ode to jillian - advent + soft trees

it's so nice to have a crafty mama to talk with at school and that's my friend Jillian. thanks to her my holiday has some new additions, some better executed than others. the first one is our advent calendar. she showed me an image on her iphone from http://littlebirds.typepad.com. I already had the Ikea frame, went with Shu Shu to Flax and picked up some paper, cute little envelopes and some snowflakes stickers. the concept was the children would open an envelope each day and we'd hang the snowflakes in the door frames. someone suggested I use these glue dots as an adhesive, well they did not work, by the first morning half the envelopes were on the floor and each morning I have to reattache a few, tape helps. I think this concept works better for older children, my little munchkins need to open something and still have it there in front of them. Jillian, if you're reading this, Cole and Seb would love this!

the stuffed tree project came from little birds as well. I used them for Eva's birthday craft, using a nice canvas top and some holiday print Eva picked out with green, yellow, white buttons. I love the fuzzy trees on the website and would love to try some next year.

Here's to you Jillian - crafter-mama

ps - plus use wool stuffing, the polly does not shape and they are a little topsey turvy.

it's beginning to look less like thanksgiving...

I had such a hard time make the swich from Thanksgiving/Autumn to the holiday season. with Shu Shu's support, I just did it one morning, the wheat got wrapped in plastic, teepees tucked away, and the pumpkins composted. for two hours I made wreathes, stuck greenery on every surface, put candles about. Eva's been wondering when we'll ever make the switch, finally we're here.

christmas tree 2009

 

Rancho Siempre Verde

a walk on billy goat hill after school

garden of light

the childrens's school celebrates the garden of light ceremony today, a very reverent, festival that celebrates the inner light that we all carry within us through the darkest half of the year. the children all come in to the room in silence, they come up one by one, given an apple with a candle in it, walk through the spiral to the center where they light their candle and place it in the spiral. this is my third year and it was just as moving to see all the little ones find such pride as they take this walk in the dark. the even would have been almost sickeing sweet if it was not balanced by the accompaniment of the 8th grade orchestra, we were lulled by the screeching violens, the unharmonic wind instrument but nothing compared to the trumpets that should have stayed home that day. I have one word of advice PRACTICE! I sat through two different ceremonies, one for the kindergarteners and then the first/second grade. surprisingly enough the older children were way more wiggly than the little ones who just sat there spell bound for the 45 minutes it took to get through the group. the olde children on the other hand were talking and wiggilng in their chairs. i was so proud of Eva, she was so poised during her walk and as she sat in her seat, well most of the time, until she dug for at least 5 minutes for a booger, I sat their snickering to myself. p.s. this photo is contraband, we are not allowed to take photos/video of the ceremony but as soon they left I snapped a photo.

bulbs in before Dec 1!

finally, I got the children out to plant the bulbs I got 8 weeks ago from Sloat Garden Center. from what I remember I got 3-4 variteties of tulips, snowdrops, and my favorite grape hyacinths. when I was little I'd meander home from elementary school, taking my ole sweet time. there was a corner property on North Gate that had wild hyacinths growing all over the emabankment. I'd often pick a little nosegay for my mom, not sure how many actually made them home. last year I walked in to Bloomers, a florist across from the children's school. I picked up a familiar bunch only to find out they were $30, I laughed, shared my story and trotted promptly out of there empty-handed. I hope mine come up in the spring. i refigerated all the bulbs and now worry that only the tulips required the forced frost, time will tell.

so Thankful

 

A day to be grateful for, dear friends from Vancouver merge with our current life so seamlessly, a second annual walk to Glen Park Canyon, a frenetic cooking session made fun by Neema, a bike ride to Thanksgiving dinner down Valencia Street with Eva on the back, a flurry of garden games with children and a feast tasting even better in fresh air. 

Menu: turkey cooked to prefection by Ed + his family stuffing with sausage, Art's sweet potato pie

(mashed veggies with marshmellows), roasted pumpkin with roasted vegetables, salad with pomegranted seeds + persimons, roasted squash, brussel sprouts with pancetta, rustic apple tart, chocolate cream pie, pumpkin pie.

holiday bowling + burgers

 

Burger Joint

Tico

We've been debating about animals for a year now, I was becoming used to the idea of getting a dog, though I'm not a dog person per se. I watch them at Crissy Field, interview people about their pets but I could not resolve the steps backwards I'd be taking when I just emerged from those infant years. last month I woke in the middle of the night and it came to me clear as day, we'd get Eli a bird for his birthday and Eva something in the rodent family (have since decided it'll be a guinea pig). that morning over breakfast Eli asked me if he could have a bird for his birthday, he's always doing this kind of thing with me. i overheard him asking Shu Shu for a bird a few weeks later. so the Saturday after his birthday, we surprised him with a visit to the bird store we visited on his second birthday and told him we'd be getting a bird. he, after many discussions with the owner and staff, on a lineolated parakeet, a little bird with a big bird personality. Eli immediately named him Tico after the bird in the Leo Leoni story that we love. ever day or so we'd go and hold him, he's 4 1/2 months old and had not been hand-trained too well so we felt it worth the wait, and now that he's home, he definately was. it's not unusual to see Eva sitting around knitting with Tico on her head or Eli talking to him through his cage. he's a fine addition to the family.

cobra

we got some new Kapla blocks to add to the collection from Shu Shu. the other morning while I was making breakfast in the kitchen I heard the children doing a nice job on collaborating on a creation with the blocks, not the usual mode for them a battle usually ensues. this is what greeted me when called in to see the cobra for myself.

Dagmar's tee pee

over halloween weekend the kindergarten teachers at the children's school transform their classrooms in to Indian villiages, it's a sight to behold. eli is always proud to celebrate his birthday during this time. it's a tradition to give an Ostheimer figure to the kindergarten teachers, this year Dagmar requested a Native American figure from the cataloge, only to find out they are no longer carrying them. I was able to get the last "mother" in the city. I decided to sew a mini-tee pee like Eli's to give to her as well. this little gift put a smile from ear-to-ear on her face. we'll miss being immersed in this experience next year!