kismet art

Pink Boots

I am so very happy that this past Sunday afternoon turned sunny and slightly warm so Emma could have a chance to try out her new Hello Kitty boots (a gift from Grandma and Papa) for an hour.  She found plenty of puddles and leaf piles to jump in, mud to get stuck in, and finished it off with a round in the sandbox (the lid wasn't on tight so it had a lot of rainwater inside, yuck, but this did not deter Emma...)She found a little rubber duck, he looked thrilled about taking a swim in the sandy puddles. 

Yes giggle-box, it is ok if your duck says "whack-whack"...

This wet visit to the sandbox was followed by a quick play period in a bucket of dirt which was in turn followed by a long playtime in the tub.  Sun is supposed to make a return visit tomorrow.  I better go clean off some pink boots.

Sparkly Pink Unicorns

My friend Jen and I have a long running joke (it dates back to around 8 years ago when our sons were born) about her sons love for all things noisy and my sons love of quieter toys.  Really.  Ben just loves quiet toys Jen.  And every noisy toy you ever bought him he just "pretended" to love.  Really.  He never spent hours making noise with them, running sirens, playing the music over and over and over.  And when he outgrew them I never foolishly took them with me to work (I ran a childcare center at the time) so that I could enjoy the noise for years to come.  

So now that I have a daughter my friend Jen loves to get her super-cute girl girl stuff.  Like beautiful frilly dresses.  Emma, my Lego loving, dirt wearing, puddle jumping, tiny Tom-boy.  The one who loves monkeys and trucks (she plays with Jen's nephew every Tuesday and LOVES his trucks, motorcycles, etc.) Jen loves to girly-girl Emma and Emma loves to let Jen do it too.

So when Jen wanted to take Emma to Build-A-Bear for an early birthday present I, with much confidence, told Jen that Emma would probably pick a monkey or a cat or even the elephant.  As we walked around the store, looking into the bins that housed all the animals, we would occasionally pause to hold up a monkey or a cat or a bear (there were no elephants) and Emma would politely look at our choice and turn away.  She just didn't seem to have any feelings one way or another about any of the stuffed animals in the store.  And then she spied it.  The pinkest, fluffiest, spakliest, star-covered unicorn I have ever seen in my life. She reached out for it.  She hugged it.  She wouldn't put it down.  And when I asked her if she wanted to get the unicorn she nodded, her blue eyes big and solemn.  And so her love for her new friend began.  She stuffed it.  She put a heart inside.  She groomed it at the grooming station.  She held it by the horn and wouldn't let go.  

And yesterday, when Emma walked down the hall after her nap, she was wearing her brother's birthday crown and carrying her new love, Starlight (yes, I came up with the cheesy name) who she refers to as "baby", I had to smile.  And Jen managed to put the sound of a horse inside it's hoof so I can enjoy the sound of Starlight whinnying for years to come.

But I ask you, who could, or would, squash a little girls love for sparkly pink unicorns?

Not I.

Read, Little One, Read

"Go, Dog, Go" is a favorite around here right now.  I think Dave read it to Ben so many times that he doesn't even have to look at the words when he reads it to Emma.  It is her go to book of choice.  It is the book that can calm her down in the rush right before dinner.  I love to see her picking it up and looking through it on her own.  Pointing to the dogs and panting.  Jabbering to the pictures on the pages. Every once in a while letting loose an enthusiastic and loud "go, dah, go!"  I love that she is reaching a point where she will sit through a couple of books at a time.  I love that reading before bedtime is now becoming part of her routine.  I love that she loves books as much as the rest of us.  And most of all I love that books and reading are just another joy that our family can all share.

Gather

Three years ago, when Dave added on this family room, I don't think we realized how much time our family would spend out here.  Originally we were going to put the television, stereo, a couch, and a couple of chairs out there- there is a sliding glass door separating it from the rest of the house and this makes it fairly soundproof.  Then we threw a holiday party for Dave's family, the numbers of which kept growing, until we had to move our dining room table out there just so we would all have a place to sit that night.  And we realized how much we liked being out there.  And because it is a room with 2 large windows, a sliding glass door, and skylights that make it cheery all year round, and because it looks out over the garden we left the table there and it has become our everything room.  Besides our table this room now houses craft materials, 3 large book shelves, a stereo, a desk, a couch.  It is the only room that when we repainted during the remodel that I felt sick after the first coat went on (in the winter light it looked as unappetizing as a jar of baby food).  Instead, after 3 coats of paint, the color glows in all sorts of light.  Our Christmas tree, covered in red, and blue, and a rainbow of other colors doesn't clash with the earthy tones.  And the walls look especially pretty when the room is filled with fall decor like pumpkins, trees, and acorns.  The table in the middle of the room is where we eat, play games, do homework, create, read, talk.  This room is where we escape in the evenings, after the kids are in bed, to talk or hang out, or just slow down. This room is our most used room in our home.  This room houses a little bit of something for each member of the family.  This room is where we gather.

Glow

Remembering the way that lighting candles at dinnertime slows everyone down a bit.  How it creates a calmer atmosphere.  Love this candle, made by our neighbor using a vintage glass Halloween candy container.  Love the vanilla scent.  Love the glow.

Goodbye Summer, We Hardly Knew You

...but we sure had fun and we look forward to your return next year.

My Top 10 Tips About Dining Out With Your Kids

1.  Never try to go out to eat when your child is sick, tired, or hungry (yes, you should give them a snack before you go or they will a) eat all the bread then not eat their dinner, b) be so hungry that they get crabby, or c) drive you nuts telling you how hungry they are.)

2.  Order their food when the waitress asks you for your drink order- having their food arrive a little early never backfires.

3.  Take your own snacks because someone will either a)not like how their food is cooked, b) be hungry before their food comes, or c) be hungry after their plate is taken away.  Really.  This will happen.     Trust me.

4.  Dining out where cheese pizza is served has its advantages- you almost always get a free balloon which gives several hours of enjoyment (or minutes if you accidently set it free outside the restaurant...)

5.  Take your own crayons or you will end up with enough random red, green, yellow, and blue crayons to start your own preschool art class.

6.  Remove the sugar packet/salt and pepper holder from the table, causes less stress and mess.

7.  If your child is under the age of 3 take your own sippy cup- when the wait staff brings your 22 month old a large plastic cup with a straw, full to the brim with water, you can save yourself a wet dining experience by pouring everything into their own cup.  Then let them play with the straw.

8.  Bring baby wipes.  A really big pack of baby wipes.  And use them often.

9.  Clean up after your family, even if you pile your mess on the plates, it is appreciated. (I have been a waitress and I know that I was grateful when parents picked up food, silverware, and napkins from off of the floor.)

10.  Have fun.  Relax.  Breathe deeply.  Don't let other diners sideways glances stress you out or ruin your meal (hello stressed-out, rolling your eyes because you were seated next to us- diner- my kids were not yelling or running around the restaurant out of control- they are just a little messy and loud- so go to a grown up restaurant next time, I would've if I could've...)  Color.  Ask for a balloon.  Get dessert.  Talk with your kids, some of our best conversations happen around the table during a meal. 

Happy kids at the restaurant make for happy parents at the end of the meal -Ben was so happy he couldn't stop laughing while he took this photo of us on our anniversary:

Weekends are for...

Why is it that in the summer it seems as though the joy the longer days bring sometimes translates into trying to get as much work done around the house instead of trying to cram in as much fun as possible?  And why is it especially true during the weekend?  Last month we found ourselves crashing on the couch every Sunday night (which is pizza night around here) and trying to remember what we had done that was fun amongst all the chores that we checked off of various lists.  When we realized the fun was taking a back seat to the labor we quickly designated one weekend day per week as "Family Fun Day". Now, for us, that doesn't necessarily mean that we have to leave the city, or even our own back yard for that matter, to have some fun.  And so far (other than this past weekend when poor Emma had a bad virus) we have been enjoying our weekends again.

So just a little reminder to us all, Summer weekends are for...making funny faces:and for playing board games like this Star Wars Chess set Ben built- please note the 2 half-dressed Clone Troopers- they are ready for the beach:and eating or lounging on the deck:and exploring nature (Ben and his friend are holding a 4-foot gopher snake skin my dad brought back from the desert):and trying new foods, while (oh so appropriately) lounging on the deck:and for following your brother around anywhere and everywhere (this is the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum a favorite place to visit- thought this was an appropriate post today as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of man landing on the moon):and for taking a walk:and for taking some time to create:and for reading good books, watching late-night movies when it's too hot to sleep, camping in the back yard, margaritas, lots of music and dancing, fireworks (hey, everyone else in our neighborhood is still setting them off), fresh cut flowers in every room, pajamas until noon, farmer's markets, cinnamon rolls from Barry's, scrambled eggs, hanging out together on the couch, building with Legos, parties, the sandbox, picking berries, and most importantly being open to spontaneous moments and being just as open to planning nothing - you never know when something fun will happen and yet you are never disappointed when you get free time instead.

07.08.09 @10:11:12 pm

Saw this idea on a favorite scrappers blog and thought it would be fun to join in.  Missed the am time because I was occupied with my 7 year old son, my 20 month old daughter, and my friend's 5 month old baby... don't know why I couldn't have stopped to take photos :)

So I tried it tonight.  And it worked.  Fewer people awake to take part but a little easier to capture the moment.  Pretty fun stuff (I love every time I see the clock turn to 12:34, geek that I am.)  So thanks Liz for suggesting this challenge.   

Ben was sleeping (no photo, would have woken him up.)

Emma was sleeping.

Even Elmo was sleeping.

And Kim and Dave, well, we were reading, as usual, but surprisingly neither of us was asleep holding our book up.

  Good night.

Summer Vacation Still Rocks, Really!

We are a week in to summer vacation and I still have no complaints.  Really.