Grab Your Camera

You will go downstairs to find your whole living room floor spattered with green paint. In times like these, the best thing you can do for yourself and for your children is to just get the camera. 

You can also teach your children about the artist Jackson Pollock, and add a new verb to your family lexicon: pollocked, as in "The bathroom mirror has been pollocked with toothpaste".

 The next day, I create an environment where my children can play with this new verb, showing them how to "sprinkle" paint with an old toothbrush, then cutting them loose to make a mess of their own design.

 Each painting has its own signature, and reveals the age and personality of each creator.

My son's face has been pollocked by nature, but Margot's has a bit more colour after her artistic explorations. Violet's use of a cotton swab dipped in paint mysteriously results in her bellybutton being full of paint. The messy fun ends with a warm bath, and a reminder that in order to preserve our art, we should splatter paint on paper rather than the floor (towel, sink, etc.). 

Words to take away from this post? Grab your camera. It's saved me from missing out on the fun and spontaneity of childhood many times (when I might have yelled and reprimanded) by encouraging me to document my children's doings and thinking about the clean-up later. These are the moments that will make me smile when they are all grown up and flown from the nest.

Mad

A while ago, the dad of the house lost his cool with Jude.

It happens.

Jude is particularly sensitive to raised voices, and although we know it's ideal to be calm and reasonable, we don't always manage that. Daddy raised his voice, and I watched from the sidelines, wanting to step in, but torn between presenting a "united front" and jumping to my child's defense.

When my husband raises his voice, it triggers an old terror in me. Don't get me wrong; our dad never laid a hand on us; he never had to. His raised voice and steely stare were enough to convince us that there would be hell to pay if we didn't do what we were told, and NOW!

When I raise my voice, it is usually with complete exasperation.  The kids barely blink. But when my husband raises his voice, it cuts them to the quick.

It turns out, Jude doesn't need me to explain to my husband how his "mad voice" affects the kids. After the storm had subsided, Jude went to his desk to create this:

 Jude loves to draw this "not allowed" circle-with-a-line-through-it symbols. He put them to good use here, eloquently illustrating his very tall father leaning over him with a mad face. He makes it clear that this is NOT ALLOWED.

 Also not allowed: telling Jude to STOP with a mad face on.

This is the part of the picture that spoke most clearly and spurred my husband to work harder at keeping his cool: a self-portrait of the artist, his ears enlarged as if to say, "I can HEAR you and it hurts my ears (and my spirit) when you shout at me".

No parenting guru could have conveyed the message more clearly. I may take to drawing pictures to express my feelings, too, although I doubt I could capture the simplicity and eloquence of Jude's.

Sweet Rainbow Sweater

It's finished...aside from the perfect buttons (I have yet to find them)...

I would offer to share this pattern with you, but I'm afraid I can't! I used the pattern for the adult Tea Leaves Cardigan for the top yoke, adjusted to fit Margot, then took it from there on my own. You can purchase a pattern for the official Tiny Tea Leaves Cardigan here! I think Madeleine Tosh's version uses less repeats of the yoke bands, but I added them till they reached close to the underarm.

I like the three-quarter length sleeves (which make sense for a toddler, don't you think?), and the beautiful soft colours. It should last a few seasons, and the great thing about top-down knitting is that the hem and cuffs are easily ravelled to add inches to the bottom and the sleeves.

This isn't my first attempt at patching together several patterns to create something new, but I think perhaps it's my favourite...so far. Margot has given it a stamp of approval (by wearing it, then discarding it in a heap on the floor, then wearing it again), so I'd call it a success. I look forward to cool autumn days so she can wear it every day.

I used Fleece Artist's Scotian Silk in Jamaica, purchased at Janie H. Knits in Perth, Ontario.

Creating Order

I KNOW I'm not alone in feeling that I work in my house all day, only to have my husband arrive home from work to a house that looks like a bomb went off. These humid days, my hair is in a frizzy halo, my shirt is sweaty and dirty, and I have that incredulous look on my face. I MUST'VE worked all day because I'm exhausted and my feet hurt...but where are the results?

You know what the day is like with small kids: you just go from one disaster to the next, one mess to a bigger mess; they manage to undo in minutes what it takes me an hour to accomplish. It's enough to make you cry, tear your hair out, gnash your teeth, and beat your chest in frustration. Playdough to painting to splashing at the sink to requesting more food to pulling all the books off the shelf in search of the one perfect story...

It is sometimes hard to remember that PLAYING IS A CHILD'S WORK. They really aren't doing this to drive you crazy. It only feels that way. They are impulsive beings, children, and don't worry about the mess they leave behind...they just look ahead to the next fun thing they can get into.

It's taken me years to get to today...to a point where I feel like I have the energy, creativity, and desire to create some order in my house, after years of childbearing and exhaustion. Children ages 2-6 ARE capable of cleaning up after themselves. It works like magic in my classroom; I just start singing "Now it's time to tidy up, tidy up, tidy up, now it's time to tidy up and put our toys away!" (to the tune of London Bridge), and off they go, like little automatons, sorting toys into their appropriate baskets, putting things on shelves, sweeping up sand, carefully stacking blocks, cooperating. I'm amazed, every single day.

The neat thing about a Kindergarten classroom is that everything is at a child's level. They don't have to ask me if they can paint, because the paint is accessible to them at all times. I'm starting to apply the principles behind order in the Kindergarten classroom to my home, to great success (so far)!

I started out by putting all the materials necessary to paint into this yard sale find: a low wooden crate. When Margot asks to paint at 7:30 a.m., I pull out a dollar store palette (at right), fill each little space with a different colour, (naming them with her as I go), and pull a brush from the jar at the left. When she's done, I cover the palette with plastic wrap, and when she inevitably asks to paint AGAIN, I'm all ready to go. This has made an activity that used to make me groan into something quick and painless. Please note that this is NOT at her level; at this point I still want some control over the paint mess! Once the day is over, I clean the palette, and stow it back in the crate, all ready for the next morning's creativity.

Another problem area is the living/play room. A large basket was what we used to store everything, all jumbled together. I'd half-heartedly sort stuff now and then, only to find it all jumbled up in the big basket again. Children do not play well with toys that are a)too numerous and b)too messed up. Since Jude mostly plays at his desk with Lego now, I made up these two baskets (purchased at Giant Tiger!), using white craft paint. One holds all the doll clothes, and small dolls. The other is for play food, dishes, etc. The girls are old enough to sort their toys, and tend to play MORE now that there are LESS toys.

Gratuitous close-up of my dream house...

Another GREAT idea (and one that I used when Jude was two and in speech therapy) was to photograph certain types of toys (e.g. cars, animals, people, blocks), laminate the photos, and stick them onto bins. At two, though non-verbal, Jude was able to find the toys he wanted, and could help put them back in their own place. Sorting is an important skill for early learning, and being able to "help" is so very empowering for little ones.

Playdough is right at my kids' level, so that if they want to play with it, they can grab it. Yes, I bought playdough. Yes, I have a recipe for homemade...I just don't have time to make it, am always out of cream of tartar, and noticed that the storebought kind costs less than two dollars for four colours. Just in case you were going to offer me your recipe...ha!

Workbooks and colouring books are also at my children's level, as are blank paper, markers, and crayons. Scissors and glitter are kept out of their reach.

It takes a bit of time and effort to organise your house for little ones. But once they feel a sense of ownership for their toys and learning tools, they are likely to take more pride in them, which will hopefully lead to more responsibility. I remind my children about how nice it is to know where their things are. I feel that children are capable of reaching a target, as long as they know what that target looks like. If for you it looks like your kids tidying up after themselves, well...they can do it.

They really can...I've seen it with my own eyes. I haven't seen it in my own house yet, but I have hope that by taking little steps like the ones above, my children will start helping me accomplish that of which I dream: a somewhat tidy house at the end of the day.

You need not spend piles of money on fancy storage systems. All of my baskets come from yard sales and Value Village, or Giant Tiger if I find them on sale. Baskets are a pretty way to contain any mess! Be creative, and remember: LESS is always MORE when it comes to toys for your kids. Think quality, not quantity (unless it's playdough...then think cheap and easy!...heehee!)

Farm Friday: The Pirate Ship

Some kids live in cities or suburbs and attend classes, lessons, courses, and tutorials of all sorts.

Such things are not inaccessible to country kids, but it's a little harder when you have to drive 45 minutes to the nearest "big town".

Nah, country kids are lacking in opportunities. Life on a farm is boring.

Oh, except for the pirate ships.

I can take no credit for this construction; somehow, my husband conjured it out of some old 4x4s, logs, planks, and a tall post that was already in the ground, without my noticing (until it was done).

A bicycle wheel became the steering wheel (I know there's a technical term for that but, not being a mariner, I wouldn't know it). Old ropes serve as rigging, and that old windsurfer sail that's been kicking around for years? Just the right touch for this seaworthy craft.

Jude declares himself the Captain, and finds lots to occupy his imagination in this pile of boards.

This piece from an old bamboo windchime is the telescope...land ho! Check out that piratey stance (and that ever-fashionable pj pants and rubber boots ensemble!)

Grace O'Malley, the Irish pirate queen, drops anchor, then gets ready to hop in a rowboat to head to a nearby island, seeking treasure.

And the ever-present, pantless Cabin Girl practises her "Yarrrrr!"

My husband is a creative guy. He fixes things around the farm in his own quirky way. He sees purpose in items that others would write off as junk. I spend a day with the kids, and feel frustrated at how little I get done. He spends a day with the kids, and creates a Pirate Ship. God, I love that man.

Charmed, I'm Sure

What do you call an octopus wearing socks?

A Socktopus, of course!

I know. Words are not necessary to express the absolute charm and pure appeal of this little creation. Photos are quite enough. The rainbow knee sock! The pouffy leg warmer! The WORK SOCK! The tiny turned heels (using short rows), and the rustic stitched face. This little lady positively oozes charm!

To the right, see the pink over-the-knee stocking...you can't see the black seam up the back, or the sexy little bow at the heel...

The pattern is clearly written, but allows for creative expression. Ideas for the socks came as I knit (the pattern doesn't give specifics), so I'm already hatching plans for the next three I make (my children have been clamouring for their own Socktopi as they watched the birth of this one).

You can imagine the thoughts that go through one's head whilst knitting socks on an octopus:

this is a knee sock, but does an octopus HAVE knees? or a heel for that matter?...a real octopus would need super-elastic socks to keep them up on those rubbery legs...an octopus doesn't have to worry if the mate to a sock goes missing!...

And so on. Then I'd catch myself ruminating on the sock-habits of an OCTOPUS for heaven's sake, and smile as only a knitter can.

This little lady is a gift for a friend of Violet's. I can't wait to see her face as she first lays eyes on her very own Socktopus.

It's one of those things: you didn't know you needed one until you get one!

Yaarrrr!

The Pirate Dad created a scavenger hunt for the pirate-partygoers, and helped the littlest ones read the clues, written in calligraphic script on tea-stained, burnt-edged scraps.

I kinda like my husband in his swashbuckling garb. I love piratey words: swashbuckling, swabbing the deck, keelhauling and parleying. I love how my husband adopts these words like they're his first language, as in "Sit ye down and drink yer grog!"

Lego pirates adorn the gluten-and-dairy-free birthday cake, where X marks the spot.

A proud first mate presents the cake to the Captain,

...and shows off her piratey grin.

By late afternoon, the guests are gone, a fire is lit, the two girls are sleeping,

and the Pirate Dad hits the bunk for a well-earned kip.

The remains of the party whisper of the fun we had,

and gifts are assembled and admired and played with.

Scattered wrappers of gold doubloons litter the floor,

and the evening sky wishes Jude River a wonderful 6th Birthday.

St. Patrick of Ireland, My Dear!

You've heard of St. Denis of France, he never had much for to brag on.

You've heard of St. George and his lance

Who killed d'old heathenish dragon.

The Saints of the Welshmen and Scot

Are a couple of pitiful pipers

And might just as well go to pot

When compared to the patron of vipers:
St. Patrick of Ireland, my dear.

~Patrick's Arrival

St. Patrick's Day has always been a big deal in our family. My parents hosted parties every year, where we sang Irish songs around the piano, drank green beer, and ate soda bread. My sister has taken on this tradition, and we'll be heading down to her place to celebrate the "patron of vipers" this weekend. Having spent a year in Belfast and travelled extensively throughout the Emerald Isle, I have a particular fondness for this day. I've been a collector and performer of traditional Irish music since my teens, and few things bring me as much joy as lifting my voice in song. Irish music can be humorous, schmaltzy, tragic, and heartbreaking. Even if you haven't a drop of Irish blood in you, raise your glass today to the people of Ireland, and to dear St. Pat, without whom we'd have one less reason to party!

Culinary

Black and Tan Cupcakes

"Dinner with Julie" is an amazing blog by a fellow Canadian; Julie (the blogger!) also just happens to be a friend of my sister's, who shared this link for Black and Tan Cupcakes with me. They look like little mugs of Guinness,(and also reference the British forces that operated to suppress revolution in Ireland in the early 1900s). Every good Irishman knows to avoid the topics of religion and politics (or so I was told on my first night in Belfast)...so, enough said.

 

Creative

Luck of the Leprechaun Painting!

You'll need:

• large piece of white paper
• tempera or acrylic paints, or watercolours
• black construction paper for the pot
• glue
• glitter
• foam shamrock shapes (optional!)

Any number of crafts are suitable on St. Patrick's Day, as long as they include rainbows, crocks of gold, leprechauns, and shamrocks. The painting you see above is what I did with my kindergarten class. Give your child some red paint first, and help them paint the first arc of the rainbow (can you tell I wasn't helping Jude with his?) Then give them orange, then yellow, green, blue, and purple! I pre-cut the little pot, and helped the children sprinkle glitter onto the glue I spread there. You can decide how much control to give your child over the glitter. I tend to be very controlling about it. It's just one of those messes I HATE to clean up. But, if you're okay with finding sparkles everywhere for the next 10 years, cut them loose!

 

At school, we glued on the pot of gold, then added some foam shamrocks. We also glued on this little blessing:

 

"May St. Patrick guard you wherever you go, and guide you in whatever you do – and may his loving protection be a blessing to you always."

 

Social/Outing

Seek out a St. Patrick's Day event! I'm not sure about the rest of the world, but here in the Ottawa Valley, you could go to a different event every day of the week leading up to St. Patrick's Day, all with live fiddle music and stepdancing, hot tea, beer, and food! If you're not fortunate enough to live in the Valley (just kidding!), go here for free streaming of Irish music. Put on some green, dance a jig, and act like the Irish fools that you are (or wish you were)!

 

Fine Motor

Fill the Leprechaun's Pot!

 

As I've said in previous posts, any activities that encourage your child to pinch and squeeze will strengthen the muscles in their hands, which will lead to better fine motor control (preferably NOT pinching and squeezing their siblings...). Many children ages 4-6 struggle to coordinate their hands to grip a pencil correctly. I'll do a whole post on that soon. For now, let's concentrate on hand strength!

 

For this activity, you can use antique sugar tongs, large tweezers, or children's chopsticks (the ones that are connected at the top, available at many toy stores), OR you can make your own, using white glue, popsicle sticks, and triangular makeup sponges.

 

Neat, eh? Cheap to make, and fun to use.

Tongue depressors work even better, but are harder to find. Glue the popsicle sticks on to the sponge as in the photo above. Let dry!

Now, encourage your child to "put the gold nuggets in the leprechaun's pot"...pick up pompoms with the "tweezers", and release them into the cup.

These are easier to pinch closed than chopsticks or real tweezers, so they're a good place to start. You can begin with large pompoms, then work your way down to smaller ones. Have fun!

You might think about creating a "fine motor bin" where you keep scissors, tweezers, feathers, pompoms, paper strips, etc. When you have a moment to fill, pull it down so that the activities are special and fun for your child. If you send your child to school, his/her Kindergarten teacher will thank you for the work you do with your preschool child on these skills!

I'm heading out on St. Patrick' Day to spend the rest of the March Break with my sister and her family. We'll be returning to celebrate my husband's 30th birthday on Sunday, so I'll check back in with you all next week. If anyone tried any or all of the activities shared this week, I'd love to hear about them or see photos!

 

 

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Let's brighten up the week with some rainbow fun!

Culinary
Rainbow Kebabs
You'll need:

• assorted fruit in the colours of the rainbow! (e.g. strawberries, pineapple, canteloupe, kiwi, blueberries, grapes)
• skewers

Set bowls of cubed fruit within your child's reach. Help him/her push them onto the skewer! You could show them a picture of a rainbow and challenge them to add fruit in order of the colours. Or, you could ask them to create a repeating pattern, if they have favourite fruits (pineapple, grape, strawberry, pineapple, grape, strawberry)...OR you could just let them have at it and forget about the teaching opportunity! Drizzle with a bit of melted chocolate if you're feeling wild and crazy!

Creative
Patchwork Rainbow "Quilt"
You'll need:

• bits of fabric, sorted in bowls by colour (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
• a large piece of paper
• white glue (glue sticks don't work as well for fabric!)

Snip up materials into 1" pieces, and sort into bowls. On each paper, draw an arcing line with glue for your child to use as a guide. Placing one colour at a time on the table, help your child glue bits of fabric along the line, starting with red. When they've completed one line, draw another arcing line below the first one. Then give them the orange materials! Continue, with yellow, green, blue, and violet. If your child doesn't yet know his/her colours, make sure to talk with them as they create (e.g. "What can you see in the kitchen that is red? What other things are green?")

Social/Outing
This might be as involved as going to a museum or a public pool, or as simple as getting out to the barber shop or the grocery store! Talk to your child about the road signs you see. Ask them about what community helpers they see around town. Discuss why some people wear uniforms to work and others don't. Talk about what jobs require people to work alone, and which ones require people to work as part of a team.

Fine Motor
Lacing Cards
You'll need:

• construction paper or card stock
• hole punch
• yarn or a shoelace

Draw a simple shape (a shamrock, a rainbow, a car, a bird, or even just a circle or a square) on a piece of firm paper (there are tons of free templates on the internet, if the notion of hand-drawing a shape is scary for you). Cut it out, then hole-punch around the edges, with 1/2" spaces between. Secure the yarn to the back of the paper with tape, then let your child "sew" around the edges. Encourage them to put the yarn through each hole, but don't worry about what it looks like! I've seen Kindergarten kids switch from whip stitch (around and around) to running stitch (in and out) to blanket stitch on one card. The point is NOT to create something neat and wonderful, but to navigate that string into the hole, and pinch it to pull it all the way through. Some children WILL be very meticulous about making sure their stitches all look the same, but others won't. Love their work, no matter what it looks like!

*Helpful Hint: if you use yarn, you might want to wrap the end with tape (like a shoelace) to make it easier for your child to push it through the holes).

Enjoy your day, and make sure to check in for Wednesday: For the Birds!

Creative Friday: February Fun

February brings all kinds of creative possibilities:

::That sweater that I just might finish before winter's end.

::Ice mandalas, gifts from the faeries to remind us that Spring, indeed, will come.

::A bevy of handmade Valentine cards for my Kindersurprises.

::A tiny knitted that I just can't part with...it will become wall art when I find the perfect branch.

Thanks to Ravelry, and my friends Shanti and Wabi Sabi for shared ideas!

Be sure to visit Linda at Natural Suburbia for more creative inspiration!