Paint by "butter"

Does anyone else have a kid that sneaks butter out of the fridge for a quick snack? I guess she needed some sustenance during the creative process...

In the Artist’s Toolbox

I recently shared a challenge my friend Kelly and her family undertook to reduce the amount of trash they send to the landfill with Grandma Caca. Well, it got my Mom and I talking about the amount of waste generated by her need for sterile, single-use medical supplies (she wears a trach to breathe). Each month she gets a shipment of individually boxed supplies for daily care. The oft repeated mantra of reduce, reuse, recycle doesn’t exactly fit the bill here…there’s no way to reduce the amount needed since it’s a daily requirement for living (short of a home sterilizer which I’m not sure even exists) and recycling medical “waste” won’t work either. What’s really unfortunate is the amount of stuff in one box that goes unused due to my Mom’s regimen of care. She doesn’t use the pipe cleaners and twine opting for a velcro system that’s more comfortable so, they were presented to me with a “can you use these?”

It took me all of two seconds to reply - of course! Pipe cleaners are a ubiquitous craft material for the pre-school crowd! So far we’ve used them for a textural painting too, a stem for tissue paper flowers and most recently, as a ring for my fashion-obsessed toddler (seriously, is this kid really mine?) I snatched up the the plastic trays that the trach-care kits are packed in and I was delighted to find they fit PERFECTLY in the easel’s tray. The kits are also packed with a sterile drape my Mom doesn’t use so Claire wears these an an apron (held on with two of the twine ties). The drapes are coated with plastic on one side making a great splash guard for water play.

So that’s our small way to reuse some of these materials. Any other ideas???

And yes, before you ask, I let my child dress herself today. I think the boots and flipped up hat make her look like a sweet bohemian painter, heehee.

PS – This great painting will be turning into wrapping paper. We’ve layered more “art” on it each day and I think it will be so cute to see some presents wrapped up with Claire prints all over them! I think we’ll use this special paper for gifts Claire is giving to her younger cousins this year!

Trying to be Optimistic

 

A favorite local playground is scheduled for demolition this weekend and I’m trying so hard to be optimistic. I love this wooden playstructure filled with secret passages and tiny hideaways made just for kids.



There are swings and slides and challenging physical areas for every age group. Claire finally worked up the courage to ride the tire swing with Bella last week and both girls love the tight rope area and big slide. This is the playground where Claire had one of her first swing rides, our little baldy had such a great time here even as a baby!



As a Mom, it’s one of MY favorite parks. After a visit to the play area there’s a great 3 mile (stroller friendly) path around the lake and playing fields. Can you tell how much I LOVE this place???? There are plans to rebuild, but I’m unconvinced that the new version will be as fantastic. Like I said, I’m trying to be optimistic.

 

My Little Tree-Hugger!

Claire and I have been busy with end of season garden maintenance, we’ve repotted oodles of plants, brought in the rosemary to overwinter (fingers crossed) and we’ve started a nice compost pile (by we’ve I mean that I did the work and Claire dumped water and shouted at the birds). Come spring, I’m hoping for some “brown gold” enrich my veggie beds.

It hasn’t been all work and no play though! Last week, we spent the day at a local farm with our chapter of the Holistic Mom’s Network. Claire had a blast feeding all the animals, getting lost in the corn maize (get it? maze – maize?!) and decorating a pumpkin. Claire even took her first ride on a horse! Check out the album below, we had a great time!

View Full Album

Jump! Splash! Play!

I’ve sadly packed away the bathing suits, towels and beach toys but Claire seems to have found another body of water to enjoy:

Love those boots Kelly – thanks again! Nothing makes for happy kid portraits more then being covered in mud – here’s my favorite photo from today (and one in black and white for you, Grandma Caca).

Monster Meatloaf and Other Creepy Baking

Claire's still too young to appreciate Halloween and all the fun spookiness surrounding the day but Dan and I really enjoyed a couple of creepy meals this past weekend.

Check out our monster-hand meatloaf:

I was inspired by not Martha but didn't have the hand mold that she had. I decided to wing it and free-formed our Freaky Friday meal, and it came out awesome! The provolone on top really gave the hand a blistered skin-like look and I made my red onion nails thick and pointy. I've also come to the conclusion that the only way I'm making meatloaf in the future is to freeform it - this is the BEST meatloaf I've ever done, bye-bye soggy meatloaf pan!

I've got grand ideas for alphabet meatloaf when it's time to learn some letters...or maybe some miniature meatloaves shaped with cookie cutters? Have I gone meatloaf crazy or what?!

I'll post a recipe for these creepy witches fingers tomorrow - check out the ridged nails and realistic knuckles! Spoooooooooky, Creeeeeepy, very Halloweeeeny! We brought these to a Halloween party (with jellybean nails) and also to GrandBob and Gran-C who found them deliciously scary. I *love* Halloween :-)

Happy Halloween!

Phew! I have five minutes to make it before November 1st rolls on in - HAPPY HALLOWEEN!



We had a great Halloween with our little fairy (or ballerina if she had her wings off) and spent the day celebrating with friends and enjoying tons of sweets. Mmmmmmm....

My personal favorite photo is of Claire and Daddy playing outside together, but there are tons of cute ones in the slideshow!



Enjoy the slideshow!

Future Foodie?

I sometimes wonder about this kid I'm raising...are there other toddlers out there who INSIST on licking the bowl after making chicken liver pate???

We made this today for lunch and Claire happily helped load up the food processor and push the "WHIIIRRRR" (her description).

No photos...I was too busy making sure there was not a liver-splosion in the kitchen!

Here's the recipe - we've made this twice now. I add a dash of maple syrup and skip the fish adding some salt instead, and some fresh thyme too since I'm trying to use up my windowbox herbs!

http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2009/08/5-dish-delicious-flavorful-pate-liver-at-its-best.html

On Tuning Two...

I'm sure once Claire turns two she'll magically know how to take turns and share..

((snort))


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Camping with our Kiddo

As Claire is getting older, we’re finding it easier and easier to camp with her – less stuff to bring and definitely less worrying about what she’s going to cram in her mouth next -- oh dear God, did she eat ANOTHER bug!  Our stash of kid stuff seemed huge last year (see here and here), but we pared things down this year and stuck to a  few choice toys and her stroller.

Claire is still too young for the motorbikes and trap field so we stuck close to camp playing with friends, chasing balls and collecting creepy crawlies. We whipped up some homemade playdoh a few days before the trapshoot following this very simple, no-cook recipe here. I got the kids into creating these playdoh people - what a hit! Even the adults got into sculpting them! The heads on a stick were a bit odd for sure, but no one found it too macabre! Perhaps next time we'll upgrade to some popsicle stick bodies.

Step One – Get a nice hunk of play doh and shape it into a round ball

Step Two – Gather bits of nature (a quote from my model above) to create facial features. We got a nice botany lesson from Ara as we found bristly weeds for eyebrows and mustaches – thanks!

 

Mount your people to sticks and take VERY creative family photo, note the family pig…very cute:

I'm linking this post up to The Play Academy over at Nuture Store.

Coloring the Garden

Claire and I tackled a little paint project before dinner yesterday. The flowers in the garden might be wilting but we’ll still have some color to enjoy thanks to Claire’s painted rock. Isn’t it gorgeous? Painted hands are happy hands in this house!

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Five hundred and eighty nine – the number of photos taken in just over 3 days while camping labor day weekend.

Obviously they won’t all fit in one post…so here are just a couple of my favorites, I’ll post more through the week!

Claire and Kelsie picking flowers in the morning dew (the fog – it’ll burn off!)

Lisa with her girls Kelsie and Jordan

Our gourmet meal of crab cakes and salad on day 2

A trio of coloring friends and Claire with Ginny