The Kitchen Table

Colors, Shapes, Hopscotch

Bama's officially dropped her afternoon nap. Up until today, we kept our routine. I'd put Rabbit down for his nap, then she and I would read stories, have a snuggle, and I'd leave her in my room for her "rest." She would nap, but more often over the last couple of months,  she'd get up and read to herself for an hour or so. Sometimes, I fell asleep during our cuddle and she would read, eventually coming over and giving me a kiss on the cheek. "Mama," she'd whisper, "It's time to get up." 

But nap is gone and quiet time is here, because she still needs down-time to chill out and reflect or be still or whatever. Today we did things a little differently. She asked if she could sit at the table and play with the playdough we made yesterday. I was cleaning our disaster of a kitchen and sorting clothes. Chores. Unfun for me, background for her. She made me diamond cookies and clovers and moons and padded back and forth between her playdough world and my slog, sharing her creations. 

When it was time to go outside, finally!, she decided to practice jumping from the rocks to the bricks and deck. We added chalk islands. I chose two colors and shapes for a game that she modified, but one I think we can come back to again and again and make more complicated. She could jump from blue to blue or orange to orange, or shape to shape, allowing her to zig zag across the wood and onto the bricks. She called it Run-Jump-Hopscotch, hopscotch being her new obsession even though she doesn't understand it. I'm excited to see how this will progress and how Rabbit will be able to join in.

 

 

Pants, Dots, Art

I'd be lying if I didn't say I was proud of these pants. They are far from perfect, but they are my first go at making my own pattern and whipping out a pair for Rabbit. Mr. Captain gets a similar pair as whatever one gets, the other does. Two of everything isn't so hard. 

Lesson One: Make sure your pattern is going the correct way so you don't bollocks a bunch of fabric into weirdly unusable pieces that are sitting under the desk waiting for Godot.

Lesson Two: Be sure you do, in fact, cut a back side to your pattern so you don't give your bubs a permanent low-rise. I'll likely take out the 3/4" elastic and replace it with 1/4" to get a little more life from these pants since I think they are bright and fun for spring.

Bama's in the background, tucked into the ball pit at the Children's Museum of the Arts, a magical place we're lucky to have easy access to. The museum hosts a laundry list of art classes for smalls to teens as well as a drop-in "messy art" time. We've managed to make it to the actual art segment a few times, but lately, with Rabbit's nap, we show up just as the sing-along starts. (Drop-in is $22 a family and includes art, singing, and a story. Membership is $250 and friends who have it love it.) There is an ambient space, a ball pit, and a small slide for getting the yayas out. We've never seen most of hte museum because we're consumed by the messy art and playspace. 

Rabbit's still too small for the ball pit.I don't mind because I think it's a bit Lord of the Flies to my liking. Doesn't mean he won't try to get in, though.

Bama and Tom, the early childhood program manager. They are gluing bits to a piece that will be mounted in the upstairs part of the wee arts area. She told him her life story while they discussed the benefits of squishy pieces vs. felty pieces of the collage.

Rabbit working out crayons and paper on the wall.

Dot paints! Ooh!

 

Dot paints. Pas dan la bouche!

Sister works on her own piece. Flubber bucket in the background.

She loves flubber. LOVES it.

Back upstairs. (The dot paints and flubber are on the lower floor along with clay, magnetic magic, hte sing-along. Upstairs are watercolors, gluing, a sand table. Also, a perfect place for Rabbit to play peekaboo with Kelsey, one of hte teaching artists. 

I can't say enough good things about CMA. It's a beautiful space, and the teaching artists seem to have endless patience and creativity when it comes to being with small children. Plus, they do interesting installations, like Love from Mt. Pom Pom from Japanese artist Misaki Kawai. The museum has been transformed by whimsical additions like a giant fuchsia dog who comes with a two-foot long comb for its fur. The New York Times is one of hte many entranced by the exhibit. (We did not, of course, see this exhibit because we were too busy being messy!)

 

Moments with Pickle

While Nana was in town, Pickle and I headed downtown to pick up a bouncy chair (I love freecycling and swapping goods with other mamas). It was a perfect afternoon. The winter sun was low but warming. Warm enough for us to take a  moment on the Hudson to snap this snot, and another rest on our return for some milks. 

 

We hit the subway. Yep. It helped to have another person around for our first two-child ride. You're not supposed to have strollers open on the subway, but we went after the morning rush. I had a mama tell me she wears one child in the front, the other on her back, on the subway. Maybe, but then I couldn't watch him sleep so sweetly.

A couple of days from eight weeks. He's cuddly like his sister. He doesn't have her cheeks, but they share a sweet nature.