Archive for the ‘babes in toyland’ Category

Everyday when I pick Makena up from school we go through the same routine of questions.

What made you happy?

What made you mad?

What made you sad?

Everyday I get the same answer to the happy question. And that answer is ’sharing.’ I am always surprised and relieved when she gives me the answer. Proudly thinking to myself, she gets it!

Well what I’ve begun to notice is that she gets the fine art of manipulation. At three. Tell mama what she wants to hear and everything will be lovely.

All is not as it seems on the sharing front with her buddy Gage. Not sharing.

Nope. Not one bit.

“Who are the people in your neighborhood. In your neighborhood. In your neighborhood. Who are the people in your neighborhood. It’s the people that you meet, when you’re walking down the street. It’s the people that you meet each day.” For some reason, when I play, yes I play, with Little People I sing this song in my head. Maybe it’s because when I was little and had these very same people, Sesame Street was always on.

Speaking of the street, has anyone noticed PBS’ new programming line-up? Where did Sesame Street go in the morning? It was a staple around here. Now I just have to record it and play it during breakfast. You can’t have cheerios without Sesame Street.

We have quite a few people in our neighborhood as you can see in the basket. All the usual suspects are there. The swing, the mommy, the baby, the highchair, the trike. The firetruck. The race car driver.

I began a process about a year ago of weeding out the new Little People that had made their way into the house. Out with the new, in with the old. Seems to be a theme around here.

I have scoured yard sales, thrift stores and estate sales for the past year. I was able to find an assortment of people and animals, the house, barn and school house (complete with all magnetic letters). All of the pieces that I had as a child but that have disappeared over the years. Every time I find another little bag of people my heart skips a beat. I do a little dance on the inside. Quickly scoop up my find and hold onto it as tightly as I can.

Fortunately, my kiddos treasure these Little People just as much as I do. They are kept in the living room, not stashed in the closet, and played with all of the time. We set up the house. Rearrange the living spaces. Get the kids into the school. Load up the camp van with unlikely suspects and play all day long. Sometimes even, Makena brings her princesses in for a visit and Keegan brings his Star Wars characters. And I… well I just like to decorate the spaces.

It’s a family affair.

Thank you all so much for your wonderful birthday wishes yesterday.  Each and every one was appreciated and cherished.  You really know how to make a girl’s day when she’s home alone with two kids.  All.  Day.  Long.

Makena had a wonderful time on her first day of school.  The teacher reported that she actually barrelled over the other kids to help clean up the toys.  Now if we could only work on that at home.  When I told her that she was going to school today she replied “again?”  I think she thought it was a one time affair.  I think going twice a week is going to blow her mind.  She did request cheese in her lunch box today because all of the other kids have cheese.  Good to know.

I managed to scrounge up a picture of the burp cloths I made for my sister and a friend who is expecting.  The fabric was generously donated by my life-guru Sarah.  Because my stash is less than sufficient.  Thank you Sarah.  I owe you my first born.  They are all just so lovely and perfect.

Today, while Makena is in school I promise some crafting.  This is a pseudo craft blog after all right?!?

Something to think about.  I’m considering changing my name.  I’m just not feeling the chikaustin so much anymore.  Does anyone have any ideas?  I’ve been spinning this around in my head and am not getting anywhere.  I would love some suggestions from you crafty types!

One of Makena’s favorite cartoons and books is Charlie and Lola. And Lola’s favorite drink is pink milk. So today as I was packing Makena’s lunch box for the first day of school she turned to me and said “When I get home can I have pink milk?”

There were no nerves, no tears, no long hugs. No, I got nothing of that. As we hung up her backpack and lunch box on her peg, she quickly turned away and darted into the classroom.

So that’s it? But I needed more.

I needed a long hug. A ‘I will miss you mama, please don’t go.’ Anything. Maybe even a wave would have been nice.

So off went my little preschooler to her very first day of school. Confident. Happy. Secure. Oh I hope the world is kind to her.

And off went Keegan and I in the car. Keegan longing to stay and play and I missing a part of myself.

To Makena on your first day of school…

Stay strong my little bug. The world can be mean.

Don’t worry about what other kids say to you.

Trust your instincts.

Listen to your heart.

Follow your dreams.

Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something.

Be kind.

To everyone.

Love.

Everyone.

Especially those who are mean to you.

Have fun. Run. Skip. Laugh. Play.

Play until your heart’s content.

Love,

Mama

School supplies.

Maybe it’s the teacher in me but back to school time makes my heart flutter.

The stocking up of supplies.

The scissors, the paper, the pens. I fill my cart with supplies for crafts for the next few months. The non-washable crayons and markers. Taking a risk.

This morning we are off to Makena’s school to meet her new teacher Ms. Katie. A big step for my little babe and even a bigger step for me. I think I’m going to need counseling when she goes to school. I think she’ll be fine.

I was greeted earlier this week by a sweet sound.

My youngest awoke from his nap, bright eyed and bushy headed. Playing the harmonica like he’s been doing it forever. Bopping up and down. Swaying back and forth. Making the most of the summertime blues.

As he was standing there, moving to his own beat, I looked at him and wondered how he got this big. When did my baby become a full fledged toddler? Next week is his second birthday and I’m starting to get a little sappy and reflective thinking about it. Slowing down to think about who he is. His spirit. And his quirky personality.

He’s now talking, the sing-songy voice much more pronounced and direct. The occasional ‘why’ to my demands. The ‘that’s hot’ to his food. The ‘uh-oh’ when things aren’t going quite as they should.

During the next week I want to slow down. Not the occasional rushing about to plan a party. No, that is not what his big day is about. It is about him. His sweet little life. And the joy he brings to ours.

Why is my son wearing an Easter bonnet and a tutu? Sorry. I got distracted. The life of being the younger brother. Ironic since this is a post about our Disney World Bippity Boppity Boutique, they slip you crack, experience.

So back in May when we took the family to Disney World we considered all of our ‘extra’ options. What character dining meals to purchase, what events to attend, what park to go to each day… What we didn’t consider was that no amount of pre-planning can prepare you for all that Disney throws at you.

We got there and were immediately immersed in the culture, wearing our mouse-ears and singing It’s a Small World. I even considered purchasing Mickey Mouse head shaped plates. Because, you know, you need a plate like that to separate all of the food. Crack. I guess I forgot to check my sanity at the entrance gates because upon entering the Magic Kingdom I immediately felt that Makena would be missing out on a major part of the ‘Disney experience’ if she did not get to do the Bippity Boppity Boutique. One quick phone call later, a last minute cancellation answered my prayers to the Disney Gods. We were booked for a Boutique experience.

Want to see what we got ourselves into?

A little bit of this.

And a little bit of that.

And even more of this.

Just add water and you too can have your very own princess.

To make matters worse when Makena met The Fairy Godmother, she said “why you look just like Cinderella in a Snow White dress.” Then I guess at Disney training the worker mice are instructed to address every little girl who had the boutique experience as ‘princess.’ So for the rest of the day, it was ‘well, hello princess.’ All. Day. Long.

I’m still picking the glitter out of her clothes from that day. And wondering how on earth they suck you in and spit you out.

Note: Please don’t let any of this Disney banter fool you or discourage you from the experience. Like a good addict, we will return to get another fix. Probably sooner rather than later. Peace out.

Thanks to Hurricane Dolly it feels a little bit like fall. We know the cool damp weather won’t last but we enjoy it while it’s here. A welcome relief from the stifling summer heat. I turned to Miles this morning and said ‘you know, if the weather was always like this I could live here.’ Ha. We do live here. All of the time. A woman can dream can’t she?!?

So we ventured out this week to the library. It was our first family trip and it was a hit! I gave Makena the option of swimming in our backyard or the library and she screamed ‘library’! That’s my girl! As we turned the corner and she could see the library she screamed. Serious. Who screams when they see the library?

When we walked into the library both kids made a mad dash to the kids section. Before I could catch up to them they had stripped the shelves of several books and had quite a mountainous pile on a little table. They were in library heaven. I even walked away with some cookbooks that I had been eyeing at the bookstore but didn’t want to shell out $35 for.

Another tiny step toward saving the planet. Now where’s my cape???

I had a dream the other day. Actually it was a daydream, but for storytelling purposes lets go with the dream. In this dream we packed up and moved to Europe so that I could attend design school. Yes, you read that correctly. I packed up the family and we flew across the pond so that I could go to design school. In say… Sweden. How cool would that be!?!

As a child I was always moving my furniture around, changing the art on my walls and also helping my mom with her interior decorating. I would move a sofa so fast you wouldn’t know what hit you. I’d have the hammer and nails out in a flash to hang new art. Actually it was more like Kirk Cameron and Corey Haim posters from Bop magazine but who’s counting. My idea of a good time was shopping for new furniture for my room. And I was only in elementary school.

Had I only known then that you could make a living doing that I would have followed that yellow brick road. Instead, as life has it, I was led into sports where I eventually went to college on a basketball scholarship. And I went to school in a very tiny Texas town that was all about agriculture and the rodeo. Needless to say I don’t think design was a choice as a major. What’s a girl to do… major in communcations that’s what. You can do anything with a comm. degree. So they said.

So now that I’m into my thirties and have lived my first life as a teacher, I long and thirst for something more. I oogle over design books, blogs and flickr pictures. The stark white design of Sweden is such a long way from where we are here in Austin, Texas. But oh how I love it. The simplicity of it all.

Since I can’t pack up and move to Europe to pursue my dreams I have a tendency to put my mind at work around our house. Pictures, furniture and children are moved on a regular basis. Just until I get it just right, only to find a new idea and move things all over again. Having gotten Makena’s room all done I was ready to move on to Keegan’s room. Since he’s almost two and got a new big boy bed it was the perfect opportunity to turn his nursery into a toddler room. The first thing I did was take all of the pictures off of his wall and everything off of the shelves. I needed to start with a blank slate. Then I got down on the floor, at his level, and layed there for a while. Thinking about what this space should be.

Here is a little tour for you of his space.

The bed we found at Ikea. I know, go ahead and say it ‘it looks like a girls bed,’ but I was immediately drawn to it because it looked like an antique bed. I couldn’t resist. The art above his bed are pages framed from Where the Wild Things Are. On top of his toy chest are his first pair of cowboy boots. This is Texas after all. The quilt was made by my great-grandmother and handed down to us. I think Keegan’s bed is the perfect place for it. Lovingly handmade in the early 1900’s. I’m getting sappy just thinking about it.

His shelves are full of things that I love, but he just can’t play with yet. I’ve collected some of the vintage toys at garage sales, estate sales and thrift stores. Some of the other things like the dala horse and Pinnochio duo were mine. My husband brought the Kremlin model back from Russia when he visited as a kid.

I created a corner for him to play and relax. I put together a basket full of books. Since he’s a book tosser, I can’t have a bookshelf in his room just yet.

Above his play corner is all of his art. His own little art gallery that I can add to as he gets older and creates some of his own art. Yes, that is a stuffed animal buffalo head on his wall. The rocket was painted by a friend. Another friend created his name art on the wall. Inside the letters are all of the details of his first year of life. The other framed items are from vintage books.

Here is his view to the rest of the world. The dresser was used in his nursery as a changing table, but since he now weighs more than his three year old sister there is no more lifting him up there. I’m really happy with the way his room turned out. As he walked into it this evening, his face lit up. He immediately climbed into and out of his bed. Then made his way over to the book basket and picked out his favorite dinosaur book. As he sat in that corner and snuggled the puppy dog with his book, I knew he liked it. And that’s really all that matters after all.

How on earth am I supposed to get my life in order with a barrel of monkeys running the place? Helloooo… I’m trying to Expose Myself here… act like you weren’t raised by a pack of wolves.

I attempted to organize Makena’s closet. Fortunately for me, the closet fairies arrived just in time to help. Ha.

The mess was moved to the bedroom. And yes that is a hammer and nails on the bed. I’m the queen of moving things around, especially pictures.

Then nicely organized in the closet. Everything has a place. It’s the virgo in me that forces me to use all white hangers. Has to match or it will drive me bonkers.

Not sure how long they’ll let me keep it like this but it’s worth a shot. I have cleaned out lots of toys so that all of her toys fit on this one shelf. With the exception of a couple of baskets for her baby dolls. New rule: If a new toy comes in the house, an old toy must leave. I just picked up this Melissa and Doug chore chart to encourage Makena to help around the house. I’m sure I could have made one on the computer but this was way easier. Makena and I have been having a battle of wills lately. I’m getting a lot of “no mommy, you do it.” Does she know who she’s talking to like that? Oh I know, it’s only going to get worse.

If you want to join in on the Exposing Myself fun, leave me a comment and I’ll add you to the list of fabulous ladies…

Adrienne

Anne

April

Courtney

Erika

Jenn

Katie

Kelsey

Ruth

Stitching Surgeon

Susan

I do think it’s important to set a deadline. This process could go on forever. There has to be an end in sight. My deadline is July 10th. We’ve got the garage sale on the 12th so that gives me a couple of days to breathe before I have to face my junk again. Until next time, happy sorting!