February 13, 2013

Snow Ice Cream

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Over the weekend a snowstorm called “Nemo” dropped more than 2 feet of snow on Massachusetts. In our yard the snow measured in at 28-30 inches, so we are still looking at quite a lot of it 5 days later. We’ve seen a lot of snowmen, igloos, forts, tunnels and other things built out of the towering banks around here, but today CJ and I decided to do something different. We ate it!

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My friend Denise pointed me to this recipe so we decided to try it. We are so glad we did!

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First we gathered our supplies: snow, condensed milk, and vanilla.

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Pour on the condensed milk and vanilla (we used up what was in our bottle, it was closer to a tablespoon than a teaspoon!)

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Stir!

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We stopped when it looked like this. Newer, powdery snow might act a little differently.

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Lip-licking good! I think it tastes like a Starbucks Vanilla Creme Frappuccino! Easy and delicious.

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Please note that this recipe makes a lot. We containerized the rest for later (and sharing with Dada) but I don’t know yet how well it will keep. Next time, I’ll probably cut the recipe in half.

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January 31, 2013

Sunlight in Winter

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I don’t usually promote products (and I haven’t been paid for this in any way) but CJ really loved this “stained glass” project from Melissa and Doug, and it’s such a pretty little window into spring in the dead of winter. I couldn’t help but share it!

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It’s pretty simple really, you use the translucent stickers to fill in the pieces of the puzzle. There’s a map that goes under the stickers that is color coded and numbered, and another one under the framed transparency that is also numbered. Match them up and you’re all set.

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I found it at TJ Maxx for $7 or $8, but it’s available on Amazon in a couple of different styles for $10-11. This project kept CJ engaged for a full hour on two separate days with very little assistance, so I could work on a project of my own alongside him. It does have 80 pieces, and the stickers are pretty sticky and hard to reposition, so I did guide him on matching up the numbers and fitting a tricky piece a handful of times. He’s still only four, but has very strong fine motor skills, so you’ll have to decide if the 6+ guideline is appropriate for your child.

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January 26, 2013

Boredom and other things that start with B

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Building with Keva planks (our set is Contraptions and we love ).

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And rebuild.

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Bowling at the Acton Bowladrome!

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and really Big Boxes (thanks to brand new appliances.) Mischief managed, and boredom busted!

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January 23, 2013

Snow Day

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Actually, all the snow around here melted this week in the warm weather we were having. The last dredges of it are still here, but they are not much fun in the cold snap we are in the middle of now. The high temp today was 16 degrees. We are doing a lot more indoor play than usual. So, I broke out a toy I’d been saving for a “rainy day”, Insta-Snow!

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Inspired by The Artful Parent’s post about it, I ordered this deceptively tiny jar from Discount School Supply.

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Just a cup of water and 4 teaspoons or so of the powder made quite a lot of snow. I imagine the chemistry is a lot like water beads, but it happens a lot faster. It also feels a little bit cool to the touch because I used cold water.

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It does make a bit of mess, but once it dries it should be easy to sweep up.

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And it’s definitely worth it, as CJ had a ton of fun and came back to it several times in a few hours.

I’ll be posting more boredom-busters this week, but what do you do when you’re trapped inside because of the weather outside? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

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January 14, 2013

Mr. Fix-it

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Every once in a while I think, “Maybe I’m not such a terrible parent after all!” This morning was one of those moments. CJ got it into his head that he needed to repair this little doll of his which had lost a button eye.

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So he picked out some floss (it coordinated perfectly, I might add) and we got to work using his self-proclaimed “sewing skills.” This was somewhat more complicated than his previous sewing, so he had a significant amount of help and instruction, but in the end he did about 50% of the work.

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And now it’s fixed! I love that he wanted to fix it rather than stop playing with it or get rid of it. I love that he wanted to do it himself, rather than just asking me to fix it. And I love how proud he was afterward, he even bragged about it to his karate teacher.

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So now I can give myself a little pat on the back for one small parenting “win”. In case you’re interested, the doll is a Hot Munkey Mutantdoll, purchased by my husband on a business trip to England. Yes, it’s odd, but we like it.

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January 11, 2013

Semi-annual Clementine Picnic

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Two years ago we started a new tradition with some friends. The first snowy day of the new year, we take a bunch of clementine oranges and go out to play in the snow. The clementines are even nicer in the snow, the orange color is even brighter, the flavor is sweeter, and the reminder of summer is so much clearer when you are surrounded by all that white.

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Here are the kids 2 years ago (riding the snow duck that turned into a dog!) Last year we didn’t really get any snow, so we missed a year.

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And here they are today, eating their clementines in the lea of a giant snowball that’s been painted in rainbow hues!

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A better view of the snowball.

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See how vibrant the orange peels are against the snow? They also make great (soft) ammunition for chucking at one another. Fun times!

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Our paints were simply food coloring and water in spray bottles: orange, pink, green and blue.

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Of course, some spraying of the house happened.

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But they were quickly redirected back to that pristine white canvas of snow. A great time was had by all, and I’m pretty sure this will happen every year we have some snow in January. It sure helps to chase those winter blues away!

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January 10, 2013

See and Sew

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I am delighted to say my 4 year old has found a fondness for sewing. Inspired by Soulemama, I gave him an embroidery hoop filled with flannel, a tapestry needle, and some doubled and knotted floss, and he fell in love. I gave him very little direction, just to start from the back side, and not to go around the hoop.

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This is his first creation, which got even more colors added on a day or two later. He likes to revisit, and won’t let me take off the hoop yet.

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Yesterday I gave him some blue felt in an oval hoop.

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For the record, he uses #22 Tapestry needle. It’s a real metal one, but not too sharp. He has not poked himself with it yet. He doesn’t really need/use the thimble, he just likes to wear it.

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Today he picked it up again, totally of his own volition, and spent some more time on it. These are the results! He chooses the colors himself out of a tin I gave him. I help thread and knot. He does the rest. The colors are actually a lot more vibrant (damn night photography.) I love it!

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January 8, 2013

Cancellation

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Sadly, my after school art class at Green Meadow Elementary has been cancelled. I’ll post an update if and when it will run elsewhere. :(

To cheer us up, I’ve got some fun plans involving snow, sewing and a certain 4 year old. I’ll be back tomorrow with more photos, but the picture above is a sneak preview from a little earlier this season.

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January 7, 2013

Two NEW Classes!

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“Hands and feet drawing” by Helen, age 5.

Starting in January I am teaching two NEW classes!

The first one is at Jam Time starting next week. It’s called “Preschool Prep” and it’s a 90 minute DROP OFF class for your 3 (or 4) year old! This class is perfect for kids who weren’t quite ready for preschool this September, but who could use a little something extra now. It’s also a great chance for you to do an errand or two BY YOURSELF! Also, if you’re a Maynard Family Association member, you get a 10% discount, so use that MFA card!

Preschool Prep

Thursdays,10:00am – 11:30am
age: 3 years

Jam Time is excited to offer this weekly 90 minute drop-off class for 3 year olds. The set curriculum includes circle time, music, obstacle courses, activity tables for sorting, building, and stringing, free play, snack, cooperative games, parachute play, bubbles, sensory table exploration, art, puppetry, and storytime. Children will receive personalized attention that allows them to work on separation, gain independence, meet new friends, and learn through play! Class limited to 8 kids who must be potty trained.

Register on the Jam Time website: http://www.jamtime.com

The second class is for early elementary students, about 5-10 years of age. It’s a variation on my Art Adventures class, with the focus on Elements of Art this time, instead of Great Artists. This class is held at Green Meadow Elementary school in Maynard, MA, through their Excel after school program. It is open to homeschool students and those from other schools as well. The photo above is representative of work using Scale and Perspective by a kindergarten student.

Art Adventures


Weds 3:15-4:15pm
age: 5-10 years
Jan 13-March 13
Green Meadow Elementary School
Maynard MA

Taught by a local art teacher and mom with 10+ years of experience, Art Adventures! is an art class for children in grades K-3. Each week this class will begin by discussing a particular art element such as line, form, or color, then creating artwork inspired by what we learn. Topics will include pattern cats, pop-up towns, splat bugs and more!

Smocks and clean-up materials will be provided, and all materials are non-toxic and washable, but please send your child wearing clothes that can get messy.


To register, please contact me via email ASAP: redshoegirl@gmail.com



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January 4, 2013

Sister Act

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This is my brilliant, beautiful, and hysterically funny sister, Sasha. I’m lucky that she lives less than an hour away, so I get to see her on a regular basis. I wish it were more often. Tonight, I was fortunate enough to have her join our family for dinner, and then get her to myself for a couple of hours after Josh put CJ to bed. We spent a lovely couple of hours celebrating a belated New Year’s Eve (ours got postponed due to illness), eating good food, drinking champagne cocktails, playing video games, and above all, making each other laugh. We are very different, she and I, but when you hear us talk, there’s no doubt that we are sisters.

The photo above is about 6 months old, and reminds me that the next time she comes over I should really get a picture of us together. Love you, Squasha.

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