch looked at it with his magnifying glass, insisted it was just fine and marveled over it for some time before putting it outside. "I miss the bug", he sighed several times, but his longing gave way to joy when he found several tent worm caterpillars trying to cross the sidewalk. We carried them home and made them a house in a jar with some leaves and grass. He calls them the "Cah Bears". *Note the swollen allergic eyes.

 

I did a bit of reading on how to care for the pests...I mean critters until they pupate and complete their life cycle. It seems that they feed for up to SIX weeks before pupating and the pupation can take 2-4 weeks before the moth emerges.























I was going to set them free because I didn't think Satch had the patience for this pupation, but one had pupated over night. It looks like felted wool! I wish I had it on film.
















I set the other caterpillar free and we're going through with the pupation project.

On that note...Satch has two new favorite bug books that I would like to share:

This story, based on a song by Phillip and Hannah Hoose, teaches tolerance and respect for diversity. Hey, Little Ant has been featured on Reading Rainbow and in Teaching Tolerance Magazine.

Roberto the Insect Architect is a story encourages children to build their dreams. I love the message of the book as well as the funky illustrations. But what I think I love most of all is the line on the last page, "Be Creative!"

April Showers

Spring Rain by Shelley Krause

Two in the morning--
the rain and the roof
are talking

We've taken down our Easter decorations and have hung tiny glass raindrops on the branches in our vase.  It's raining and on that note...here are a few things that we enjoy on rainy days...

Yellow Umbrella is more than a book, it's an experience. A wordless award winner with stunning paintings by Jae Soo Liu and music by composer Dong II Sheen.

Doodle All Year is another Taro Gomi marvel, the chunkiest book of fun ever.

The Other Side by artist Istvan Banyai is a wordless, visual treat in which the other side of the page IS the other side of the story. Satch loves the upside down house and the bike riding Penguin.

Fizz, Bubble & Flash! is terrific book of fun science experiments. You can play with your food and separate the iron from your breakfast cereal with a magnet or make a dollar bill dance!

The Kids' Science Book is another great source. Make sprout art or learn how to make rain in your kitchen!

Have an M.Y.O.P. party and make your own puppets and puppet theaters. I LOVE the "Umbrelly Sea Jelly.....I wish I thought of it first!

And how about some quite time and learn hand signs using THIS beautifully illustrated alphabet book.

Nesty Nest Nest

Yesterday morning Satch yelled, "Mama Mama come see....Robins and Blue Jays, Mama!" (My heart leaped to know that the arrival of these birds made him happy too) The Robins have arrived and we couldn't be happier....Spring is on the way!

It's no secret that I love nests...the whole idea of nests....home, warmth...a place for singing, learning to fly, weathering a storm. Satch seems to like them too and he took a photo (below) with his camera of a nest we have on our kitchen table. (I made the felted Robin's Eggs inside)

I was thrilled to have this beautifully illustrated book entitled, "Burrows, Nests & Lairs: Animal Architects", handy so that he could explore some amazing homes built by our fellow creatures.

Satchel Stills

Here are some images that I found stored on Satchel's camera...



His piggy Bank.








My (now his) old Buddy-L filled with faux blooms...

and a photo of me in the studio.

The Return of the Light

How can it be that we were puddle jumping one week, then hunkering down in a blanket fort during an ice storm a week later?

How can it be that we we're eating our lunch outside on Monday beneath enormous clumps of cumulus clouds that drifted across the sky like gargantuan cauliflower ...and now, snow today?!

In spite of all this atmospheric teasing, I know that Spring is on the way. I know because the forsythia is blooming! The "monks" have returned! I know because there are daffodils and crocus sprouting from their beds and the scent of the air is whispering that spring is near, the scent of damp soil and new growth, the breath of the earth as it sighs and awakens from its winter slumber.

I know because the light has returned and streams through the window, golden ribbons marking paths across the floor toward our favorite corners, warming baskets of wooden blocks













and illuminating Satchel's reading chair where Fraggles laugh themselves silly.



And although the Wrens and the Chickadees were marvelous company over the winter, I long for the return of the Warblers, and the Swallowtails, and the Dragonflies that dart across the pond, and the Fireflies and and and....I know Spring is near. I can't wait to go outside and play with Satch (enough with the snow already).

Did anyone else read this article in the NY Times?

"Psychologists complain that over-scheduled kids have no time left for the real business of childhood: idle, creative, unstructured free play. And everyone seems to worry that without the chance to play stickball or hopscotch out on the street, to play with dolls on the kitchen floor or climb trees in the woods, today’s children are missing out on something essential." - Robin Marantz Henig

Did you know there is a National Institute for Play?

Have a good weekend, everyone!

More To Celebrate!

We're getting ready for a combo holiday. We're going to celebrate the Chinese New Year along with Valentine's Day...because Satch loves celebrations so much, we plan to celebrate every chance we get!

Inspired by this book and this book, Satch painted some papier mache heart boxes for our Valentine's Day treats.

(These books are packed with kid-crafting...a perfect activity for rainy or cold wintry days!!!)

After he painted them, he stamped our initials on them and coated them with Mod Podge (which Satch calls "goo"). I added the border and the gold trim.




















I found this recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge (a childhood fave of mine) and according to the website, it contains no gelatin so I'm making it. And of course we'll have some really good chocolate.

We also made some of these crayon hearts to hang in our window. The instructions a la Martha are here. I sacrificed one electric pencil sharpener and one of our old coffee grinders trying to shave our crayons. In the end I just used a knife because neither our crayon sharpener nor our pencil sharpeners did the trick.


And I picked up a handful of paper cranes and origami cherry blossoms, made by the talented artist Vanessa Ko, to replace the fall/winter acorn ornaments that are adorning our vase of branches to honor the upcoming Chinese New Year on February 7th. (In case you're wondering: I'm the rabbit, Satch is the rooster and Dada is...well...the pig). 
 


And together we made the Chinese lanterns that I discovered in the book above! The blossom lights are from Smith & Hawken.



I'll be making an Asian noodle dish that Satch calls, "Mama-Town-Noodles", after his favorite Elden Street haunt, "Thai Towne". A recipe for "Long Life Noodles" can be found here.

And here's a tutorial for making kid-friendly chopsticks...Satch loves eating with these and has become quite good at it.

And I REALLY would love to give a copy of this book away to the first person who wishes us a happy new year in Cantonese!

A String of Pearls

In between the tantrums, the frustration, and sleepless nights are moments so beautiful that I wish I could string them together and wrap them around my neck... like a strand of pearls.

Making rocket ship cookies and eating them while they were still warm.

Watching Satch taste his first organic hot chocolate with homemade whipped cream. He calls it, "hot papa" (indeed).

Making felted merino wool balls in bright candy colors to hang on our tree...Satch pulling tufts of fluff and handing them to me with a cheery, "Here ya go, mama"...and the sound of his feet in robeez booties running to the washer while yelling, "My do, my do", because he wants to throw the balls in the machine.

(Merino wool is to our fingers what homemade whipped cream is to our tongues).




















Creating tiny dolls that resemble our family (still working on the dada) for Satch to play with in the gender neutral house he's getting for Xmas from his grands. The dolls are supposed to be faceless, but Satch insisted that I draw a face on them. The mama must be a good likeness because Satch giggled when he saw it.

I can't wait to see his face Xmas morn when he unwraps all his toys and musical instruments. I just hope my eyes don't well up with tears as they are wont to do.

Make Merry & Bright!

"There'll be much mistletoe-ing
And hearts will be glowing
When loved ones are near
It's the most wonderful time of the year" -Edward Pola/George Wyle


We hung our pine cone wreath on the front door and Satch exclaimed,
"Oh, THAT'S cool!"

We purchased these hand painted papier maché ornaments by artist, Michael Mabry. The illustrations are whimsical with a touch of humor and represent the 12 days of Xmas, i.e. the "Four Calling Birds" are holding telephones. They are non-toxic and kid friendly.

They are much more beautiful in person than was pictured in the catalog.

We are collecting holiday ornaments that represent our son's favorite things of the year. This year we purchased this robot ornament.

When Satch saw it he said, "Look at this robot...I love him...I love this robot". I don't know if it's going to make it to the tree because he's been playing with it ever since.

We also commissioned an ornament of his favorite animal from this talented artist.





I found some simple felt stockings at a craft supply store and stitched a rocket ship on Satchel's stocking.



(*please note I have no idea how to stitch so I made it up as I went along).






On mine I sewed gorgeous red vintage buttons that I had in my enormous stash. They look a bit like candy.













I trimmed Robert's stocking with two pieces of his dad's old neck ties It was inspired by the Gee's Bend exhibit that we went to.


(click on stockings to see larger).







I'm attempting to make my own version of these felt garlands and some felt balls to use as non-breakable, kid-friendly ornaments for our tree.

Satch made some holiday greetings this year and without any instruction, began painting little round ornaments on the trees. They are cut from cardstock and a piece of red and white baker's twine is tied through a metal grommet at the top. He only made a few so I'll be printing a photo greeting AND as always, our computer savvy friends and family can expect an e-greeting rather than paper (in the spirit of "The Lorax")




Of course there will still be the usual cast of kitschy characters.

These metal snowflake lights have replaced the papel picado. They cast the most beautiful ambient light which I am unable to capture. It's the color of candle light.

And the studio window got a seasonal face lift as well.






On Friday, we'll be trimming our tree while nibbling rocketship sugar cookies (decorated by Satch), sipping organic hot cocoa and listening to some cool holiday music!

The Peace of Wild Things

"And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free" - Wendell Berry

Collecting bits of nature that celebrate the season.

Scarlet red: I used to buy Red Sumac at the Green Market in Union Square. I spotted some growing roadside when were in MO for the holiday and Robert stopped the car so I could pick some to bring home.




Lichen: chunks of Lichens of the palest blue and green growing on bits of branches that I dragged home from Great Falls.

Be Kind

"Three things in human life are important.
The first is to be kind.
The second is to be kind.
And the third is to be kind." - Henry James

These are the ornaments that I made from the acorns Satch collected. We hung them on some fallen branches that we gathered for the vase on our table to celebrate the season (an idea that I ripped from RealSimple - I can't remember the last time I bought a magazine, but the holiday issue was too enticing).

I also designed some new goodies here!

We tried to do our holiday shopping early so we wouldn't have to deal with that pre-xmas craziness, so we can sit back and enjoy the shifting seasons and not contribute to the frenzy. (Can I say, by the way, that I resent seeing all the xmas decorations out before we've celebrated Thanksgiving? What kind of message is that giving to our children?) Toys R Us had absolutely nothing on my list (though they did have a lot of plastic crap and branded toys). I walked over to target and they didn't have any of the toys on my list either. I have now resolved to do all my shopping on line. We are now finished with Satchel's xmas shopping, 'cept for a season related book and an easel from Ikea.

Oh...my list?

Here it is:

• "Pocket Etch a Sketch" (red, not Diego or Spongebob)
• "Life On Earth Color Dominoes" by eeBoo (beautiful illustrations / no branding)
• "I Never Forget A Face" memory game by eeBoo (beautiful illustrations / no branding / multicultural)
• "Who Lives Where" game by Cadaco (simple wooden matching game)
• Mini Tonkas
• Musical Friends Lacing Cards by eeBoo
• Colorglow Flash Light by Hasbro/Playskool (a righteous piece of plastic)
• Tub Tunes Water Flutes by Big Boing
• A tadpole to frog metamorphosis toy for bath
• A hand painted dragonfly kite for spring
• A windup clown fish and submarine for bath
• some sea life for the bath tub

While I was in the toy department of Target, I heard a father say to his child, "if you touch one more thing I'm going to take you over to the hardware store, buy a hammer and break all your fingers".

I felt sick. As I walked past I said, "Nice way to talk to your child, real NICE!" I wish I could have thought of a comment that might have helped the situation...to be an enlightened witness for the child. But I couldn't think of anything else to say because I was in shock. I remember reading in Jan Hunt's book, that we shouldn't turn away when we witness an abuse, we should act so the child feels seen. If we see a parent overreact due to stress, we should respond with something like, "It can be really stressful, is there something I can do to help?" In this way, it's not an attack on the parent, the child feels validated and yet it acknowledges that the situation is unhealthy while restoring some balance, consciousness.

However, in that toy section of Target, I felt paralyzed. Moments like that one make me realize that even on my worst day, I could never be THAT wretched.

Tricks or Treats!

We have begun our holiday decorating. I made a papel picado with a pattern from the toy maker... though I changed the eyes on the cat. Satch calls it "the Halloween flags".


We picked a few stems of brown hydrangea for our table from a bush that was growing beside the trail...


While searching for some easy-to-make, not-too-scary decorations, I found these:

• a cute skeleton cut-out
• apple shrunken heads

We're watching, "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown". The scent of nag champa oil is wafting from the linen closet and there's a bar of spicy clove soap in the bath.

You'll have to stay tuned for our very cool pumpkins. We're going pickin' on Saturday. See you Monday. Have a good weekend everyone!

Fall Collection

And all the leaves were calling me.
And the wind went sighing over the land,
Tossing the grasses to and fro,
And a shining rainbow held out its hand,
So what could I do but laugh and go?
- Richard Le Gallienne

More gifts from the trail to celebrate Autumn...

and Satchel's first watercolor paintings to brighten the shorter days to come...

and his paper butterfly fluttering suspended in the stairwell...perhaps we'll make some friends to keep it company.



Yesterday, while out (at least a 5 mile stroller trek) buying more watercolors and safety scissors and yet another digger because when Satch saw it he sighed, "I love diggers", so sincerely that I felt he should have it... we ran into a man with long white hair and beard to match and eyes that twinkled like Santa... come to think of it, he looked like David Crosby. "Look, Satch", I yelled jumping up and down, "he has a BANJO"! And the dear soul walked over and played for us and we sang made up lyrics to fit the moment like, "I've got a pinecone...how 'bout you".

Well...what can I do, but laugh and go. Have a good weekend everyone. See you Monday.

(To the mysterious banjo player, you were "the shining rainbow" yesterday...thank you for "holding out your hand".)