crafting with children

kite flying 101 and why I’m losing my mind

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(almost…)
Did you know, according to my extensive online research that one can have TOO much wind when flying a kite?
We’ve had these two kites stored away in the closet waiting for the perfect day…and yesterday seemed like the day. Our very nice kite, already equipped with a tail (also important acc’d to my research), did nothing but climb, climb, swirl and nose dive. Over and over again.
P1010012

So when we came inside  with such kite-flying bad luck, I (of course) googled " how to fly a kite", wondering how on earth it was possible that I didn’t know how to fly a kite. We had all the elements–good kite, good wind, and fast little legs. So, apparently after doing a little research, it IS possible to have too much wind. So, that’s where we’ll leave it for now.
Emma had no problem handling the defeat. Someone else took it a little harder:
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Meanwhile, Emma has found a way to cause me to come frighteningly close to losing my mind.
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I’m on my fifth (or sixth, I’ve lost count) potholder in less than 24 hours. She has only mastered putting the first rows of loops on the loom and takes great joy in making up different color patterns. I am left with the over-under-over-under part and the finishing. The over-under part is maddening. I have those words, "over, under, over, under" going through my brain even when I’m not at the loom.
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I know I could just turn the girl away, but she’s begun to make these deals with me that are hard to turn down. For example, today’s deal was, "if you’ll just make the rest of my potholder and finish it for me, I’ll put Mary to bed for naps and read her a story." Seriously, now. Can a mother turn down an offer like that??! They were in there reading Mother Goose. She even got her a glass a water and tucker her in.

But, I have told emma that if she makes me get out that red plastic crochet hook and do anymore potholders in the next few days, this will happen to her. I think she’s got the message.

*******
The camera in emma’s hands
Some of my favorites:
here
here
here

P1010011

(almost…)
Did you know, according to my extensive online research that one can have TOO much wind when flying a kite?
We’ve had these two kites stored away in the closet waiting for the perfect day…and yesterday seemed like the day. Our very nice kite, already equipped with a tail (also important acc’d to my research), did nothing but climb, climb, swirl and nose dive. Over and over again.
P1010012

So when we came inside  with such kite-flying bad luck, I (of course) googled " how to fly a kite", wondering how on earth it was possible that I didn’t know how to fly a kite. We had all the elements–good kite, good wind, and fast little legs. So, apparently after doing a little research, it IS possible to have too much wind. So, that’s where we’ll leave it for now.
Emma had no problem handling the defeat. Someone else took it a little harder:
P1010008

Meanwhile, Emma has found a way to cause me to come frighteningly close to losing my mind.
P1010020

I’m on my fifth (or sixth, I’ve lost count) potholder in less than 24 hours. She has only mastered putting the first rows of loops on the loom and takes great joy in making up different color patterns. I am left with the over-under-over-under part and the finishing. The over-under part is maddening. I have those words, "over, under, over, under" going through my brain even when I’m not at the loom.
P1010022

I know I could just turn the girl away, but she’s begun to make these deals with me that are hard to turn down. For example, today’s deal was, "if you’ll just make the rest of my potholder and finish it for me, I’ll put Mary to bed for naps and read her a story." Seriously, now. Can a mother turn down an offer like that??! They were in there reading Mother Goose. She even got her a glass a water and tucker her in.

But, I have told emma that if she makes me get out that red plastic crochet hook and do anymore potholders in the next few days, this will happen to her. I think she’s got the message.

*******
The camera in emma’s hands
Some of my favorites:
here
here
here

life (in general)

The Weekend Report

::new kicks. still working on the tying part. but she’s getting there::
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::snuggling in a favorite spot, sucking on a favorite spot. (so good when you finally get control over that fist and get it to stay in your mouth.)::
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::rushing to bring in the hay before a Monday of rain (which has yet to show up)::
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::doing all we can to avoid nature-deficit disorder, (my new read)::
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::coming in for bed under a beautiful sky::
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::new kicks. still working on the tying part. but she’s getting there::
P1010009

::snuggling in a favorite spot, sucking on a favorite spot. (so good when you finally get control over that fist and get it to stay in your mouth.)::
P1010013

::rushing to bring in the hay before a Monday of rain (which has yet to show up)::
P1010006

::doing all we can to avoid nature-deficit disorder, (my new read)::
P1010099

::coming in for bed under a beautiful sky::
P1010039

children and nature

swallows in the sky {interrupted}

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Wow. I certainly didn’t mean to disappear from this blog for the whole week. Life has just been pleasantly full.
P1010022

The swallow mobile for Elizabeth’s room is now finished, but still hanging in front of a family room window, getting lots of attention from the wind. It’s been hanging with a single swallow on it for over two weeks so it feels good to have it done.

***This is now the fourth time today that I’ve tried to sit down at my desk to write, but each time I’m interrupted. Case and point, I’m being interrupted right now by a frustrated five year-old who’s trying to make a mobile of her own. She has me tracing an intricate drawing of a horse and cutting it out for her mobile. And she keeps "messing up the coloring"….which means more intricate tracing and cutting for me.  Ahhhh…but we press on.

Hope you all have a pleasantly full weekend as well. I’ll be back in the new week with more. Tomorrow my mom and I are heading to Baltimore for pre-birthday lunch and shopping. Can’t wait.

P1010014

Wow. I certainly didn’t mean to disappear from this blog for the whole week. Life has just been pleasantly full.
P1010022

The swallow mobile for Elizabeth’s room is now finished, but still hanging in front of a family room window, getting lots of attention from the wind. It’s been hanging with a single swallow on it for over two weeks so it feels good to have it done.

***This is now the fourth time today that I’ve tried to sit down at my desk to write, but each time I’m interrupted. Case and point, I’m being interrupted right now by a frustrated five year-old who’s trying to make a mobile of her own. She has me tracing an intricate drawing of a horse and cutting it out for her mobile. And she keeps "messing up the coloring"….which means more intricate tracing and cutting for me.  Ahhhh…but we press on.

Hope you all have a pleasantly full weekend as well. I’ll be back in the new week with more. Tomorrow my mom and I are heading to Baltimore for pre-birthday lunch and shopping. Can’t wait.