Happy holidays to you and your family

Gingerbread people, little zip-loc baggies of icing with a tiny hole in one corner, and the industry of many children resulted in great parties and beautiful cookies in both of my children's classrooms on Friday.

Merry, merry, merry, to you and your family. I'll post again in a few days.

Angry Chicken clears up all that gift-giving ambiguity

Amy Karol, writer of the book Bend-the-Rules Sewing (which, ahem, is on my Christmas wish list), also has an addictive blog right here:
http://angrychicken.typepad.com/angry_chicken/

Right now she has a free downloadable of gift tags that, really, right now, you must go look at.

I'm in love with the gift tags, with her artwork, with her creativity--hey, with her!

I smell ginger

Merry, merry, merry.

Didn't she do a great job?

A little crafting therapy

Perhaps my post yesterday was a bit grumpy. I don't think it was as grumpy as I felt, I must say. So last night I got out some foam and buttons and pins, and a few minutes later I had this sweet little tree. I felt much better. (Pictured here next to one of the Father Christmas statues my grandmother fired and painted by hand.) Even a small craft is so good for my soul. Must make more time for this. But off to the grocery store right now....

Dreaming about handmade goodness

I seek out creative people. What I want to know is, how do they find the time to fit it all in? Especially those who are mamas as well as artists, as well as business people, as well as humans who needs to eat and sleep.

I wish very much I had more time to craft, both on my own and with my children. I dream projects all the time, most of which never cross that boundary from vision to reality.

I go to this blog http://soulemama.typepad.com/ from time to time, where Amanda Soule is cranking out beautiful things at a volume I both admire and scratch my head about. And she homeschools, and she just wrote this book (pictured) that's coming out in April. How does she do it?

I, for one, must clean up around here before I can do the Christmas crafting I have in mind. Sigh.

Where creativity is always green

I'm the organizer for my second grade son's holiday party on Friday, and I'm very excited about the craft we'll be doing: "Gingerbread" people, made out of industrial leftovers that were on their way to a landfill. A wonderful nonprofit org called Arts and Scraps, in Michigan, finds interesting odds and ends, and puts them together in fun kits for classrooms like ours. Last year we made snowmen. They were fabulous, and the gingerbread people look to be equally fabulous.

Here's their website: http://artsandscraps.org/

Thanks to Kimberly Cody for this one.

Merry recycling!

Horizontal Christmas tree

Our Christmas tree fell over today. The kids were setting up a train track around the base, and they were doing a great job and being careful, but the tree toppled anyway. Three ornaments were broken, which didn't strike me as too bad, considering how they flew. It was quite a mess. The kids felt terrible, but then we ended up having a good time put it all back to rights.

One year when I was about 10, when we lived in a house with a very tall ceiling (we moved a lot), we decided to fill up as much of that space as we could, and we got a rediculously tall Christmas tree. I mean, it was TALL. Too tall, as it turned out, for our stressed little tree holder, and that tree fell over TWICE that year. Once in the middle of the night, the sound of which I still remember--sounded a lot like it did in my living room this afternoon.

Welcome, Yule!

My family went with me to the Christmas Revels today. That's the way it was with my children: they rolled their eyes and dragged their feet and said, I don't wanna...until I said, look, you don't have to pretend you like it, but if you go with me and be reasonably pleasant, that would be a great Christmas present to me. So, they both agreed in that spirit, and surprise, they ended up having a nice time. Check out their website: http://www.revelsdc.org/

I absolutely loved it. The Revels, with their emphasis on well-researched, time-heralded songs and tunes that people have been singing to mark the winter solstice for centuries, speaks to me. I feel that I am tapping into traditions that my soul is thirsty for. I wish it spoke more to my children, but hey, I guess I can't have everything.

So, merry Christmas to me. And welcome, Yule!

Did you say Mauritius? Why yes, I did

You ever have that feeling that everyone, absolutely everyone including your Aunt Marge, has heard about something before you did? Someone mentioned this: http://www.uptoten.com/

website to me, and then suddenly it seemed to pop up everywhere, a staple among online resources for children, and yet, mysteriously, I'd never heard of it before.

Anyway, I just had a look at it, and it's a very interesting place to surf around, mostly featuring these two guys: Boowa and Kwala. They speak both English and French, just as the residents of Mauritius do, the island nation off the east coast of Africa, from where this website is administered. Up To Ten is unbelievably dense with activities, including some basic music activities, and it has an international flavor that feels very distinct from the usual vanilla, commercial, north American websites for children. Definitely worth a look, and vast amounts of it are accessible for free, free, free.

An independent bookstore in your neighborhood--one more reason you love it here

Click here to link to Book Sense, the network of Independent Book Sellers. http://www.booksense.com/index.jsp

Wondering who our most local member fo Book Sense is?

Aladdin's Lamp Books! Right across the hall from Perfect Pointe Dance Studio, in the Lee Harrison Center.

If it's made by hand then I'm interested

Click right here to bathe in an absolutely sumptuous website: http://www.etsy.com/index.php

Not only is there a boundless amount of gorgeous, made-by-hand, one-of-a-kind items for sale, but the the website itself is a work of art.

I learned on Etsy.com about something called the Hand Made Pledge. Read about it at buyhandmade.org.

Really. I'm in love.

My paternal grandmother made gifts by hand every year. She was constantly making things by hand, all year, for a big, disorderly family of six children and many, many grandchildren. She created paintings, made ceramics, made dolls (and their clothes), and countless other projects big and small. And she was good at it: she taught others how to do these things, and she sold many paintings and dolls over the years. This is the part I am sad to tell you: I did not appreciate these handmade gifts at the time. I didn't get it. If I could talk to her now, and on a certain level I believe I can, I would not only revel in her handmade gifts, I would hop on a plane with my children and play in her wild, disorderly studio with her near the beach in southern California, where my father was raised. Some lessons take a while to learn, but I learned what you taught, Grandma. I get it now, and thank you.

Vote for Wiggles and Giggles Favorites!

Wiggles and Giggles families, here's your chance to vote for you and your child's favorite activities, as next week (our last for this session!) we'll do a "greatest hits" class. Would you prefer:

Lukey's Boat, Golden Ring, or Jig Jog, Jig Jog?

Rhythm sticks, egg shakers, or jingle bells?

I See You (with scarves) or Down in the Meadow (with hoops)?

Above the Sea, or Peep Squirrel?

For our rocking song: Shalom Haverim, or You are my Sunshine?

I Can Wiggle my Fingers, Johnny and Katie, or Little Fish/Big Fish?

Ring Around the Rosey, Clapping Land, All the Day Long, or Love Somebody?

Or?

Great children's website!

Oh my goodness, if you haven't found this website yet, take a look! I can't believe I hadn't found it before!

http://www.janbrett.com/

If you love Jan Brett's books, you're going to flip over this website, packed with activities for children. Enjoy!

global trend, local provider

Did you know you can receive excellent midwifery care right here in north Arlington? Tammy McKinley, a neighbor and friend of mine, is a practicing midwife. If you were from the Seattle area, where I'm from, this wouldn't seem especially unusual, since there are so many midwives in practice in that area. But here on the east coast, the trend is much smaller but growing, so I'm delighted to let you know that a wonderful midwife is really, really nearby. Midwife-attended births are growing in number world-wide, as more and more people learn the huge benefits of evidence-based, natural maternal and infant care.

You can contact Tammi at tammi@naturalbeginnings.org

My daughter, Leah, was born with attending midwife and doula, and I'm a huge advocate of giving birth this way. If you'd like to learn more, here's a good place to start: http://cfmidwifery.org/index.aspx

And a great book to read is Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, a terrific overview by legendary midwife Ina May Gaskin.

Something shiny, perhaps?

If you're thinking of something dazzling, beautiful, and locally made for a holiday gift, please check out my friend Julie's website: http://www.julesjewelsjewelry.com/

Her work is lovely, and she is an incredibly generous person in our school and in our community. She once brought in a huge supply of her beads, etc, into our first grade class at McKinley, and helped all the kids make Mother's Day bracelets. The results were gorgeous--the kids were so proud and I'm still wearing my bracelet.

Guitar lessons extraordinaire

I've just recently begun taking guitar lessons with a terrific teacher--Hope Linzer, here in north Arlington. Love her! I'm not completely sure she's taking new students now (she has LOTS), but she teaches both adults and young people, and she's an AMAZING player herself so she knows what she's talking about. Her approach is to talk with you about what you're interested in playing and then helping you get there. So relaxed, most fun I've had in a while.

You can contact her at [hlinzer@earthlink.net].

And the guitar, I mean, what a gorgeous and versitile instrument. Love it. Excuse me, I need to go practice my chords now....

Happy Birthday, Jacob

Today is my son Jacob's 8th birthday. He's at school right now (after the delayed start), passing out the cupcakes on which he carefully sprinkled rainbow sugar crystals. He's got sushi in his lunch box, which is one of his favorites. When I pick him and Leah up from school, we're going downtown to see the National Tree Lighting Ceremony--Justin snagged four tickets from a guy at work, so we get to go and we didn't even stand all night in line to get them. AND, his beloved grandparents, my mom and dad, are flying in tonight so they can be here for his birthday party on Saturday. Overall, I'd say, a pretty wonderful day!

Happy birthday to my wonderful, exquisitly beautiful, amazing son. It's a joy to watch you grow.

Thurs, 6 Dec 07, MORNING CLASSES CANCELLED due to snow delay

My morning classes (Our Time and Village) are cancelled today due to Arlington Public Schools 2 hour delay opening. I will reschedule make-up classes.

I follow Arlington Public Schools. If they are closed, then all of my classes are canceled. If they delay 2 hours, then all my morning classes are canceled. If they delay 1 hour, then any classes meeting before 10:30am are cancelled.

Enjoy playing in the snow! See you soon!

Local source for fun Holiday cards

I hope it's not too late in the season to tell you about....Tara Claeys and her notecard company, TLC by TARA. Her illustrations are delightful, and her rates for holiday cards (and lots of other kinds of cards) are very reasonable--in fact, no higher than Winkflash or Snapfish, yet you've got something personalized and you supported a local, independent business. Now that's good shopping.

Check out her company at http://www.tlcbytara.com/index.html

Children's books--an online resource

Love this website! Preview children's books, page by page, before you buy them.

http://lookybook.com/

Have fun!

Thank you to Molly McGinn http://www.mollyskindermusik.blogspot.com/

for this one!

Reasons to hate Pachabel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM

This one really made me laugh! One to watch after the kids are in bed, I think, as there a couple of mild explitives toward the end.

Thanks to Hope Linzer, my friend and guitar teacher, for this one!

Puppet masters perform The Nutcracker

Justin and I took our two children to the Puppet Company Playhouse in Glen Echo Park, MD (only took 20 minutes to get there). We saw The Nutcracker, and all four of us are completely in love with it. Wonderful! If you haven't yet gone to this puppet theatre, go right now. Please, take my car.

Lush costumes, stunning puppets, ingenious set design. Only 50 minutes long, and extremely friendly and accommodating to young audiences. If you'd like to introduce your little one to the story of the Nutcracker and the beauty of Tchaikovsky's music, but you're not sure he or she is ready to sit through a full ballet production, this is the perfect solution. Even if you go to a more traditional performance, this version is completely worth it for the puppet artistry.

More puppet shows throughout the year. Check it out at: http://www.thepuppetco.org/

Clean Space, Clear Mind--Now that's a gift

My quest is ongoing to give my loved ones less stuff and more experiences or services. Perhaps you too. I offer this idea.

Get organized for the new year!

Sharlene Gin is a local professional organizer and mother. She'll help you work through your whole house, one room, or even just one troubling space.

Sharlene is a friend of mine, and I can tell you firsthand that she's NOT that organizer who'll come into your house, take a sweeping glance around, and give you the look that says, well, I guess you called me just in the nic of time, before you're buried in here....

No, Sharlene fully understands that our stuff has meaning to us, and that our homes are very personal. She doesn't aim to turn your house into a showroom, but a real, functioning, comfortable, full-of-life home. You know, your home, at its best.

Very reasonable rates: $40 per hour, $70 for the first two-hour session.

Happy Holidays!