The Write Start

Creative Space

We're in the process of putting together a new space for writing, creating, playing, and making messes in our house. Formerly, we did most of these things in the room we called the office, which has now been converted into the nursery. My husband did his part, building an unbelievably inspiring room for us in the basement for our creative pursuits. Now it's our turn: Jack and I need to furnish it for function, organize our tools, and start making masterpieces.

So far I planted the easel in the corner, refinished the table from my old OT office, and added some just-right sized chairs. All of these items are Ikea finds. The table is my favorite because it is height adjustable and very versitile. I cut down Ikea trestle table legs so they could be easily adjusted from preschool-aged to elementary-aged table height. That way I can modify the table height to the size of the children who I work with, as well as to my own growing children, for a perfect fit. Height-adjustable tables are also great for encouraging kids to work in different positions depending on the project. Some projects are great to do while seated and others are better accomplished while standing, adjusting the table to counter height. You can also raise and lower the table at an angle, like a drafting table. This position encourages wrist extension during drawing and writing activities, facilitating a more mature grasp. Whew! All that function from an inexpensive Ikea "hack."

I just started organizing our tools and materials on an old, repurposed shelf. I have big plans for more shelves eventually... but first I want to live in the space a little and figure out exactly what we need where. I'm BIG on the idea that form follows function.

In the closet behind the easel I put our mini trampoline and a couple of tunnels, so we can transform the space for some creative gross motor activities as well.

I have so many other ideas, it's hard to decide what to do first. What's working for you in your creative space?

Onesie Fun

The weekend before Gracie was born Jack and I worked on a project to welcome her. I wanted him to help make something for her that he would see her use every day. And I wanted him to start to get a sense of how small she would actually be when she arrived. So I decided we would make hand-painted onesies.

First I cut stencils out of freezer paper using an exacto knife.

Then I ironed the stencils onto the onesies. (You iron the freezer paper, shiny side down for about 20-30 seconds and it sticks to the cotton.)

Then I called Jack in to help with the painting. We used Jacquard fabric paint that I bought at Michaels. I put the colors in an old mini muffin tin for easy dipping, mixing, and stirring.

  

When they were thoroughly painted we hung them to dry overnight.

  

The next morning we peeled off the freezer paper and heat-set the paint with an iron. I'll update with a picture of Gracie modelling her custom clothing as soon as I have one.

Are there any other great ideas for helping a sibling welcome baby home that I should know about? Please share!

A New Chapter

  

We have been busy... our little girl is home and we are beyond happy.

You know, the birth of a first child creates parents and the birth of a second creates siblings. Jack and Gracie are working on getting to know each other, falling in love, and learning to share Mom and Dad. I'm sure there will be plenty of stories to tell along the way -- right now we're just all settling in. I will keep you posted and do my best to do their little moments (both tender and trying) justice with my words.

For right now I'll leave you with this question: How does a heart that is already so full have the capacity for so much more love?

The Shell Game

Last summer, after some serious beach-combing at Baba's beach house, we put this simple, simple activity together. We put each family member's name on a shell with a black sharpie. I also lined up ten shells in size order and numbered them 1-10. I couldn't find a basket that was the right size, so we put them all together in an old heart-shaped cake pan and set them in the middle of the coffee table. They have become a favorite play thing for the little ones. Little hands like to find everyone's name, line up the shells in size and numeric order, set them out as place cards before dinner... the fun goes on and on.

I also love to keep my eye out for any shells on the beach that have holes in them. First of all, just scanning the beach for that special shell is a great visual motor activity -- a workout for the eyes. Secondly, a little collection of shells with holes make great lacing and stringing activities, perfect for building fine motor skills. On this day, we laced our "holey shells" onto fishing wire, tied them to a piece of driftwood we found, and hung them in a window. You could also try stringing them on a ribbon or long piece of beach grass; making necklaces, ornaments, or wind chimes; or tying them on to gifts or dinner napkins.

 

We have shell collections all over the house. I have a fascination with shells -- I think every shell tells a story. I think I'll make this shell collection into a natural movable alphabet of sorts by putting letters on each shell. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Do you have any other ideas for playing with shells?

Blooming Boots

Inspired again by this book, we planted flowers in a pair of Daddy's old boots for Father's Day. Jack's favorite part of the project was drilling holes in the bottom of the boots (for drainage). Then we attached the boots to eachother, filled them with dirt, planted flowers in them and set them outside for Daddy to discover.

Can you tell by the look of the boots how hard Daddy works? Besides being fun and cheerful, this gift is an expression of our enormous appreciation for how much our favorite guy does for us day after day.

I also took dictation from Jack for his Father's Day card. "I Love you Dad. I love going to monster truck shows with you. You are my best friend. I love your excavator."

That pretty much sums it up. We really dig that guy. 

Written in Stone

Have you ever made a stepping stone? We got a kit as a present almost a year ago and we just got around to doing the project recently. Boy was it the perfect project for my guy. Believe it or not, after making the one in our kit, I went to the hardware store and bought a 60-pound bag of cement and we made a bunch more stones for the Grandmothers and Aunts for Mother's Day. We got so involved in that big project I forgot to take pictures of those stones before we gave them out. I'll have to track them down in their various new garden homes to take pictures of our handiwork. But we didn't even stop there -- when my husband had a concrete pour at one of his job sites we pulled out our stepping stone molds again and "borrowed" some of the leftover to make even more stones. Those ones I think we'll try painting.

Here's a look at Jack's first stone-making adventure:

mixing...

scooping...

spreading...

 

pressing "treasures" in the setting cement (these particular treasures were slipper shells we collected on our favorite beach last summer)

and, finally, signing the stone with a hand print...

...and a name.

You know, there's something so powerful and timeless about writing in stone. I mean, just think about those cave paintings and carvings that have survived intact over 25,000 years. Our prehistoric ancestors went to great lengths to make their marks on those cave walls. They actually had to crawl on their bellies through narrow tunnels carrying flaming torches balancing bowls of paint carefully mixed from over a hundred different minerals. What a testament to people's burning desire to write. Our innately human need to make marks that say "I was here" and "this is my story."

Kids have that burning desire too. From chocolate pudding on the high chair to chalk on the sidewalk, children are driven to make their mark. The fun is in finding new ways every day to make those meaningful marks. For a couple of weeks around here, our favorite medium was stone.

Bittersweet Butterfly Farewell

"I love you. Come back and visit me," whispered the boy to his butterfly.

Planting Seeds

There's been a lot of talk about growing this spring. Everything we planted last year is growing -- roses, hydrangeas, honeysuckle, a birch tree. Our moonflower seedlings are finally popping up, slowly but surely. Our caterpillars are in their cocoons, waiting for wings. And Jack's little sister is growing in my belly, getting ready for her day in the sun this summer.

  

To continue the growing theme we read The Carrot Seed and planted some carrot seeds of our own. It's a book about growing, but also about faith, and patience, and waiting. And caretaking. What great lessons for a soon-to-be big brother.

Sprinkling the tiny seeds was a challenge for his little fingers.

  

Then there was backfilling, spraying, and finally, making a tag for the seeds.

 

And, after about 10 days of loving care from Jack (constant spraying, placing on sunny windowsills, kind and encouraging words) seedlings emerged.

Not to exhaust a metaphor, but I must say that I LOVE to pair a book with an activity. Books are the seeds of many great ideas. And it's just amazing when children make the connection between ideas and actions. It's a big deal to learn that anything you can imagine, you can create. That's the seed of writing too. And probably one of the secrets for growing a great life as well.

What books inspire you or your child to SPRING into action? 

For the Birds

We re-purposed an old birdhouse that was falling apart at the foundation. My husband took out the floor and mounted it up on screws to a sturdy new base. He cut a hole on top and made a little door with copper flashing. Then Jack and I sanded down the sign on top and wrote a new message. After some deliberation (Jack had a lot he wanted to say to the birds) we edited it down to "Welcome Birds. Free Food!" He was very pleased with the results.

We got some sunflower seeds from a local garden store that has bulk bins where you can scoop the seed out yourself, weigh it, and pour it into a paper bag. What a great activity -- look, feel, choose, scoop, weigh, pour -- the process alone was an event and Jack loved it.

Filling the feeder is yet another great sensory and fine motor activity. And watching the birds come and go, and the mischievous squirrels compete for the food is great fun too.

My son has so much to say to the birds. He makes me roll down the windows in the car so he can tell the geese in the road to be careful. He has a conversation going on with the pigeons at a construction site we pass every day. And he likes to hear the birds "talk" to him when he wakes up in the morning.

Does your child ever have conversations with critters?

Welcome Caterpillars

Our catepillars arrived a few days ago. They have already tripled in size! We ordered them from Insect Lore and they seemed to come almost immediately. (We've been waiting for ants for our ant farm for months!)

We check on them throughout the day because they are constantly changing. They are eating and spinning silk and growing like crazy. We have been reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and have some other butterfly books on reserve at the library. Jack is already sure that he will be too sad to release them when they become butterflies. I told him we can plant a butterfly bush in the backyard, and they will come back to visit us often. I hope this is true!

I will keep you posted on our metamorphasis...