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Green Week :: Day 1

Jessica — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:44:18 +0000

Green Week

Salt and Chocolate blog writer, Mary Beth, has been doing a photographic essay or “noticing” project about the color GREEN called Green Week!

Here I sit, a Minnesotan expecting yet another winter storm today, struggling to find spring-filled relief and inspiration. (cleaning, walking, decorating, shopping, cleaning – did I say that already?)

I will be doing a GREEN week too!

Molly "reading" a book of colors.

morning :: noon :: night

Jessica — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:00:48 +0000

Molly watched the gray morning light of a drippy winter day with ease and joy. {She sure looks like her Great Grammy Margaret, with my cowlick of course!}

After crossing two procrastinations off my list, (A trip to the DMV with an overdue driver's license and library with an overdue/lost book), I settled in with Ryan for some audio book "reading".

Molly's little toes reached for the foot rest as she "showed off" her new self-directed potty skills to Daddy.

Put Me in The Zoo

Jessica — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:02:55 +0000

I know things, around the house and in my heart, are out of whack when I am too feisty with every one. When I feel:

Too snowed in
Too sick and tired of being sick and tried (I’ve got to beat this illness!)
Too jumped on, called after, and whined to
Too impatient.

Try as I may to lock myself in the bathroom for some piece and quiet, I find the most rest and relief when I actually “put in” more purposeful fun time with kids. Go figure.

Our latest ‘purposeful fun time’ was gained from a book theme based on, Put Me in the Zoo.

{edit: this post is now linked up with Just for Fun}

Put Me in the Zoo is about a magical creature that longs to call the Zoo it’s home. Throughout the story, the creature tells a young boy and girl that it should be let in the Zoo. To convience the boy and girl, the creature uses it’s special abilities to do wonderous things with it’s spots.

We took some time to make different spots of our own.

We mimicked the story by making the spots go on us!

The creature had amazing spots that made it special. I had Ryan draw and share about something that he did that made him special.

I am special because...."I love my whole family and friends."

Well if that doesn’t get you out of a snowy, chest cold, laundry pile haze, nothing will!

Happy Reading!

Book Inspired

Jessica — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:02:21 +0000

Fall is here and with it came new seasonally inspired art, games and books.

Some mornings we are laid back and let our spirits lead us to do fun stuff.

After writing a letter to Grammy K, Ry works a finger loop loom while Molly reaches for the scissors. Ehem...I can't even pick up the camera for a second without my little one climbing up something.

Other times we have a goal to do a specific project.

A trip to the mail box inspired us to gather a leaf collection in a mason jar. I keep a small bag full of "junk" crayons from restaurants to use for rubbings or shavings.

Occasionally we have a theme. Our recent theme was based on the book Sam and the Firefly.

Sam meets a quirky firefly named Gus. Together they create words and shapes in the night sky using Gus’ light. Gus finds out that with great power comes great responsibility

Our interpretations of the illustrations using black paper and sidewalk chalk.

Firefly tooth brush gets buzzed around during our bedtime routine.

Batman shadow puppet in Mom and Dad's bed.

Flashlight art on the wall. Ryan made a lot of circles.

We read nighttime stories with flashlight. This book was Slinky Malinki by Lynley Dodd.

What a day!

Love,

Jess

Sick Day

Jessica — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:38:51 +0000

Molly is on day 5 of a cold and Ryan was diagnosed with an ear infection today. He started acting out of sorts on Sunday but by Tuesday morning he complained of a head and earache. He did comment without prompting that, “My heart feels great!” Ryan was very grateful for everything I did for him even through the groggy heaviness he possessed from a fever of 102.1 degrees. After I put a cool washcloth on his head and neck he told me he loved me and that [the washcloth] felt so good. His sweet and blurry tone pulled at my heart strings even more than normal.

Molly and I had some rare alone time with each other as Ryan slept off his fever. It was fun to play with her without parenting a 3 1/2 year old at the same time. She smiled often as she realized that I was indeed still paying attention to her and just her!

We spent most of today with the shades drawn as the house seemed to ache with the kids. The general feeling was happy but we all knew that we weren’t running at full steam. Finally after supper the three of us walked around the block. Ryan only made it 1/2 way before hopping into the stroller. I only hope boredom doesn’t set in tomorrow!