Lovely World

snowflake

It has been fairly warm here in Western Massachusetts. Today, it is 60 degrees F. But, I know very well that snow will be with us before too long. My children are craving that first big snowfall. I have been a bit lazy about making sure that the kids have snowpants and jackets that fit. I should put that on my to-do list.

In anticipation for snow, I have been thinking about snowflakes. My daughter Miriam and I just attended a paperfolding workshop yesterday at our public library. One of the things we made was a pop-up snowflake card. As you can see in the photos, the cover is held closed by a ribbon cinched by a bead. When the bead is released, the cover opens and a snowflake unfolds. The snowflake is constructed with five separate sheets of folded paper glued together. Lovely, isn't it? I think I might post a tutorial on making one so you can try. It is not difficult. It just takes time and precision.

This old doily reminds me of a snowflake. So beautifully made. It is about ten inches wide. I don't see doilies around people's homes much anymore. Perhaps they will make a comeback.

new beds

In an effort to ease my six-year-old son into some semblance of independent sleep, we recently put two twin beds into his room, and removed the king-sized "family" bed that had been there. One school day, I moved everything about and had it looking good for his arrival home. I was thrilled to see how happy he was, and the way in which he took ownership by choosing which bed he would sleep in. So far so good. I am sleeping in the other bed until he settles in. He hasn't gotten out of his bed to crawl in with me until the sun comes up.

It's funny, the way this transition has been bitter-sweet for me. I miss the constant closeness at night. But, I don't miss his inflexibility with sleep if I'm not there, nor the kicking in his sleep that sometimes woke me in the night. My job as a parent is to love my son fiercely and hold him close, but also to teach him how to care for himself as he grows. His new beds are part of this work.

By the way, the lamb's wool rug on the floor, also new, is absolutely luxurious. And the sweet dog prints above each bed are by the talented Amy Blackwell.

legos

Legos have taken up housekeeping in many corners of my home. I think I should start charging them rent. At least these fellows appear to be offering me some protection from the enemy.

who could this be?

Who could this be? He is such a shy, quiet creature. He is gentle and never makes trouble. He looks a wee bit royal in his blue cape.

He is a bit of a work in progress. I was experimenting with a pattern for a polar bear. This guy was a discard. I had thrown him on the floor under my sewing table. My daughter wandered into my work room the other day and picked him up. She liked the look of him. She asked me if she could have him. Of course. She disappeared into her room after rummaging through my scrap bags. Back for a needle and some embroidery thread. When she returned again she revealed this lovely creature. She had made the cape with velvet trim and embroidered this very sensitive expression on his face.

I am continually thankful for the ways in which my children complete my life in so many (unexpected) ways.

quotable sunday

She discovered with great delight

 that one does not love one's children

just because they are one's children

but because of the friendship formed while raising them.

- Gabriel Garcia Marquez

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(My daughter made these wild-haired, happy folks the other day. She is a clever girl, and I do find such pleasure in having her around.)

blocks

My 6-year-old son Adam constructs his world with blocks, wooden tiles, Lincoln Logs and old Fisher Price people. This is what he made on Sunday. (Often there are good guys and bad guys. I think the little square blocks are the good guys this time and the Fisher Price are the bad guys. Go figure).

 

paper dolls

While cleaning up the other day, I came across this paper doll and clothes that my daughter made. I guess to be correct, it is a paper fairy doll. She stands about 2 1/2 inches. Her clothes include a dress, a veil, and wings. She colored the body in a light tan skin tone, and even added tiny dots for nipples and a belly button.

I love that children are constantly moved to create little alternative worlds for themselves, whether with paper, scissors, and color as my daughter did with the fairy, or with blocks, blankets (forts!), clay, found objects - the materials are endless. If you give children the right balance of free, uninterrupted time and unconditional support they can seemingly create anything.

costumes

My 5-year-old son found this "Historic Costume Painting Book: Saxon Period" at a yard sale. He liked it because it has pictures of Saxon warriors, Danish warriors, kings, and bowmen in it (as well as plenty of ladies and bishops). I imagined he would color in the pictures, but when we got home I realized that the book was from England, published in 1947. I think someone had bought it as a souvenir when traveling abroad. I suppose I'll let him color the pictures if he really wants to, but now that he has somewhat forgot about it, I think I'll set it aside as a book to look at rather than color.

Speaking of costumes, my daughter has become really interested in drawing people. She worked very hard on the eyes of the girls pictured above and below. Notice that she simply rounded off the arms in rendering the hands. I remember thinking that hands were so difficult to draw when I was a kid. She did add the hands in the portrait of her brother below. She did a good job capturing Adam in that drawing, his cute crooked smile and all.

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Enjoy the weekend, everyone. XO Maribeth

turtle

I found this sweet children's book, "Plodding Turtle's Story" by Amy Prentice, at a church rummage sale a while back. The cover is especially charming, with the inset illustration of plodding turtle bordered by flowering trees with birds perched in them. The book was published in 1903.

I have always loved turtles. Even though they are slow moving, they are elusive, and I am always happy to see one in a pond, on a river bank, or crossing the road. (Actually, I'm not that excited to see them cross the road, because I fear they will be hit). When my husband and I decided to try to get pregnant for the first time, I remember coming across a female turtle laying her eggs in some sand along the Mink Brook in Hanover, N.H. (where we were living at the time). I stood there and watched, thinking it was a wonderful sign of good luck and fertility. Sure enough, I found myself pregnant not long after.

My son and daughter have been attending a summer ceramics camp for the past two years. It is a special place, with a kind and talented teacher who leads the children through the process of making beautiful clay pieces. Knowing my love of turtles, Miriam made this lovely, green one for me. It is large, about ten inches long. My favorite part is that she made a little clay heart, then sealed it inside the body. When I shake the turtle, I can hear the heart rattle about.

collection

My children like collections. They like gathering things up, and they like putting them together. These photos are taken in my daughter's room. She has a treasured collection of Hagen-Renaker ceramic animals displayed on a little wooden shelf. Some of these figurines were mine when I was a young girl. Many of them she has received from the tooth fairy. One night, at a loss for what to put under her pillow after she lost her first tooth, I remembered that I had a couple of the animals stored away for her birthday. I left one in place of the tooth, and it has become a tradition ever since.

The dolls on top of the dresser are Miriam's "fancy" dolls. Some were gifts, others she has found at yard sales and gift shops. The two on the far left are gifts her grandparents bought during a trip to Peru. She rarely plays with these; they are mostly for making a beautiful display.

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I want to thank all of you for the lovely comments you leave. I enjoy sharing, and hearing what you have to say. XO Maribeth