the perfect farmhand...

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 ...if your crop is mud.

elfling loves to help with farm chores, & i love having his help. in fact, i believe it is important for toddlers to do take part in chores. a favorite of his is watering.

as you can see from the photos, he is an expert at getting things watered. look how the dirt is good & fully watered - how he takes such care in making sure that even the tiny sticks get a thorough watering.

sadly, he has little patience for watering the things on thefarm that i need watered. sure, he will aim the hose at plants, but it's mostly at the leaves, fruits, or flowers. even then, he's on to the next plant before the first drop of moisture hits the last plant's base.

i have tried sneaking out to water, but, & i suspect a certain hobbit has something to do with this, he almost always discovers me, & insists on lending a hand. sigh

at least he's good at watering the dirt. we'll never suffer for a want of mud. plus,

 

he is so damned adorable.

the world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful ~ e.e. cummings

~ peace.

the stack of destruction

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this is the ever-growing stack of books that elfling has destroyed. some have had their pages torn, others had their covers ripped completely off. you'll notice that most pictured are board books. board books, people! heavy cardboard books, created to withstand the abuse of curious toddlers. it would seem, however, not elflings. 

~peace.

a blessed companion is a book, - a book that, fitly chosen, is a lifelong friend,... a book that, at a touch, pours its heart into our own.  ~douglas jerrold

update (july 26th) :: elfling has added another book to the stack.

the wings of change

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elfling is unsure about butterflies, pah-ah-yohn (toddler-speak for papillon), he calls them. he does like butterflies, gasps when he spots one, & stares in wonder until it flits away. the thing is, he also is a bit afraid of them. i haven't figured out why yet.

personally, i am convinced they are faeries in disguise.

thehobbit is still, even at the great old age of 13, mad for butterflies. of course he no longer shows his feelings about them as openly as he once did. these days he will quietly stop what he's doing, stand still, never taking his eyes from the butterflies as they go about their business, then resume his activity.

i do miss the excitement he once exuded around them, but i accept that thehobbit is no longer that little boy. well, i don't quite yet accept it, but i know he has to change. i suppose my sweet little boy was a caterpillar, & now he's a butterfly, wings still damp. i hope he has to sit in the sun for a long time, waiting for those wings to dry.

i am not ready to watch him fly away.

~peace.

get on the bus, gus.

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this is something i have been working on for my bus-loving elfling.

i've a bit more embroidering to do before i can stitch it to the front of his new tote. i do love his current little tote, but the list of what he insists on taking everywhere is fast outgrowing what it can hold.

all of the totes we own are too big, so a new one (with lots of pockets) was in order.

i'd love to see what you're working on. leave a link in the comment section, so we all can take a peek!

~peace.

bébé's "noisy wallet"- a tutorial

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finally, i can upload photos! let's get right to it, shall we? this is how i made elfling his very own noisy wallet. for this project you'll need: fabric, felt, 1 empty package of wipes, 6 inch ribbon, & 3.5 inch velcro strip.

* cut your fabric & felt each into 2 rectangles, measuring 9 x 5.5. i don't recommend wool felt for this. you'll want to wash & dry it regularly, so opt for bamboo, or ecofelt. something that won't shrink.
* cut the wipes package open, then into 1 rectangle, slightly smaller than the others. you know i mean the refill package, right, not the hard box? this makes the crinkley noise when you wee one plays with it.
* cut your ribbon in half.

* make a sammich: fabric (right side down), felt, wipes package, felt, fabric (right side up). we aren't turning any edges, so you want to make sure your fabric isn't the wrong way. i am lazy didn't have a problem with my layers sliding about, so i didn't pin. do so, if you want.

* on each short side, insert a piece of ribbon that has been folded. make sure enough is on the inside of your sammich. the ribbon isn't a must-have, by the way, unless your bébé is mad for tags like elfling.

*zigzag around all four edges of your sammich, reinforcing at the ribbons. if you want a neater look, feel free to turn down the edges, etc. my way isn't for everyone, but works perfectly well.

* straight stitch your rectangle in half, shortwise. this will be where you wallet folds. i then stitched each half in half again, but you needn't - i was going for a quilted look, then changed my mind.

important note :: if you are bothered by crooked lines, yet not good at paying attention, do not use a plaid fabric! the photo above illustrates why.

* zigzag your strip of velcro to what you have chosen to be the inside of your wallet. this is the closure, so sew it near the two shorter edges. it's also another fun noise feature, so don't opt for a button instead.

that's all there is to it! i don't have a photo of the wallet folded, as a certain someone would not give it back once i handed it over for testing. you can see that the tag is thus far his favorite feature. if you make you own noisy wallet, send me a photo, so i can see! the dreaded blahblahblah bit: please, please, please make this only for yourself & friends - not for resale. i am sure you would never do such a thing, but i felt i had to say it. thanks, for understanding. now, go make one!

~peace.

if sewing is not your thing, let me know! i am currently making noisy wallets for theshop.

tutorial, thwarted

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i created a fabulous toy for elfling, & photographed the process to share with you. no woohooing though, because blogger isn't allowing me to upload photos today. i tried for quite some time, it just isn't working. stupid blogger.

have no fear, my one & only reader, for i shall try again tomorrow! assuming i do not forget, that is.

until then...

~peace.

a boy with two mamas to love

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my wee boy is happiest out of doors. he loves most everything about it, is at one moment made giddy by it, the next, is made peaceful.

his favorite thing is to sit alone on the grass. he quietly runs his hands over it, picks at it, pulls up longer strands, tears them to teeny bits, & begins again. it's as though he is trying to know the very essence of the grass.

usually we'll find a lovely bit of grass, or a teensy stick, clutched tightly in his hand long after we've come indoors.



the day i took these photos he wanted nothing to do with me & my pesky camera. i was trying to get some good shots of his face, for far-away relatives, but he would have none of it. we were intruders, my camera & i.

finally i gave up trying, & left him to indulge his love of mother nature. i wasn't the least bit jealous that he preferred her to me. well, perhaps a bit...

~peace.

cabinet, act one

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i began revamping a fabulously shabby cabinet today! it was the most fun - i sported a goofy smile the entire time. here are the before photos:

elfling wanted in on the fun. don't you love his victorian swimsuit? it's not really one, but a girl can pretend.

& here is a sneaky peek at the painted version:

i have yet to distress it, which means there are no more photos today. you have to wait for cabinet, act two. 

have a lovely night - i'm off to dream about wild-haired victorian swimmers, in butter-hued cabinets.

~peace. 

thursday things :: fabulous toys

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i found this gorgeous set of nesting blocks when poking around lehmans. i love the vintage images, & that the colors aren't your typical primary hues. excited to find them, i shared on my personal fb page that elfling needed the blocks. his grandpa instantly replied with one word: done. grandpa rocks!

they arrived a few days later, & i must tell you they are even more fabulous in person. elfling loves grandpa's prezzie, as does thehobbit. ok, we all do. the birthday boy has had, on a few occasions, to remind us that they are his.

as people keep asking for prezzie ideas, i've been doing a lot of searching for things. the trouble is, he needs very little. still, people ask, so i look. of course, i am terrible at staying focused, so it is never long before i'm off baby items, & on toys for bigger kids. below are a few things that caught my eye. enjoy!

* this set of blocks is fabulous!! definitely not your mama's wooden blocks.

* truly, this must be mine. mine, mine, mine!

* a gnome in the box? i love it!

* my goal is to find a used dinky piano for elfling. or win the lottery, so i can afford a new one.

* look at this circus toy, by a fellow naturalkids gal! swoon-worthy, indeed.

sadly, that is all i have time for today. now it is your turn - what toys have caught your eye of late?
~peace.

one.

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today my sweet elfing is one. there is so much i should say about this past year, about this child & how he has changed who i am. i should tell you about the joy he's brought, the way my heart has expanded beyond what i believed possible, or a million other touching & profound things. the thing is, i cannot.


my emotions are playing me fiercely today, & i find i am unable to give voice to any of it. please understand, & forgive me my silence. thank you for being a part of my journey from family of three, to one of four. i am glad you are here.

to celebrate elflings birthday, i am offering all sorts of fabulousness in theshop!

* all mini buntings are half off their original prices!

* a free prezzie with every birthday crown & birthday tiara!

* free shipping on all purchases over $40.00!! (yes, even to your corner of the world!)

please spread the word about the celebratory fabulousness - no hogging the love! & please, please, please go eat some cake.

~peace.

how i spent my day at disneyland

yesterday was our fare-thee-well trip to disneyland. it's been a fun few years, but after talking it over, we decided to spend the annual pass money on other things.

it was a lovely day, crisp & chilly, but the skies were clear & the sun kept us warm enough. there were very few people there, which meant no lines for the menfolk, & no stress for me. i don't do well in crowded places.

elfling (we stopped calling him lemondrop long ago - figured it was better to forget he ever had that scary start in life) had such fun. he's a people watcher of the highest order, & loves being out of doors. this was the perfect place for him.

when the menfolk were on rides, elfling & i would sit on a bench to nurse, & listen to the birds singing. he would get the sweetest, milky smile each time he heard them. i wish i'd taken a picture.

i did get one of those "my view" photos we chatted about the other day, however:

i could have done a series just like this! all photos of me sitting somewhere with thebebe either in my lap, or sling. i should have, that would have been funny: how i spent my day at disneyland. this photo would have been titled riding the tram. hmm perhaps we should renew just my pass, & i could start a blog about it. ha!

have a wonderful day, do!

~peace.