baby art

hanging out with sam this morning, just the two of us, inspired me to go hunting for a few pictures of his first painting experiences. back in early january, he got to squish some paint around on his own (a different experience from those where i'd painted his hands for him in order to get his monthly handprints). he had so much fun, we had to do some more a couple of days later. such magic to watch his expressions and movements as he explores a completely new substance.

for the birds

so, for a while now, i've been itching to dig into my stash and just make something already!

finally started digging last week and came across this sweater (had some tiny holes and little pulls in it, so not so great in this form anymore)...a thin, soft knit...a nice, neutral color...perfect for a lighter spring hat for sam.

i had this hat, and i liked the stretchy fit and overall shape, so i layed it on top and traced around for my "pattern".

dipped into the stash again for these little bits, cut into the shape of a birdie body and wing. cutie patootie.

after putting it all together here and there over the course of the day, here it is! ok, ok, so i know there are a jillion people out there who do stuff like this everyday, and i think they're so great. i've only been one of these people in my mind until NOW! there really is something to be said for just sitting down and doing it. throwing caution and perfectionism (my stumbling blocks) to the wind and just going for it.

i was just so tickled and excited to see it on sam...i had to put it on him, even though he was headed into nap time.

ok...and the best part? you know what he was doing just as i finished it up? sitting on the floor by the slider watching birds...yep...totally entraced by all the little birdies flitting around gathering food. he was so pleased when i showed it to him, pointing to the bird, then back outside, back and forth...recognizing the bird on his hat as similar to those outside...tweet tweet.

finally beginning

every now and then i can sweep away all other duties to carve out some mama craft time. this morning, after "second breakfast" the kids were left to their own devices while i began piecing together squares from these old sheets. got the idea from here to use cool old sheets for a project like this. it's been an exercise in patience (isn't everything?), working for little bits of time here and there, but this morning, it felt like i was really getting somewhere. the boys occupied themselves with stringing yarn all over the living room and generally continuing to spread toys around like butter, but they got along and were busy. perfect.

outside is the key

when we've been invaded by the grumpies, whinies, fighties, screamies, and other assorted ickies, there is a magical remedy...if i can just keep it together long enough to get everyone ready. OUTSIDE! fresh air, sunshine, and the amazing imaginary games that materialize out there somehow make everything good again. yes.

birdies nesting.

bird food.

a happy sunshine wrestle.

valentine's day, past & present

thought it would be fun to look back through our photos and peek at the last few years' valentine shots...

completely forgot about this little beauty we made for leif's daycare ladies in 2006...is there not the image of a woman down the center? with hands, too? is that not the most amazing accidental art EVER?!?!? perfect for the wonderful fairy godmothers they are!

in 2007, leif created his own masterpieces, so beginning his love of glue...

in 2008, we decorated foam heart frames at doodlebugs (our art group). decorating was secondary to leif, who preferred to organize his pretties in neat little rows.

that year, both boys were old enough to cut, glue, and draw to their heart's content, and we whipped up a nice variety of cards (can you believe i didn't take a picture?).

in 2009, this little valentine was on our minds...

this year, we made some melted crayon wax hearts (chopped up old crayons with a butcher knife), which the big boys had a wonderful time arranging in the window.

at doodlebugs, we made watercolor hearts with lacing (thank you, jean). we read "love is a family", an awesome book about appreciating/celebrating diverse family structures. leif was really into the lacing part...we'll definitely be doing more of that!

and i even got plenty of time on valentine's day this year to add to the mini-book i made for joe, which grows each year with new pages.

i'd say it's been a fine few years of celebrating love!

opening night

a little art show to celebrate the beginning of "make, believe"...a refreshed "exhibit" of the boys' recent work in our dining room captured everyone's attention, even sam, who seemed to smile a little bigger when i pointed out his pieces to him. eric's "danny" and "walter" (brothers from the movie, "zathura"), as well as leif's watercolor hearts, are among the favorites at the moment.

success?

been fooling around with this way too long...pickiness about the overall look has been overcome by impatience with just getting started...just do it...pictures soon! big boys outside, little boy napping...i'm pressing "publish"!