Thursday, August 27, 2009

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

This summer, my son and I found some vintage books at a garage sale. One of them was The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton from 1942, which won the Caldecott Medal that year. I love how old children's books have pages made from really thick paper and the way the illustrations seem so much richer. My two-year-old really enjoys the story of the little pink house, which starts out in an idyllic country setting, then suffers as the years go by and urban sprawl consumes "the field of daisies and the apple trees dancing in the moonlight". Burton's depiction of the city is dirty and dreary, and while that's not my memory of living in the city - a part of my life I loved - it's a sweet reminder of the beauty of a rural setting: watching the light change as the sun makes its daily progression across the sky, the leaves turning brilliant hues in autumn, being able to see so many stars at night, and yes, our apple trees swaying in the wind.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Felted Pear

My family and I met my friend, her husband, and their baby daughter for sushi recently. All was going smoothly until I went to remove my son from his car seat and realized that the blanket he'd had wrapped around him was hiding his bare feet (!). Luckily, there was a Shoe Carnival nearby, so we bought the only shoes they had in his size, which happened to be a nerdy little pair of boat shoes that my husband loved. I always joke that if it looks like something Charlie Brown would wear, then my husband will want it in his wardrobe.

This was the same friend for whom I had made the needle-felted pear that I mentioned a few posts ago. She graciously brought along the pear, and I took a photo of it next to one of their sushi orders. Then my son pulled off the stem, so I owe my friend some repair work next time I see her. If only everything he broke were so easy to fix...


Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Athena's Burger

A friend in Canada asked for a needle-felted cheeseburger for her daughter, Athena. I didn't have any more of the cheddar colored wool and instead felted a little slice of Swiss. A tomato was also requested for the menu, so Athena will have lots of options when she assembles a burger. As you can see, it's comically tall when it's put all together, but that's not something children worry about. I love the kid concoctions that happen when friends and family come over and play with my son's kitchen. For example, my nephew will attach the halves of a carrot and a pear and make a "pearrot".

Saturday, August 08, 2009

A Rainy Saturday...

My son will always find ways to amuse himself on a rainy day, whether it's chasing the dogs in circles around the dining room table or driving Matchbox cars around the ring of dirt in our potted palm tree. Today, he is wearing a Yo Gabba t-shirt, socks, and a plastic Viking helmet while eating a frozen Hot Pocket that he took from the freezer and refused to let me cook (we have one of those easy-toddler-access bottom drawers), and occasionally yelling, "Raaaargh! I a VIKING!".


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