hallowe'en

"Mommy, why do they call it a tutu?...
                    Why don't they just call it a four?"

(And she hasn't even learned multiplication yet.)

Happy Hallowe'en!

treasure yarn

My favorite of all the gifts Naiya received for her birthday was this beautiful wool treasure yarn.
As it is unwound, tiny, magical gifts are revealed...

This one came from her dear friends and held shells, beads and little clay and glass figures.  The tiniest beads were held inside on mini safety pins.  

I imagine that finding the little treasures is supposed to inspire the child to knit or crochet in order to bring forth more of the goodies, but Naiya said she would get to that later and just wanted to unwind the whole ball at once.
Being pretty excited myself, I let her unravel the entire thing.

At the heart of the ball was a sweet little heart.

The perfect, simple, useful gift to inspire hours of focused handwork, play and creativity.

the last of the spring showers?

We spent most of the day inside making treats for the fairies and watching the dark, dark clouds dance a little dance overhead.  Somehow Summer preparations in 60° weather don't feel quite right.   We did make some sweet and tasty cookies and cakes though and, this time around, Naiya even delighted in fashioning that dough into a few fruity pies!

She set them out in the garden just so.

And with so many to offer, placed a few in their covered gazebo.

She made a couple of Ojo de Dios as a gift for the Queen.

And cried when Pippin sampled her beautiful display. 

I told her I thought the fairies would likely not mind sharing with all the good living things who venture into our back yard so we went inside to tidy...

And then the sky opened up and the rain began to fall.

Such is Mother Nature with her own sort of magic.
We covered the treats tables with "skylight umbrellas" and all was well.  We shall see what tomorrow brings...

monster mouth

After that third one lost its place she woke up, looked in the mirror and came running gleefully into the bathroom where I was slowly coming to life as I splashed water on my face.
"I look like a MONSTER!!" she joyfully exclaimed.
She couldn't be happier.

The one remaining front tooth seems to have crept over to the middle (perhaps searching out its recently departed twin).  Today it's just hanging by a thread.  Not for long methinks...

Not for long.

number three

Ever seen a kid look so crazy happy with a bloody mouth?  This shot was taken about a minute after that tooth was yanked free with the help of a little corn on the cob last night.  She couldn't wait for school today to tell her classmates and teacher.  It's like there's some kind of competition going on in her kindergarten class.  I have more than once walked in and seen them with their fingers in a friends mouth trying to help them along.  One child tells me, "ALL my teeth are wiggly!"  (In reality I think none of them are and he can't bear the thought of that.)  This one of Naiya's has been loose since the beginning of the school year.  It only took 9 months to finally find its way to freedom.  Oh, the ecstasy!

in the garden

In the Spring and Summer we spend a lot of time with Naiya in the back yard.  A lot of our afternoons are spent playing with the fairies, in the sandbox, barbecuing, enjoying meals or gardening as a family.  Naiya has her own little corners of the yard though that she has planted and maintains all by herself.

This area around her play house is filled with flowers and veggies she chose on her own.  It's a mish mash display and with all the eating of the fennel leaves and picking of the most beautiful blossoms, I'm not sure how this area will fare through the season.  (Which is, of course, totally alright, since her pleasure was its purpose from the outset.)

A pot on our table that Naiya calls her "special garden" has been dormant for months.  She told me she had planted seeds there and when they started to poke out of the soil I wasn't sure that weeds hadn't simply found a foothold in her little patch of wonder.  When they grew taller, they looked a little less weedy (but were still mysterious) and just this morning these poppies opened up.

Sometimes daddy brings plants home from work for her, because they're a little weird or especially fancy.

Inside the house we often find flies in the windowsills.  Other crawly critters meet their demise out of doors for any number of reasons and our daughter often discovers these bodies in both locales. We have tried to instill a reverence for all life (even the most pesky) in Naiya so when she asked what to do with these bodies I told her returning them to the earth might be nice.  She's had this area for years but only recently asked me to write out some markers for the tiny beings resting there.

may day hair garland

Each year for May Day and for the May Faire at Naiya's school we have been putting together hair garlands to lend a bit of natural decor to our festival garb and liven up our merry making.  I've even posted a garland tutorial.  (Click here if you're interested in checking it out.)

Often, however, these coronets stay in place for a picture or two and then end up on our gathering blanket to wilt in the afternoon sun.  They're lovely and Naiya and I both enjoy putting them together but, she complains, they can be a bit cumbersome and, especially for active children, not really that practical.

That's why this year we decided to try something new.  What you see in the photo above looks like a  garland but is, in fact, just a series of hair clips holding little bunches of flowers onto her hair in a circle round her head!

To make it, I pulled a little hair back from the front of Naiya's head, made a braid on each side and bound the the two plaits in the back.  I then gathered very small flowers into two-ended bunches and clipped them onto the braid in the middle.  She has five clusters round her crown with the largest in the back covering the band where the braids meet.

She loved her "garland" this time around and it stayed in place until her night-time bath.  No wires.  No floral tape.  No complaining.  And put together in about 4 minutes.  I don't know that we'll ever make a proper garland again!

the first day of spring

 Down in the earth in their dark winter bed

Someone is calling, the crocus said,

In colours bright they quickly dressed,

In lavender, purple and gold of the best.

Then out in the grass they dance in a ring

And call to the children, "Come out! It is spring."

-H. Henley                   

from Spring by Wynstones Press                   

super quick doll clothes

   Like many Waldorf moms, over the years I've hand made my daughter some beautiful dolls only to have her cast them aside for simple store bought versions that relatives and friends have given her.  It took me quite a while to figure out that it wasn't so much the manufactured playthings she loved more than those I lovingly and painstakingly crafted; rather, it was their fancy clothes collections and ease of dressing that were the magical draw!    (How come our children won't just love the toys WE love?  A post for another time...) 

  Of late, her favorite dolls for dressing and playing are two Groovy Girls.  There's something about the size (and freakish proportions) of these particular dolls that just really appeals to my daughter.  I've embraced them but, if you're not familiar with these gals, they often come with some pretty racy outfits.  We use them but have tried to add some fun, more young-girly ensembles through our crafting.  Oma's been knitting them sweaters and skirts and I've sewn a few pairs of pants and skirts as well.  But last week, Oma had a designer breakthrough and came up with this super-quick-and-easy-doll-clothes-in-minutes idea!  

  

Basically, it utilizes the sleeves of old pajamas and whatever trim is laying around.  In no time at all Groovy Rainy and Groovy Toni had garments for nearly every occasion.

We're always outgrowing cotton pajamas and they come in  a pretty interesting variety of colors and designs.  Simply chop off the sleeves, finish the cut edge (or don't) and add a little something to give the wardrobe some style...

Since Naiya started gymnastics, she wanted Toni to have her own leotard.  We cut holes for the arms to go through and put in a few stitches by hand to separate the two leg holes.  (Naiya insisted on the little circle of yellow felt for "decoration".   The kid loves adornment.)

This cute summer dress has a ribbon sewn around the stretched bottom.  Stretching the fabric as the trim was sewn on caused it to curl into the frilly pattern seen here.  Straps and buttons (those were Naiya's idea) finished this summery selection.

Pants are basically a skirt cut and stitched for legs up the middle.

Roll those pants out and pull 'em up for a trendy jumpsuit.

(Wait... are these ridiculous things still in style?)

It's hard to tell in this shot but this mini dress has a white lace layer on top of the printed under layer. 

A little gold lame fancies up any simple design.

Who doesn't have packets of mint green ric rac just waiting for the perfect project?

(And a child that thinks a bell would make for a fine bit of embellishment?)

Another gown dressed up with a small bit of lace and ribbon straps that tie around the neck.
















Thanks Oma!  Now we've got playtime outfits for every occasion for weeks to come.

jokes for five year olds - V

We've been collecting our ridiculous jokes for five year olds for over a year now.  These are (and always have been) my favorite kind.  I'll keep posting them as we come across them even though Naiya is now six.

The other day I was talking to the seventh grade teacher at our school and she was saying that most jokes folks tell nowadays are actually riddles.  This is true of all of those I've posted thus far.  But she was looking for jokes that were instead in story form; not question and answers but tales with a funny punch line at the end.  I sent her this one that is adapted from one of my recent favorite fantasy novel reads (Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss).  It had Ryan and I rolling on the floor when we first came across it and Naiya likes me to re-tell it for all her friends.  (Specific references to places and characters in the story have been removed.)  Enjoy...


    Once upon a time there was a little boy born in a little town.  He was perfect, or so his mother thought.  But one thing was different about him. He had a gold screw in his belly button.  Just the head of it peeping out. 

    Now his mother was simply glad he had all his fingers and toes to count with.  But as the boy grew up he realized not everyone had screws in their belly buttons, let alone gold ones.  He asked his mother what it was for, but she didn't know.  Next he asked his father, but his father didn't know.  He asked his grandparents, but they didn't know either.

    That settled it for a while, but it kept nagging him.  Finally, when he was old enough, he packed a bag and set out, hoping he could find someone who knew the truth of it.

    He went from place to place, asking everyone who claimed to know something about anything.  He asked midwives and physickers, but they couldn't make heads or tails of it.  The boy asked tinkers and old hermits living in the woods, but no one had ever seen anything like it.

    He went to ask the merchants, thinking if anyone would know about gold, it would be them.  But the merchants didn't know.  He went to the engineers at the university, thinking if anyone would know about screws and their workings, they would.  But the engineers didn't know.  The boy followed the road farther to ask the wise women in the hills, but none of them could give him an answer.

    Eventually, he went to the richest king in the world.  But the king didn't know.  He went to the Emperor, but even with all his power, the emperor didn't know.  He went to each of the small kingdoms, one by one, but no one could tell him anything.

    Finally, the boy went to the High King, the wisest of all the kings in the world.  The high king looked closely at the head of the golden screw peeping from the boy's belly button.  Then the high king made a gesture, and his seneschal brought out a pillow of golden silk.  On that pillow was a golden box.  The high king took a golden key from his neck, opened the box, and inside was a golden screwdriver.

    The high king took the screwdriver and motioned the boy to come closer.  Trembling with excitement, the boy did.  Then the high king took the golden screwdriver and put it in the boy's belly button.

   Then the high king carefully turned the golden screw.  
Once: Nothing.  
Twice: Nothing.  
Then he turned it the third time, and the boy's butt fell off.

happy new year

This is how it goes down over here... the G-Rated celebration that happens at our house usually ends with us all falling asleep before 10 pm.

May you awaken to the mystery of being here and enter the

quiet immensity of your own presence.

May you have joy and peace in the temple of your senses.

May you receive great encouragement when new frontiers beckon.

May you respond to the call of your gift and find the courage to follow its path.

May the flame of anger free you from falsity.

May warmth of heart keep your presence aflame and may anxiety never linger about you.

May your outer dignity mirror an inner dignity of soul.

May you take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention.

May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.

                                                                             -John Donahue

she loves me so much

Sometimes my daughter comes up with some really creative (and sometimes amazingly endearing) things to do or say to avoid going to bed at night.  About an hour after I tucked her in this evening, she called to me as I was doing the dinner dishes.  I walked her back to her room and tucked her in. 

"Mommy, I love you so much that I could kiss you for my entire life'" she told me as she grabbed me and gave me a giant hug and kiss.  "...although I don't think that I'm gonna," she added, "...what if I have to pee?"

the beginnings of a new play mat

  We found these cute flower buttons at a local craft store and Naiya wanted to sew them onto something.  I had an old felted wool blanket that I had stored (read hoarded) away should we ever find need for an old felted wool blanket.  (I have some ridiculous boxes and bins full of all kinds of peculiar natural crafting materials.  I'm not sure whether to be proud or ashamed of the quantity.)
Anyhow, I cut her this little odd shaped green material and she sewed to her hearts content.

 

 When it was done she started to use it as a play garden for her puppet shows and doll games.  As its novelty wore off, I decided to alter it a bit to perhaps inspire some different amusements.  I cut out some triangles from the edges, sewed them back together and turned the little mat into a hill.

 I used some wool roving to mound it up then hand stitched the hill onto a larger mat that could take on some additional elements.  A stream perhaps?  A needle felted veggie patch?  A bear's cave or some shrubberies? 

 It's a project slow in its creation as it's one Naiya and I are building on together.  At the moment she loves it just as it is and her little dolls so enjoy a good roll down the flowery hill.

one down, nineteen to go

That little guy had been wigglin' for a while.   We went camping over the weekend and after an ear of corn-on-the-cob it was barely clinging to its familiar home.  (Should you have a wiggler that needs moving along, might I recommend corn-on-the-cob?)  As we drove home the next day Naiya casually spoke up from the back seat, "Mommy, I think my tooth just fell out."

She says this is what makes her "big girl".  She tucked her special mini box under her pillow and fell asleep dreaming of fairies.  She didn't even want her usual nighttime snuggle.

In the morning she found the fairies had left a sprinkling of dust on the nightstand as well as a special stone bead and coin in exchange for her tiny tooth.

we've got a wiggler

Of the dental variety that is.  It came as a shock to me that Naiya has her first loose tooth!  I generally think of seven as "the change of teeth" and here we are with a wee five and three quarter year old with one bottom tooth a wigglin'.  I told her to stop messing with it (secretly hoping that the thing would maybe harden back into her gums). 
I'm not ready for the loosing of teeth.  (Am I the only one finding this aging of my child so disconcerting?)
My baby girl is growing up.

jokes for five year olds - II

Why do sharks only swim in salt water?

                  Because pepper water would make them sneeze.

midsummer's eve

Midsummer's Eve and its related holidays are celebrated at various times by different groups of people around the world.  Each year it falls somewhere between June 20th and 25th as do the festivals of Summer Solstice and St. John's Tide or the feast of St. John the Baptist.  This time of year is one of breathing out, of inner and outer expansiveness.  The structure of school is set aside and the crops (large scale or small) have mostly been planted.  It is a time to relax and let go.

Traditionally midsummer bonfires are lit wherein the "sun substance" in tree wood is released to become fire again.  On the day of the Solstice, we gather with friends, build a great fire, eat, dance, sing, create and play in the glorious sun.  

Before that day of frolicking though, our family enjoys a quiet afternoon and evening preparing and offering gratitude for the goodness we enjoy year round.  Midsummer for us is a time to honor the elemental spirits of the earth.  In our home we talk about them as fairies and gnomes and traditionally this is a night of great festivities in their world.  To offer them thanks for all that they do to help the processes that sustain our lives, we mark this occasion by baking them special little sweets for their all-night celebrations.

This year we found these tiny cookie cutters and baked and decorated mini cookies and cakes to leave for them in their garden.

We made so many we had to add an extra buffet table.

 Naiya also wanted to leave a bowl of slightly more nutritious raisins to sustain them through the night.

 Usually the Fairy Queen will leave a little something beautiful from the natural world for our daughter in return.  We shall see what Solstice morning brings...