The Art of Roughhousing

"Let the wild rumpus start!" - Maurice Sendak

I must admit that when this review copy turned up in my mailbox I did a little happy dance. The Art of Roughhousing by Anthony T. DeBenedet, M.D. and Lawrence J. Cohen, PhD, is a manual for joy. There's just no better way to describe it. Chapters are organized by the type of roughhousing, i.e. flight, contact etc. Each delightfully rambunctious maneuver is further categorized by age, difficulty and essential skills.

The authors state this very poignant truth, "What was once a motto of Safety First has evolved into a fretful new motto of Safety Only. Many parents are more frightened by skinned knees and bruised feelings than life's real dangers: stifled creativity and listless apathy. Some schools in the United States are even being built without playgrounds."

This book brought back so many memories of my own fearless childhood...like being dragged around the yard on a bed sheet and holding my dad's arms while climbing to his shoulders then flipping over to land on my feet. Does anyone remember that one?

If there is any doubt that the joy of roughhousing far outweighs the risks - a picture is worth a thousand words...here we are one morning practicing our acrobatic skills in our pajamas...

"Roughhousing activates many different parts of the body and the brain, from the amygdalae, which process emotions, and the cerebellum, which handles complex motor skills, to the prefrontal cortex, which makes high-level judgments. The result is that every roughhousing playtime is beneficial for body, brain as well as the loftiest levels of the human spirit: honor, integrity, morality, kindness and cooperation." ( excerpt from The Art of Roughhousing: Good Old-Fashioned Horseplay and Why Every Kid Needs It)

Gravity Sprinkled Upward

It's one of those magical places wise people
like to talk about.
One of the things they say about it, that is true,

is that, once you've been there,
you're there forever.
Listen, everyone has a chance.
Is it spring, is it morning?

Are there trees near you,
and does your own soul need comforting?
Quick, then— open the door and fly on your heavy feet; the song
may already be drifting away. — Mary Oliver

(Such Singing in the Wild Branches)


This was a beautiful weekend for our family. We took a trip to the mountains for a celebratory Spring hike. Something happens when you're looking down from 3,385 feet in the air, something shifts, you gain new perspective and feel such a sense of peace.

Satch in his usual fashion turned over logs and stones to discover their mysteries. He was smitten with this millipede. At least, we think it was a millipede because it had mighty short legs and a whole lot of 'em. 

We found some small bones and claws and nearby, 2 very weathered owl pellets which we took home for dissection.

It was also the weekend of the Perigee Moon. We celebrated with a moonrise picnic of cheese and crackers and glow sticks, of course.

 

Neighbors and friends joined us, sharing Moon Pies and conversation as we watched the Perigee Moon glow orange, then white as it rose higher.

In the morning Satch went straightaway to dissecting his owl pellets while his dad and I sipped our coffee. The pellets had clearly been exposed to the elements for quite some time we so decided it would probably be safe. Nevertheless, there was careful washing of hands and equipment afterward. Satch was excited by his haul of small bones. Some info on owl pellets here.

We are feeling very inspired by TWO new books that we had the honor to review!

Seasons by award winning author/artist, Anne Crausaz. This book explores the 4 seasons through 5 senses. I love the illustrations and color and the underlying message of fully experiencing the unique beauty of each season.

Around One Log by Anthony D. Fredericks is a rhymic story that explores the ecology of a rotting log and the community of creatures that make their home there. The story celebrates the interconnectedness of life on our planet. There is a section of field notes that contain facts about the animal characters in the story as well as a section filled with nature activities and projects.

These two lovely books make perfect springtime reading!


On Sunday we'll be attending a Native American Drumming Circle in honor of Springtime. I can't think of a better way to celebrate a season of re-birth and new beginnings. Oh Spring, thank you for another chance to break free from all that inhibits our growth.

Keep Off Dinos

On the way home from the orchard we took S to Dinosaur Land, a kitschy roadside attraction from the 60's. He had fun hamming it for the camera and pretending to be gobbled up by dinos.

















































Here are some Mesozoic faves, some of which we unearthed at library book sales and used bookstores... (click on images for links)

Mom to Mom Give Away: Nikki McClure

Satch and I are huge fans of Nikki McClure. When I told him that the art is made from paper cuts, he was enthralled. "But how, Mama, HOW?!?!" I sat him down in front of the computer and played this video. He was SMITTEN!



We were delighted to see Nikki's art in Cynthia Rylant's book, "All in a Day" last year. And we are excited beyond words that Nikki released her own book, this past May! Both books quickly became bedtime favorites. The images depict tender moments that children and parents can relate to, moments shared within the closeness of family. Both books inspire the reader to savor the beauty in our day to day life. You will have a chance to win one of these books at the end of the post! In the meantime...it is my honor to introduce you to Nikki McClure...

Mom: Nikki McClure
Of: Finn
Where: Olympia, WA
Site: Nikki McClure

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

Just about every way! Though I still feel little bubbles of me rising to the surface every now and then but not strong enough to get up from a warm snuggle with a sleeping child and make my way to see my friend's band play down the street.

I find that I am much more efficient. No dilly dallying- except when I am just hanging out with my child.

We just dilly-dally then!

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

Make new rules. Work small and quick. Finn is reading a book and eating nectarine slices as I type this.

3. What inspired you to create "Mama, is it Summer Yet"?

Finn asking me that question in March!- It was a nice day, granted. I wanted to show him what to look for and look forward to. I realized that if my nature savvy kid was a bit confused, then what about all the kids inside all day! There is also a part that explains why we eat strawberries in June, not February no matter how big and red they seem to be in the market, Our family has to wait. I'm so cruel.

4. Your work inspires me because it so movingly reflects the beauty in ordinary moments, family and nature. Would you mind sharing one such moment with my readers and how that moment was portrayed in your work?

This one is hard...every picture has a back story. I like to keep them secret so the image can belong to the viewer and elicit their own set of memories.


5. What moves you, grounds you, fills you with joy?

Summer. Eating wild berries. Swallows flying. When everyone is happy at the same time.

To honor the passing Summer season and warm your hearts in the coming cold months, the generous folks at Abrams Books is allowing me to give away a copy of these two beautiful books. To win one of the inspiring beauties, kindly share one favorite Summer moment spent with your child in the comments section of this post and specify which book you are swooning over. The winner will be picked by random generator and announced on Wednesday August 18th.

*Please leave an email so I can contact the winners.

Earth Delights

"And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." - Kahlil Gibran

I've noticed that my son's SPD often manifests in a need to control some situations. Sometimes it's to avoid unwanted touches, other times it's to avoid the unexpected. I notice that he misses cues about personal boundaries, hence his need to orchestrate the play. I know that as he matures, this will be a valuable leadership quality, but at present it can sometimes make play difficult. To help him (and others like him) I've been looking for more cooperative games to play with the delightful gaggle of children that visit us daily, games that require group participation and foster a sense of connection.

I was grateful to have received a review copy of Todd Strong's "Great Games For Big Activity Balls". This book contains 75 games that can be played indoors, outdoors or in the pool. The games help develop social skills, trust, cooperation, problem solving, appropriate touch and communication. In addition, the games aid in the development of perceptual, physical and motor skills. Our favorite games so far are "Orbit", "Planet Pass" and "Parachute Ball".

When played with the "Earth Ball" by Orbis, one can further illustrate the message of connectedness. The Earth Ball features realistic NASA satellite imagery. One of the coolest things about the inflatable Earth Ball is that the cities glow in the dark. Earth Ball comes in 2 sizes and includes a 20 page booklet of facts and games.

In short, it's educational, inflatable, portable FUN!


I am also had the good fortune to review "Parachute Games" by Todd Strong. It is a terrific resource for parents a/o teachers that want to engage children in cooperative play. The parachute is a useful developmental tool that allows children to explore personal behavior and social skills while offering an opportunity to improve perceptual and physical skills. Parachute play promotes cooperation and what I like most about parachute games is that everybody wins! The book includes 59 games with variations and teaching tips as well a DVD to see some of these games in action.

On a personal note, whenever I bring out our humble parachute, the wee folk go crazy. I'm always amazed by how that a colorful billowing piece of nylon induces so much joy.

Empowering Children

I think, therefore I am - Descartes

I've been thinking a lot about positive affirmations. We all know that our thoughts affect the way we feel. Even young children understand that mean words are hurtful. So, I've been thinking about ways to incorporate positive affirmations into my son's life.

I immediately thought of Louise L. Hay whose book made it's way 'round my creative circle of friends...New York City...1988. I still remember that and how we used record her affirmations onto our answering machines. We had such fun calling each other to find out what was being affirmed each week.

I am completely tickled to discover that Louise wrote a children's book and I am humbled to have received a review copy. "I think, I am!" is a powerful picture book, illustrated by Manuela Schwarz, that makes the whole concept of positive affirmations accessible to young children by demonstrating how to change negative thoughts into positive ones. The authors (Louise L. Hay and Kristina Tracy) present a situation that is likely to happen to a child, then introduce a positive affirmation...

"Have you ever done something you wish you hadn't...Keep positive and say to yourself, I learn from my mistakes and move on".

What a powerful tool for children to take with them into adulthood!

Another treasure that we recently discovered is the award winning Wizkidz DVD by kindred mama, Pamela Pedder! On the surface, this may appear to be a goofy kid show, but on deeper level, it's a treasure trove of inspiring and positive thoughts to nurture healthy self esteem. My son LOVES this dvd, and instantly caught on to the powerful messages within. During dinner, he excitedly told his dad about the "cant" characters and about the secret spell that makes them disappear - smiles. The songs are gloriously affirming. One particular song is running on continuous loop in my mind...

" I can. I can do anything if I just put my mind into it. I can do it. I can. I can be anything I dream of. I just throw my fear out. I have no doubt that I can. Yes, I can."

I was so inspired by by these creative women that I decided to make my son his own set of affirmation cards. I used one of our favorite photos from a very tender moment. I have 2 extra sets in my etsy shop where you will also find more information about the cards and the whole story behind the photo I chose.





























*And speaking of empowering children...Monday is the kick off of Mighty Girl Art! Please click on over for a peek in the Mighty Tipi all next week! It's going to be magical...

Beautiful Stuff!

"Children construct their own intelligence. The adult must provide activities and context, but most of all must be able to listen." - Loris Malaguzzi

I'm grateful to have the opportunity to review, "Beautiful Stuff" by Cathy Weisman Topal and Lella Gandini. Beautiful Stuff chronicles the experiences of 2 teachers who were inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to learning. It is a terrific resource for parents who wish to bring the Reggio Emilia philosophy into their home. There is plenty here to inspire you, the photographs, the quotes by the children, as well as the projects themselves. Beautiful Stuff demonstrates how to foster a child's innate creativity with the use unusual found materials, many of which can be found in your recycle bin. The focus here is on process not product. It is a beautiful and natural way to learn...through experience and reflection.

Feeling inspired by the aforementioned book and also by Polyglot Theater, I cleared out the basement to create a large open space. I brought out all the moving boxes that were flattened in the storage closet to use as large building blocks. On the hottest summer days, all the kids from the neighborhood come over to our house to build enormous castles and mazes and all sorts of wondrous creations.

I discovered several benefits to this form of play. The littlest ones must work together as a team in order to move the largest boxes. In fact, they ALL must work together as a team to accomplish their goal, otherwise they have random piles of boxes rather than a piece of architecture. However, one must be patient and let them discover that for themselves as they all scramble enthusiastically to build.

Soon after, they came to me with a squabble. I listened...

then I spoke:

I believe that all of you can solve this conflict and work together on this project. I can solve it for you and tell you what to do but then I'm not giving you all a chance to use your power. If I solve the problem, I'm taking your power away and using mine. If you all talk about the situation calmly and find a solution that you can all agree on, then you are all using your power.

There was a momentary hush then they went right to it, trying to learn what works for everyone. There were girl forts and boy forts each with their own passwords, but separate forts meant smaller forts. Eventually they began to realize that they needed to work as a group, organize, design, delegate.

It was wonderful to witness!

*For S, building with large boxes meets the requirement of "heavy work" which is part of his sensory diet while also engaging his imagination and creativity.

The Modern Dad's Dilemma: A Review by Papa Bear

And now a word from the Papa Bear...the mister Robert also known as The Great Robinsky...

Through his long experience in talking with and surveying children, John Badalament tells us that what children want most from their dads is a strong emotional connection with their fathers, and children want to know more about their dad’s own childhood. This then serves as an undercurrent for Badalament’s new book, The Modern Dad’s Dilemma: How to Stay Emotionally Connected with your Kids in a Rapidly Changing World. The book is a self-help guide for dads who want to figure out how to balance all of the competing interests for their time and attention, with a central component being creating and maintaining a strong connection with one’s own children. While the book has familiar self-help elements (including a series of challenging exercises in an appendix), at its heart it was, for me, a book about stories. Badalament interviewed a number of different fathers who bring with them an array of different backgrounds and experiences, however, for each the common thread is working to maintain a strong emotional connection with their respective children. The stories of these men serve as the centerpiece of each chapter in the book, bringing life and humanity to Badalament’s ideas. All of this directs each of us as a dad to create our own stories with our children - stories that have meaning and serve as a connective tissue in the relationship between father and child. For example, one of Badalament’s ideas for creating stories is via the development of a familial ritual that is performed by father and child. The ritual can be something simple, such an every Saturday morning outing for at breakfast at a bagel shop. The act itself is not the critical element – the critical element is the performance of the act in a sincere and deliberative fashion defined by active engagement.

Dads also need to learn the stories of their children – not just hear them, but to listen carefully and to know the details. It is this knowing, which children recognize, that serves as a way to forge a strong emotional connection with children. As dads we are also bridges between the past, present and future. We possess the stories of our own childhood, as well as whatever our own father’s passed on to us, be it good or not. Badalament asserts that in order to become a more emotionally connected dad, each of us must come to terms with our own relationships with our fathers. The appendix includes an exercise designed to facilitate this which I intend to engage in over the coming days.

I strongly recommend this book for any dad who is interested in developing or maintaining a strong relationship with his children.

Time to Remember (and giveaway)

"It was a time of innocence.
A time of "kick the can" and climbing trees,
of riding bikes and skinning knees,
of endless days and porch swing nights,
watching flickering dancing lights.
It was a time to remember." - Robert Nutt (Amy's Light)

As soon as the evenings grew warm, S began asking, "Is it firefly season yet?" And just as he got settled into bed, he would run back to the window for one last check. A few nights ago, as he lay sleeping, his dad and I saw the first flickers. We made plans to celebrate the following night with an outdoor reading of "Amy's Light". Satch put on his pajamas, grabbed a glow ring, listened and waited for the lights.

"In the night we shall go in...
and your hands,
your little hands and mine...
will steal the stars". - Pablo Neruda















Amy's Light by Robert Nutt is an enchanting story that truly reflects the wonder and innocence of childhood through the magical experience of catching fireflies. The illustrations are beautiful beyond words, lifelike, yet dreamy. The moonlight, the glow of the fireflies reflecting in the little girl's eyes...BREATHTAKING!

The generous peeps at Dawn Publishing are allowing me to giveaway a copy of Amy's Light to one very lucky reader...and you have no idea how happy this makes me.

Kindly leave a comment on the post (please include your email for winner notification) by midnight Sunday June 20th. Tell me about your earliest memory of fireflies or a firefly moment shared with your child. The winner will be picked by random generator and announced Monday June 21st.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig!

We now no longer camp as for a night, but have settled down on earth and forgotten heaven. ~Henry David Thoreau

We're back from our adventure at the Tree House Camp! S had a swell time and didn't want to go home. It turns out, however, they're not actually tree houses, but more like stilted cabins, not very high up. I guess they don't want the liability of ladders. The rear of the cabin (where the entrance is located) is actually at ground level, so you don't really get that tree house sensation. The camp is situated next to a main road, so we were a little bummed about that. It's fine for a getaway weekend, but if you're planning to spend much time there with little ones who like to explore, you may want to consider this, the sites are rather small and don't offer much room for kids to run freely. They can't play catch else risk losing their ball to the poison ivy. There are wood stoves in the newer tree cottages which is a good thing as it can get cold at night. Still, we didn't use it because we were warm enough snuggled together. S found it wildly amusing that there was no electricity which opened up a whole discussion about ideas, inventions and how thoughts become things.

We read our bedtime story by booklight. All Around Me I See by Laya Steinberg is a nature awareness story about a family who goes on a camping trip. The child describes all that she sees, from the moment she leaves her home and on into her dreams. The illustrations by Cris Arbo are beautifully detailed. It's the perfect picture book to take camping with little ones. The thoughtful and nature loving folks at Dawn Publishing provide a free discussion and activity guide to go along with the book.

After our story, he practiced making shadow puppets by moonlight. This was a dreamy moment that I shall never forget. It was his idea, not mine. He created an ostrich by using his head for the body...a trick he picked up from this book. We keep this book beside our bed in our bedtime book basket.

He cried once during the night because he said he was homesick then added, "the bunk is as hard as a rock!" T'is true and my back did hurt the following morn.

When I was a wee girl scout, we camped Bear Mountain. Now THAT was some mighty fine camping. I still remember the blood-curdling screams when one of the moms discovered a raccoon in her blanket. Oh, how we laughed!

At the Tree House Camp, we didn't feel like we were out in the wilderness nor in the tree tops, but we had a relaxing time and we all enjoyed the simplicity so much that we decided, one day each month, we would recreate that vibe: turn off the phone, the mac, the lights and unplug the tv (not that we watch it much) and instead...eat dinner by candle light, play a game by lantern and our bedtime stories with a book light...

"Wake to what the spider unspools into a silver...
dawn dripping with light. Sleep in sleeping bags,
sleep in sand, sleep at someone else's house
in a land you've never been, where the dreamers
dream in a language you only half understand." - Gary J. Whitehead

* OH! The natural bug spray...smelled lovely and worked great! Neither S nor I had a single bite. The Great Robinsky, however, was the "control group" in the experiment and he got eaten.

hand wash cold

Once again I'm deeply moved by Karen Maezen Miller. I read her first book when my son was a wee babe and I loved it so much that I begged her for a Mom to Mom interview. Her new book, "hand wash cold: care instructions for an ordinary life" is equally magnificent. In this book, Karen shares more about her life and the path that lead her to becoming a Buddhist priest while unveiling the deeper meaning in seemingly ordinary moments. Her personal life lessons are beautifully transformed into teachings. With tenderness, humor and wisdom, Karen illustrates that happiness can't be found in constantly reaching for the next rung, but by turning to look at the view right where you are.

"Happiness is simple", she writes, "Everything we do to find it is complicated."

How can something so gentle be so powerful?

life is a verb: Give Away!

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count.
It's the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln

I'm finding it very difficult to write something that describes just how beautiful this book is. I can tell you that I had to put it down several times to let the stories simmer in my soul. I can tell you that I went back to read the entire book a few more times. I can tell you that it made me laugh so loud once (toast rules) that a certain neighbor shot a curious glance at my hammock and of course I had to share the book with her. I can also tell you that I dropped more than a few tears into its folds. Patti has a gift for illuminating the messages woven into ordinary moments. Written as a manual for a full and happy life, from a Mother for her two daughters, Patti unravels the luminous threads that connect us all.

It's Spring...the season symbolic for the renewal of life! If you would like a gentle nudge to live your life with intention and awareness, then grab yourself a copy of this book...grab a copy for someone you love.

The generous folks at Globe Pequot Press is allowing me to give away a copy of this beautiful book to one lucky reader. Kindly leave a comment at the end of this post by midnight on Monday, April 5th and the winner will be picked by random generator on Wednesday, April 7th!

Patti's new book will be in stores this Fall. I can hardly wait!

*Please provide a means to contact you. If you comment anonymously, I will be unable to notify you if you win...you will need to check back for winner information.

Seasonal Book Basket: Spring

A warm day and a walk to the vernal pool...


To celebrate the arrival of Spring we began migrating appropriate books to our seasonal book basket. Along the way, we had the opportunity to review and discover some new favorites:

A wonderful story about how a young moose finds his way home after wandering into a nearby village. Little ones experience what animal instincts may feel like.


We're completely smitten with this book about the wonders of animal migration. The lyrical text will captivate the wee ones and the factual blurbs will fascinate "big kids". I especially love the map on the last page which gives one a sense of just how far some animals travel.


Under One Rock explores the interconnectedness of all living things, told in a similar cumulative format as the Mother Goose classic, This is the House that Jack Built...only what could be better than bugs and slugs!

All that mud around the vernal pool had us thinking about animal tracks, so we revisited this old favorite that we found at a used book sale. Later, we did some stamping with our animal track stamps.

*More faves from our Spring Book Basket here!

Bedtime Book Basket: The Cat at Night

"The sky is dark and full of stars,
but everything else is like day to him.
Night is the best time of all –
the time when he likes to go exploring."
- Dahlov Ipcar (The Cat at Night)


We have a new favorite in our bedtime book basket...

We received a review copy of this gorgeous book by Dahlov Ipcar! In "The Cat at Night", we follow a cat on one of his nighttime adventures and we see what the cat sees. The paintings are exquisite and the story, a delight. Each spread portrays the cat as we would see him, a silhouette in the shadowy night. A turn of the page transforms the same scene as the cat would see it. Satch enjoys trying to locate the cat in each nighttime silhouette before turning the page to cat-vision.

Look closely.
Can you find him?
Lovely, isn't it!

Play All Day!

After a busy day of chestnut boats and fairy forts, we returned home to find a rather heavy brown parcel on our doorstep. I was beyond excited to discover that it was a review copy of Play All Day: Design for Children from Gestalten!

We ran inside, tossed our wintry layers in a heap, threw some pillows on the floor and slowly leafed through the pages. WOW! WOW! WOW! - this word repeated over and over from my son while I sighed and swooned over this gorgeous tome of kidlicous design. Play All Day is a book that creative parents will want to keep permanently on their coffee table to be devoured by wee folk and big people alike.

No stone is left unturned in this beautiful, ginormous exploration into the art of play - architecture, toys, playgrounds, decor, furniture, illustration and photography - made by creative parents and talented designers around the world.



From the cardboard castles of one of my favorite artists, Ann Wood, to the engaging kid-craft projects of Arounna Khounnoraj of BloesemKids.


In three words...

Innovative,

Imaginative

and

Inspiring!

Mom to Mom: Ruby Roth

I had the honor to review Ruby Roth's book "That's Why We Don't Eat Animals" and immediately wanted to know more about her. Satch and I are vegetarians and this touched us both on many levels. The book illustrates in a gentle yet powerful way, the reasons why some Earthlings choose not to eat meat. It is a beautiful book about compassion.

I can't think of a more fitting thought for the new year...


Mom: Ruby Roth
Of: Akira, 5 (step-child)
Where: Los Angeles, CA
Site: We Don't Eat Animals

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

I’ve had to make a concerted effort to learn to accept that the day doesn’t always turn out that way I plan it to. I used to have an I-Can-Do-It-All vision of my future, meaning I took for granted that as an adult, I’d manage to have a burgeoning career, a man, kids, a clean and tidy home. It was a blow to my imagination when I realized that there aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything well… but ultimately this is a great thing! I’m learning to be clear on what I need to do and what I can let go of doing, so that I’m available to my family instead of trying to do everything everyday and being a nervous wreck! Everybody wins.

2. What inspired you to write That's Why We Don't Eat Animals?

I was teaching art at an elementary school and the kids were always curious about why I wasn’t eating the string-cheese they were served at snack. In a very non-emotional, matter-of-fact way, I began sharing my reasons, which ranged from health, to the emotional lives of animals, to their treatment on factory farms. It was the children’s incredible continued interest and insight that made me look into resources I might further share with them. But I couldn’t find a book on the subject that wasn’t based on a talking animal or vegetable—which I felt they were too smart (and cool) for. Art and veganism are two of my favorite studies and so I used the impetus of the children’s interest to get started on writing and illustrating the book.


4. What message would you like to share with children who want to be vegetarians?

Be proud, be confident, and never fear standing up for yourself or any other living being. I think it takes a super smart, clear-headed kid to come to the conclusion that he or she does not want to eat animals. These kinds of kids are powerful, intelligent, and aware. They grow up with a great sense of connectedness to animals and the environment—a feeling that we hold a powerful place in this web of life because our choices ripple out into the world. I’m so very proud to be in touch with so many vegan and vegetarian kids!


5. What message would you like to share with parents?

Do not fear discussing the truth about food and where it comes from with your child. I’ve never once experienced a kid to be overwhelmed by the information, as long as you don’t relay the facts in a hysterical manner. I say in my book that each day, we have the freedom to change our lives. I think this is a very important concept for anyone to absorb—and one to emphasize when you read the book to a kid: we never have to fear things that we have the power to change. And kids get it. Secondly, even if you eat meat, add more raw, vegan foods to your diet. It is more about adding new foods than giving up others. Know what you’re eating and where it comes from, and examine your ambivalences about vegetarianism and veganism (gender, health myths, addictions, etc.). In college, I was surrounded by vegans and the thought of trying it myself never occurred to me because I didn’t identify with the image of a vegan. I had tunnel vision. Now, I could never go back.

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

I have this one figured out! Firstly, making physical contact with the natural world is fail-safe: getting my feet in some sand or dirt is grounding on an electromagnetic level (literally, go stand barefoot in your backyard for five minutes—it changes your whole perspective!). I get the same feeling from visiting an animal sanctuary, shopping at my local farmer’s market, or simply getting some fresh air. And if L.A. traffic prevents any of this, I turn to something I can do at home, something that puts me in the zone, something that makes me switch from the emotional side of the brain to the logical: observational drawing, studying a language book, writing in a journal, even what I call “Zen Dishwashing:” clearing the house, and thus my state-of-mind, from clutter.

*Our little family will be doing community service in honor of MLK day on Monday. See you Wednesday.

Mom to Mom: Anna Thomas & Love Soup!

"Soup of the evening, beautiful soup!" - Lewis Carroll

I cannot resist a beautiful bowl of soup. Many, many years ago, a cherished soul gave me a vegetarian cookbook from her favorite vegetarian restaurant. In it, she tucked a 50 dollar bill and wrote, "please make the pea soup and make extra for me". Well, I did...and it was wonderful and so began my slight obsession for yummy vegetarian soups.

I had the good fortune to review a new vegetarian cookbook, "Love Soup" by the amazing Anna Thomas! It's everything a soup lubbin' vegetarian could dream of! I made her "Creamy Potato and Roasted Garlic Soup" and topped it with some slivers of chévre cheese and a small hunk of crusty bread (see photo above). It was sooooo good! What made this soup so special though was the bit of sweet potato which added a lovely color and a hint of sweetness. YUM!
Naturally, I just had to chat her up...but first, a video clip!



Mom: Anna Thomas
Of: Christopher (25), Ted (24)
Where: Ojai, California
Site: Vegetarian Epicure

1. In what ways has becoming a mother changed you?That’s a big question, sister! It changes everything. When my first baby was born, an organism (me) divided and became two different organisms – a child, and a mother – neither of which had existed before. We were both, in a way, starting from zero.

Everything was different. I had no time, I couldn’t bear to read the newspaper because of all the violence, my priorities were re-ordered, and my hair was dirty most days. It took me a while to realize it was not a temporary disruption. A dear friend who was already a father sent us a little handmade membership card: on one side, “Parents Club of the World,” on the other, “Life Memberships Only.”

I entered a new world, one in which there was always someone more important than me, and the future was both more exciting and more frightening. Interestingly, the past changed as well; I began to understand my own parents. And now, as my children grow up, I begin to understand more about who I was when I was their age.

But here’s a big one: I’ve become less judgmental. Being a parent makes everything else you ever did look easy. And when you do that job, really do it, you stop judging others, because you know how incredibly tough and complicated things can get. But would I trade it for anything else? No! Never!

2. What message would you like to share with other mothers?Everything is a phase. No matter what the challenge is, what you’re trying to figure out and contend with, it is a phase; it will pass. Not that you get to ignore it – and it’s diabolical the way just when you’ve figured out how to deal with tantrums, that’s no longer the problem and it’s something entirely new and different that you haven’t thought about yet! But it is a phase, and it will eventually play itself out. And you will survive if you remember that.

And never regret an extra moment you spend with your children. You won’t be lying on your deathbed saying, “wish I’d spent just a little more time in the office.”
3. What is your family’s favorite dish?This has changed a lot over the years – when the kids were little they loved rice pudding and breakfast pancakes, and later they adored summer tomato soup and quesadillas and Tortilla Española… But I must admit that the cream cheese pierogi that I make for Christmas Eve, little savory pastries filled with caramelized cabbage or potatoes, are beloved by all, and through all eras. They accompany my Christmas Eve Porcini Soup – a recipe I included in Love Soup, even though it can be a bit of work to find porcini, because that soup is so amazingly delicious, and such a family tradition. I think it’s in our DNA, the Polish side.

4. What inspired you to write Love Soup?
This goes back a long way! I have always cooked soups, but when my first baby was born soup became even more important. All the years that I was raising my children, when everybody seemed hungry all the time and there was never an extra moment, having a pot of soup in the fridge really was like money in the bank.But then the children grew up and moved out, and I moved, too, downsized in a major way. I was doing a major remodel – a re-build, actually – and was temporarily living in a converted painter’s studio. I put in a teeny, tiny little kitchen under the stairs to the sleeping loft, which I thought would be just dandy for the few months of construction.

You can see where this is going, right? Three years later, I was still in the 81-inch kitchen. And during that time – I was cooking soup, soup, and more soup! It was the food that saved me, allowed me to continue to eat well, to cook seasonal produce without needing a lot of equipment (which was all packed away), to have friends over for casual suppers…A good pot of soup is like a magnet, people just naturally bring the bread and olives and cheese and wine that go with it. Those seasons of soup in the wee kitchen showed me that no space is too small for cooking, or for sharing food with friends. I fell in love with soup all over again - and decided I had to write about it. The whole book was written in that not-so-temporary kitchen!

5. What moves you, grounds you, fills your well?
Two things have always filled me with lasting joy: the true experience of art, and the far, wild reaches of the natural world. I would travel a long way for a good opera, or to see a great painting. Real art never lets you down. And hiking in the mountains is my daily blessing. I live where I live, and drive longer distances for work, so that I can see the mountains out my window, and walk the trails into them any time. For my 50th birthday I climbed Mount Whitney with a couple of girlfriends. I’ve called on that experience many times. Experiencing these things in the companionship of family or good friends has always been my spiritual nourishment.

When I had children, I shared the things I loved with them: art, the beauty of nature, the comradeship of close friends – and I watched them discover the world. And later – the most moving thing of all: seeing my children make art.

*This diary entry is dedicated to Ida May Mahler...When making a bowl of soup, when climbing a tree with my son...you come to mind. Loved, missed and always remembered.

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.)

Taro Gomi Lovefest

"The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of childhood into maturity" - Thomas Huxley

I know I've shamelessly swooned over the Gomi coloring books before here and here and here, but can you see why this 4 yr old boy and his mama love them? They truly speak to the heart of the child...

(there's one in all of us)

and engage the imagination. It's a lovefest over here, folks!

"worried giraffe"

"dragon fly by"

"spider web"

"centipede catching a bug!"

"mosquitoes"

"watermelon"

"jack in the box"

Summer Wonders

Summer Wonders by Bob Raczka is a lovely, LOVELY book! The paintings by Judy Stead are so beautiful, you'll want to frame the pages. The story celebrates the joys of summer with just a handful of words. It's perfect for the seasonal book basket!

We've invited a bunch of friends over to our favorite hill for a 4th of July Pot Luck Picnic.

Have a good weekend. See you Monday.