a new vest for E

Some felting happened last night and end bits of roving became a vest for E.

It's been a couple of years since I made her first, photographed by this very same tree.

I can't believe how she's grown.

Kindergarten this year.

Wow. 

She made the flower detail herself, and dictated where it should be on the vest.

She has an opinion about things.

About all things.

Which I hope will serve her well as she grows, even if it drives me batty in the meantime.

Have a great week, everyone.

and three

Three healthy, happy little ducks have hatched.  We're all smitten and enjoying their peeping and silly antics.  You haven't seen funny until you've seen three duckling swimming in your sink.  Hilarity, I tell ya.

Hello blue eyes.

Notice the guy on the left is sticking his tongue out.  Just like a kid.

Cuddling a duck while still in your pajamas is a great way to start the week.

Happy Monday, all.

This Book Was A Tree

As someone who strives to live a life steeped in nature, I was curious when Marcie offered to give me a copy of her new book, This Book Was A Tree, to review.  "Ideas, adventures, and inspiration for rediscovering the natural world" sounded right up my alley, though I wondered if I might not know this stuff already.  I mean, I do pride myself on being in tune with nature, and a bit of a nature nerd, after all.

Well, I needn't have worried about that.  Not only does Marcie provide projects and challenges for getting us closer to nature, she provides a very important component, the "why".

After browsing the book, the kids and I decided to make a nesting material ball.  The book told us how to do it, but also "why".  It helped us understand the intricacies of nest-building and got us to think about what feathered friends live in our neighborhood.  She encouraged us listen to the birds and gave us tips on identifying them by their songs.  She also suggested how we might apply what birds already know about constructing a simple home, to our own lives.

I like that this book has something for people of all ages.  My young kids will enjoy the fun projects- the pinhole camera, the sundial, locating Fibonacci sequences, my teenager could appreciate the science behind these projects, and I appreciate that the book encourages a thoughtful application of these projects and ideas to one's own life.

We hung our nesting ball in the plum outside our kitchen window where we can watch our feathered friends who come to visit it, and where it will serve as a daily reminder for me as to what goes into my own nest.  I have the feeling this is a book I'll refer to often.

Want to read what other bloggers had to say about this book?  Check it out:

4/1    House Wren Studio

4/2    Mindful Momma

4/3    The Long Thread

4/4    Maya Made

4/7    Rebecca Sower

4/8    Sara Bakes Cakes

4/9    Donuts Dresses and Dirt

4/10 Tinkerlab

4/11 Resurrection Fern

4/14 Small Measure

4/15 Lil Fish Studios

And if you'd like to purchase a copy of your own, click HERE.

campfire cooking with the kids

 

My kids are now on summer vacation which lends a different energy to the house.  Or rather, LOTS of energy to the house.  Since spending lots of time outside is what makes them happiest (and the tiredest at the end of the day) I thought we'd take our meal-making outdoors too.

 

We gathered up our ingredients for a hobo stew,

 

put them in foil,

 

seasoned well,

 

and headed out to the fire with our foil packets and bannock bread wrapped on sticks.  Declaring oneself "King Bread Stick", optional. (dressing yourself in multiple patterns also optional)

 

I nestled the foil packets down into the hot coals with a set of tongs while the kids baked their biscuits until they were golden brown and cooked through.

 

About 10 minutes later they ate their hearty stew and biscuit in the grass.

 

 They loved being able to make their own lunch and made dinner too (panfish, asparagus, and sweet potatoes, yum!).  I knew we were on to something good when one of them exclaimed "I can't wait to do this with broccoli!"

I imagine we'll be cooking on the fire at every given opportunity.  We'll be the family that constantly smells of woodsmoke but that's okay, I think we're gaining much more than an aroma from this.

Happy Wednesday, all.  I hope today is memorable.

bunk bed tent

  

I thought it would be fun, on this home project-filled spring break to make my younger boys a tent for their bunk bed.

 The concept is really simple, which is good because my machine-sewing skills are equally so.  I used some canvas drop cloths that I had on hand.  I washed them first, then sized them to the bed, cut some door flaps, and sewed a panel for the side of the bed that is exposed (the other is against the wall, so I didn't do a panel there).  The tent is tied to the metal bed frame in several places, which will make it easier to remove for cleaning.  The door flaps hang down when the boys are sleeping and button up on the inside when they want to let the light in.  I zig zag stitched around the cut edges of the fabric to help keep it from fraying.

 

My oldest boy attached the tent to the ceiling and back wall for me, with help from his brother.  As you can see, it isn't exactly even, or lined up in the corner of the tent very well, but when they were done the two younger boys exclaimed "it looks great!" so I decided not to worry about it.  If they're happy, then so am I.

I also made them each some hanging pockets for their books and a couple of corkboards to put inside their respective tents, and outfitted them each with a reading light.  They were happily reading away before bed time last night.

 

And this morning... they were sleeping in late.  Which makes momma happy.

shelter

 

Yesterday my boys needed something to do that didn't involve the computer or video games.  My answer is usually "clean your room" or "go outside and play".  Not surprisingly, they took me up on the "go outside and play" part.

 

What did surprise me is that the two older boys went out to the woods and built this shelter all by themselves.  They even started a little cooking fire (with permission) and were building a spit to roast a rabbit on, that they planned to snare.

 

I talked them out of the rabbit idea and instead talked them into hot dogs, pointing out that the spit stick would work nicely as a hotdog stick.  Not quite as mountain man-esque, but it worked.  They sat out in the woods, quietly lost in their own imaginations, until their fire died down.

  

On the other side of the house a "snow cottage" had been built by my younger two (with some help from Dad).  Not to be outdone, they packed sandwiches and ate in their shelter too until the cold took over and forced them all inside for a warm bath.

\

Though the computer and Wii win more often than I like, I love that I have kids that can entertain themselves this way.

Have a fun start to the week, everyone.

 

who needs toys?

 

Because left to their own devices, my kids do things like this with cans from the recycling.

 

 Yep, that's a piñata.  And a lot of masking tape.

 

Complete with prizes!

 

Post-piñata power pose.

I honestly don't know if this affirms my belief that my kids don't need more toys or is evidence that they do...