“Mommy, why doesn’t this doll have any private parts?”
I knew our dolls needed an over haul after my daughter asked this question last year.
After some serious internet searching that led to some often hilarious results, I found a great new resource.
Enter this little guy (he also has a sister that has a, gasp, vagina)
What do you know, dolls that send a message that private parts are normal.
You can find them, and a host of other cool dolls at kidsandgrandkids.com
Blessings,
Shal
take a photo of them while they’re flying through the air
I never force my kids to share their things. It feels crappy to me.
Is this bad?
“Hey Amaiah, So-and-So is coming over to play today. If there’s something that you’re not willing to share, please set it on my bed.”
“Oh, okay, so pretty much everything you own. Got it.”
Luckily it’s not me!
It’s time for big girl food
and big girl baths
Dear Wyatt,
The time has changed; it’s getting darker earlier now
Today we rode in dad’s new old truck together, just you and I
After school
Sunset
I concentrated on driving a stick shift, you marveled at rolling the windows down by hand
I also watched you as you hung your head out the window a little to catch a glimpse of your smile in the rear view mirror
A smile that now has one less tooth
There you sat
Dirty white shirt
Shoe laces roughly doubled-knotted. Tied by your hands
Your bitten fingernails
The dried sweat I feel as I touch your hair
You laugh because you keep twisting the volume knob back and forth making Jewel sing staccato
The complex love we share, mother and son, seems settled in this moment
Wyatt’s Tooth Fairy Verse
This night it is a special night
As fairies dance upon the roof.
All the fairies must alight,
For Wyatt X. just lost a tooth!
The Fairy Queen gives her commands-
Twelve bright fairies must join hands
Then together in a circle stands
To guard Wyatt while he sleeps.
The Tooth Fairy into the circle leaps
The hidden tooth she takes
Ah, but has far to go
Before dear Wyatt awakes.
Three times around the world she flies
Over valleys deep and mountains high;
Skirts the storm clouds thick with thunder,
Wings over waves all wild with wonder.
Deep within their earthly homes
Finally she finds the gnomes,
Who upon the tooth must work
Never once their duty shirk.
Some are hammering, hammering, hammering,
Some the bellows blow
Others sweat at the sweltering forge
And then cry out, “Heigh Ho!”
The tooth’s been turned to a shining stone,
A glimmering, glowing gem
The tooth Fairy takes the gnomes’ good gift,
And bows (curtsies) to all of them.
Before the sun’s first rays are shown,
She returns to Wyatt’s bed,
And then – - – away she’s flown!
The kids and I finally got around to dying our silks this past weekend. We only ordered them about a year ago. I put off dying them purely out of fear. If you’re unfamiliar, silks are a wonderful plaything that you will find in just about every Waldorf classroom or home. They are a perfect example of an open-ended toy.
Say what?
Open-Ended
It’s a toy who’s uses are only limited by the child’s imagination. Here’s one you may remember from your own childhood–sticks. They can be a sword, a bat, an oar, used for digging, etc. An example of a toy that is not open ended would be a princess costume. You put it on and you’re a princess. Game over. So silks are great because they can be capes, doll blankets, tents, a river of blue water, a parachute, whatever the child needs in their moment of play.
The kids lasted for the dying of exactly two silks. I dyed the other nine while holding Shivohn on my hip. I loved everything about it–the smell of the Kool-Aid (remind me to come back to this), the visual of the colors, pushing the silks around in the water, watching the color run while rinsing, hanging them to dry.
First, order yourself some silks. I ordered ours from Dharma Trading Co. for a song. They have great prices and the delivery was super quick. Since we didn’t have any in the house at all I ordered 11 in all different sizes.
So, go gather you some silks (if you can get them away from your big brother)!
Other supplies to gather:
NOTE: Quantities are for 1 to 2 silks. You do your own math smarty pants.
2 C.Vinegar
3 Packets colored drink mix OR 20ish drops of food coloring (or both if you like)
Gloves
Disposable Roasting Pan
Pot
A place to hang them to dry.
I just moved my laundry drying rack out onto the grass. Why do I own a laundry drying rack? Like I wear anything these days that requires hang-dry. LOL
Soak the silks in a pot of hot water and three cups of vinegar. No All-Clad was harmed in the making of this craft.
While they were soaking I sketched all our sizes and had the kids plan how many we were doing of each color. That way I could dye all the yellows at the same time, then all the purples, etc.
Next, choose a color and empty your powdered drink mix packets into the roasting pan or pot you don’t care about. After I did the first one I had several colors going at once.
Add 3 C. of vinegar and a few cups of hot water. Stir to dissolve. Get a little crazy and drop some food coloring in.
Wear the freakin’ gloves!
Put the silks in the pan and push them around for a few minutes. Some of them may not dye evenly but that can be equally beautiful.
There is no photo for the next step.
Rinse the silks in cool water until the water runs clear. Reds and purples definitely take longer. Be patient.
Hang them to dry. Like colors touching like when wet.
Play!!!
Okay, the Kool-Aid story. The thought of walking into a grocery store and buying 33 packets of the stuff was making my granola-mama alter ego want to throw up her green smoothie. So I became that person who was saying really loudly, many times, “Won’t this Kool-Aid be great for our CRAFT! No you may not drink it.” Awww, we all have our issues don’t we.
Me: Singing loudly, “How do you solve a problem like Mariaaa?”
Amaiah: Mom, when you say Maria do you mean Shivohn?
As long as my car thermometer continues to read 102F, we will act like it is summer.
Today is the first day of first grade for my oldest. He’s no longer in Kindy, a place that looked and felt a lot like home. Now he’s part of…The Grades. We had a wonderful morning on the lawn–picnic blankets spread, kids running and reconnecting, parents hugging, babies being kissed and held, everyone lining up for an injection of optimism and enthusiasm for the coming year.
The Rose Ceremony
Each eighth grader presents a rose to a first grader, takes them by the hand, and leads them across an expanse of grass. It’s an act of friendship and leadership, growth and caring.
A symbol of welcoming
I know this year has awesome things in store for you little man.
And…I’m on my way to come get you since they’ve just called to tell me you’re already sick.
Sad
