best breakfast

Renée and I enjoyed a delicious breakfast from the garden this morning. Our yellow plum tomatoes are coming in small batches. Paired with a few fresh basil leaves and they were yummy. Picking the yellow ones wasn't enough for her, so she proceeded to go behind my back fast as a flash and get a few green ones from other plants. I'll be surprised if we have any red ones to enjoy as quick as she is! Each green tomato has a cute little baby bite out of it. How she ate it is beyond me.
The yellow plum is covered in horn worms. Many of them have wasps emerging from cocoons so I left them, but the largest worm of the season was picked off to find his way amongst the sunflowers in the ditch. Where's Grant when you need him? :-)

Got hold of the FlipVideo

Check out Renée's first stint into the world of film making.

Rice Cat

Mel in Florida made a rice box for her son instead of a sandbox. Brilliance on her part! Last month, Rita visited and brought 100 lbs of jasmine rice straight from Hoppe farm for us to enjoy. We have already put down about 15 lbs! Such good rice, but I digress...
I was left with about 25 pounds of medium grain that we weren't too fond of eating-too sticky for our/my palates. It was put to great use in our rice box along with some wild grains for fun. Here is that ricebox being put to full use by the girls and Baby Cat.

Grahams

I left the package of graham crackers within reach. In no time flat, she had climbed up to enjoy a bite from each one!

Banana, Bubbly, Baby, & Beautifying Technology

1) tap water makes the most horrible fizzy water.
2) banana is not a good medium with which to paint an iPhone.
3) don't leave the baby alone to go make new fizzy water, even if you think you have secured the banana and iPhone.

Slow it goes

I have been dedicated to braille and finishing up gifts for the holidays. I am on lesson 16 now and am awaiting approval on the text I will transcribe for my final lesson.
Phoebe has been helping me with amigurumi. She picks the critter and I crochet it. Since she saw the word "crochet" she keeps saying "croquet." I giggle every time.
Renée turned 1 year on Thanksgiving day. We had a lot of fun dragging the activities throughout the day. Here we are opening her new drum. Since Phoebe is doing drums at school, we thought it appropriate for the sisters to bang it out together.

2 steps

With her Poppa around, Renée is a very brave girl. She took 2 steps Sunday evening to get to her Poppa where she proceeded to climb over him like he was a little mountain. Her lateral incisors are poking through also. 6 teeth total!

Clothes Alterations

Phoebe is off of school and we worked together making clothes for Renée. Read all about it along with a picture on Phoebe's blog, Clementine.
The sewing was a snap and thank goodness Phoebe had a band-aid. I can't apply snaps without drawing blood.

Eyebrows

For some reason eyebrows really fascinate Renée.

upcycled toy

We love our hand-held water misters. In this hot environment, we aren't crazy enough to leave the house without one. Sarah bought us these purse sized ones, but ours didn't last through the season last year. This year, it is a baby rattle. All glued close with colored plastic beads, Renée loves it.
Phoebe was tickled pink when Renée was playing Strong Woman with it.

Toys from the weirdest things

It is amazing what Renée will play with for a long time. She loves to make noise and bang things together. She is now playing more and more with her voice. Check her out finding the various sounds the yogurt container makes.

Playground

Yesterday morning was cooler and there was a breeze; perfect for watering the landscape and a trip to the playground. Renée had so much fun! Her first time in the big swing was a huge hit and Phoebe riding down the slides with her was some of the cutest!

They are so much fun to see together. You can see their love for each other.

Reading Nanala's letter

Little Sister must do as Big Sister, or else! Renée's cranky sessions
are typically spawned from things being taken away that she insists
are hers! Thank goodness for envelopes!

When you play hard...

you rest where you are.
Notice the new wool wrap for her cloth diaper. I crocheted that up and will post more once I get the other one properly lanolized. They are cool!

Who's happier?

Heather and Casey went on a little vacation and I was to help transport their schnauzers to the kennel. I went to their house and opened the kennel and the two dogs stayed in the kennel until I asked them to come out! They behaved really well and are mannered very mildly. I got them into the car, started it up and Heather called. I asked if we could keep the dogs instead of taking them to the kennel and here we are! Friday to Wednesday dog sitters.

Phoebe was excited as all get out when she returned home from school. Who is happier? Phoebe says she is, but Schneebar seems pretty doggone happy!

Renée loves to watch them walk around. The cats are interesting, but she wants to grab onto them. The dogs, though, she doesn't want to touch. They are for watching only.

We are also in the throws of teething big time; swollen gums, crankiness, pain, ice, lack of sleep. I can't wait for them to break the surface. It isn't "real" until you see the whites of those teeth!

Who knew baby toys could be so easy to make?

Give me a cream cheese container and a large lid to a jar and the latest, greatest toy is made!



After all of that fun noise, what could be better? Expressions of excitement!

More mobile mischief

We expanded the options for the ring mobile this week. I have massive amounts of hook and loop tape from a grab bag and I am putting everywhere! I took 1/2" lengths of loop tape, folded and sewed them to our exisiting soft toys. These now can hang from the mobile and, since I made them looped, can be attached to the stroller. Expandability, baby! That's what it is all about.

Now, I am just waiting for my 12 year old Tatami sandals to completely fall apart so I can use the buckles for a practical life frame and fix the sandals with resin snaps.

Ring mobile

Renée now has a ring mobile. This is so cool because we can change out the toys that hang down for her to grab. The ribbon hanging down has hook tape and the felt toys have loop tape. They attach at the bottom of the ribbon, or attach directly on the ring.

The ring is black felt stuffed with left over stuffing and poly stuff used for a quilt. I machine sewed the tube and whipped stitched the ends together to form the ring. I then embroidered it with green thread and silk ribbon flowers. That part was easy and fun.
The whole thing attaches to hemp string hanging from the ceiling with some hooks. I love this contraption because I can remove the ring mobile and hang one toy or add other mobiles.

Montessori space

I loved Montessori school in my little days of yore. Now, being a renewed parent and wanting to enrich Renée's life, I have been reading more and more about Dr. Montessori's theory. She was an anthropologist and gosh, I wish I would have known that during my undergrad anthro classes ! I could have meshed my educational ideas with my anthro stuff. Ahh, I could have written some great papers! Hey, pregnancy goddess statues and Southeastern Indian basketry are interesting, too. Let's face it, I am not going to write those papers now, and truly, might not have even written them then.
The main book that hooked me was Tim Seldin's How to Raise an Amazing Child. It is very cool and showed fantastic pictures. From that, I implemented what I could. A mirror for Renée and I made a paper plate mobile with colored ribbons. That was the beginning and I continue to rearrange shelves and clear clutter to make her area safe and accessible. 2 shelves ready, one basket, and homemade toys galore.
I am a list maker and organizer. I loved having snacks set up in the fridge when Phoebe was young so she could grab from the fridge or sit and color without me having to get it for her. I like prep work as I see it pays off, if that makes sense. I am excited making toys and setups with which Renée will learn and play. Lima beans, little scoops, bowls and trays: great stuff! I have an old guitar and am excited to let her be a toddler and play with it.

This video shows her favorite friend while Phoebe is at school!

Renée Sticking Out Her Tongue

I stuck my tongue out at Renée and she stuck her's right back at me!
Boy, children these days get attitude early, huh? ;-P