I’ve noticed an explosion in imaginative play this past year. From gnomes over the summer (thanks to the beautiful book we checked out from the library) to today’s obsession with fairies, the world of this preschooler seems filled with magic. Claire spent days working on fairy houses on our front porch. She’s used rocks, sticks and leaves and is now begging us for a … Continue reading Fairy houses and my thoughts on Disney’s Tinker Bell
Getting dirty is a skill set Claire especially excels at. The muddy project Claire is working on in the photo above was inspired by a book we checked out from the library about gnomes. Claire was enthralled by it, and I must admit that I was as well. Growing up, I absolutely Gnomes by Will Huygen LOVED the Nickelodeon show “David the Gnome.” Turns out … Continue reading Garden Gnomes and Garden Toads
Enjoying the summer’s first honeysuckle. I introduced Claire to this little bit of magic and of course she was smitten! My GPS died a couple of months ago and I’ve been braving the streets of suburbia with no guide, aside from my four year old backseat driver (who ALWAYS points out when your “dinkers” are not being used when turning). Log chimney. So pretty! I … Continue reading The best plans are the ones you didn’t have…
The day after I blogged about Claire amusing herself swinging from vines and sculpting with mud I read this article: Girls who play in dirt grow up healthier according to researcher Young girls who play in the mud tend to end up healthier than those who don’t, according to a researcher at Oregon State University. (AP Photo) A dirty tub is the least of … Continue reading In Praise of Mud
We’ve been in brush clean up mode these past few weeks, hauling the old, dead cedar trees over to the fire pile and waging war on the wild thorn bushes on the side yard. The weather has been indescribably gorgeous and I’m so glad to have the chance to spend all this time outside during the day with my little munchkin! Of course the “pick … Continue reading Claire of the Jungle
If you missed out last year in creating a nesting material dispenser for your backyard birds, buy some onions and hang on to that bag because now is the time! Last year we left out bunches of sparkling ribbon, pink yarn and batting and were treated to some pretty fabulous nests. We’re in a new house now and while walking in the woods, my husband … Continue reading Early Spring Nature Activities
We used an eye dropper to water at firstso the seedlings wouldn’t float away We’re so lucky to have two large hoop houses at our new house. Right now I’m mainly using them to over-winter some perennials that didn’t make it into the ground, but back in December I thought a little experimentation with growing vegetables in the winter would be fun. I was … Continue reading Greenhouse Gardening in Winter
Chalk In My Pocket 