Watching the creative process

When young kids first tackle the art process it’s all about the process. I love it. It’s what I love about creativity and art. I personally also love the feeling of accomplishment and mastery, but 2 year olds would rather peel the paper off crayons and put them back in the container.

I love showing toddlers the basic steps of a task and then watching them practice and learn about the new experience.
Wet the brush in water
Drip water into the watercolor paint
Pull the brush across the page
Watch the colors emerge and blend
Repeat many times
My jumping, stomping monster becomes methodical and focused.

Recently we moved into a new stage of art development. Bug sometimes draws things. Really they are not much more than things yet. A scribble that ends up with legs and googly eyes. A circle or a line described as a bird. But she’s starting to designate meaning to her visual expressions. The picture above is Louie from Ezra Jack Keats’ book Louie’s Search.

The artist in me is happy to think that she will enjoy the creative process too.

Easter garb

Armed with a hot pink cashmere sweater I was able to sew a few things for the girls the night before the big egg hunt at our neighborhood park. One petite sweater with a large turtleneck produced…

…a cowl

Notes: I sewed the  ribbing from the waist of the sweater to the turtleneck, and wha la! The perfect addition to a dress on a cool sunny morning.

…and a bonnet and a pair of pants for the littlest one.

We must have used up all of our charm and grace at the egg hunt becase on Easter day the cute outfits didn’t last long. Bug chewed on a glow stick (left over from egg hunt #1, a glow in the dark hunt Friday night) in the car on the way to my parents house. Of course we didn’t suspect a thing until she emerged from the car with a pool of neon on her dress and white coat, and (supposedly non-toxic) ooze dripping from her mouth.
We finished up the day with one last egg hunt sans any more candy or glowing ooze.

Something to love

I was certain that we would be better at helping our second baby learn better sleep habits that we did with Bug. That wasn’t too demanding since Bug only slept for about 40-60 minutes at a time for the first year of life and was constantly attached me, more accurately the milk supply. So I was pleased when Little Bear accepted a pacifier to sleep and stunned when we were able to lay her down when she was tired.  I’m not saying that we are a total success, but has been easier this time around.

So in an effort to move Little Bear closer and closer to sleeping alone at night and for longer stretches (our pediatrician is good at concealing that surprised look that says, “your baby still wakes up 5 times at night?”) I have been sewing little things for the little one to love. Transitional objects you might call them.

But for now this is the plan:

Be more consistent with our sleep routine

Savor  snuggling with her soft, soft cheeks and those sweaty little curls she wakes up with

Try to remember despite how tired and grumpy I feel in the morning that this stage will pass, she will learn healthy sleep habits, and someday I will sleep all night long

The patchwork taggie has dot minky fabric on the back and just a few ribbon taggies on one side. I found that our little ones preferred the real tags on toys more than the typical taggie with ribbons all the way around. This arrangement has been received well by our drooling critic.

The popsicle fabric is Poplin by Little Lisette and the others are from my stash, or scraps from the wonderful $1 scrap bags at a local boutique fabric store.

I had to include this last picture because when I sat her down for the photo shoot she discovered that she can scoot around on her soft woolie bottom by pushing her sweaty little toes on the wood floors.

Spring

Eggs, snow drop, tissues