Thursday, August 7, 2008

The Princess and the Pea(ch)


I rented the classic Hans Christian Anderson story "The Princess and the Pea" from the library and I LOVE IT!!! We got the version by Judith Wolman and the pictures are totally adorable! The reason we love it so much is because Anastasia is the Princess. When falling asleep there better not be a single pea in her bed! And the temperature has to be just right. She has to sleep on her mushroom pillow (heaven forbid her head ends up on her polka dot pillow) and snowbear must be in her right hand, a cup of milk (even if empty) in her left hand and of course Nick's baby quilt covering her lower half (not above her waist mind you) without too many ruffles or creases in it. All this and a few select poems not to exclude "Winkin, Blinkin and Nod" and usually we can get her to fall asleep. In the car, it is a different story, usually to include similar things: bear, milk, blanket, and classical music. In both circumstances I have to time it just right so that she is tired enough but not too tired. She must be a REAL PRINCESS. lol

Learning the information about princesses from Anderson and all their sensitivities has defiantly made our life make a little more sense. I can at least understand why everything must be a certain way for miss Anastasia. I guess that is what I get naming her after the famous Russian Czar's daughter! And a name that means "the Resurrection"! No wonder I am resurrected from sleep on many occasions! Isabel means "God's promise" or "Covenant with God" which seems a bit more peaceful... with the exception that Isabel was a serious, noble conqueror as a Queen of Spain... so it will be interesting to see what her personality is like. There was a more peaceful Saint Isabel who aided the poor... so I am thinking a Saintly Queen might be somewhat calm!? I am reading "Raising The Spirited Child" by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka and while it has thus far mirrored Dr. Sears' book, it is always nice to read that other children are just as "Spirited" (and more!!!) and that they are the exception, not the rule. So maybe, dear Isabel will be a bit more mellow...

We have been busy with fruit again. Boy I love summer. My mom and I got a half bushel of peaches, most of which I froze. I made cobblers, pancake sauce and this morning we had peachy oatmeal. Yum. We also still have apples to deal with, and 2 pear trees the bugs have left alone! One has tiny red pears about 1-2 inches tall! They are very sweet and delicious and my pears have definitely been the most enjoyably ready-to-eat fruit we have harvested thus far. I think they may need to ripen another week though.

I have also been bit by the sewing bug. I made Anastasia ANOTHER doll. I guess princesses should have 2 anyway. I made "Olive" from the Wee Wonderfuls' pattern and couldn't be more thrilled! She turned out adorable and Anastasia seems to like her a bit more than the other doll I made. Plus I think she is bit more durable. I made her 3/4 of the original pattern size to make her more toddler-friendly. I also used one of Anastasia's old pink receiving blankets for the skin. Now that is what I call crafty! And I have a go-to pattern for an adorable doll for all the little ones in my life for birthdays or Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, I am determined to make most of my gifts this year and to use as much fabric and materials as I already have on hand. I think this will ultimately challenge me quite a bit, and I feel like I should get started soon!! But what to make? That is the question! Once #2 comes along, it will take a while to achieve the balance I have finally found with raising one little girl so I feel like I should start knocking things out. I have a few basic ideas but not too many solid ones. Last year we did biscotti and coffee. I am considering something similar this year but maybe buying some cheap IKEA mugs and knitting "cozies" for them. I would like to knit some towels and washcloths out of Sugar and Cream yarn (cheap and easy) and make handmade soap, but handmade soap sounds scary. You aren't supposed to make it around kids and animals because it is toxic while cooking... so I doubt it is healthy for an unborn baby. We shall see what I come up with.
Oh, and one last thing. I used baking soda to wash my hair, and cider vinegar to condition it and it is super soft and really clean today. Cheap and chemical free is the way to go. I love sticking it to the corporations who get us to rely on their products that ruin the environment and our hair.

7 comments:

Annie Hatke Schap said...

Dolls! What a great idea for Christmas presents. Between five nieces and a daughter, I think I could put that craft to good use this season!

I'm sooooo jealous of your peaches. They are definitely my favorite fresh fruit to just dig my face into. Good thing the Farmers Market is this evening... I think I'll walk down and buy a few for Martin and me!

Anonymous said...

That is a REALLY awesome doll! I love your amazing talent for these things! So cool!

Kat is kind of our little princess and every night seems to have her own preferences as to what she wants or does not want in bed with her at night!

As far as your hair products, that's really neat! However, I am fine with all my crazy hair products. I have hair that tends to get fuzzy, so I am happily increasing my sweet, sweet "Carbon Footprint" to try to resolve my hair issues! I wonder if vinegar would solve my fuzzy hair issue...

Anyway, if you checked my blog on Thursday, check it again today, I added a bit more to my last post!

Clare said...

Thanks! the doll was really fun... and the pattern also has a boy doll that I want to turn into a pirate doll! For what or whom? I do not know... just for my own satisfaction of making something that cute I guess. lol.

Annie-peaches are my favorite summer fruit too! mmmmmm.

Bridget, do you mean your hair gets frizzy-like? Because mine gets SO frizzy. I can't wash my hair everyday or it will poof out (which would have been cool in the 1980's.) But the cider vinegar supposedly helps it, and you wouldn't believe how clean the baking soda feels. I am in total shock really. Also, you can get coconut oil to put in your hair an hour prior to a shower and rinse and supposedly that helps with dryness. I have tried EVERYTHING else really. Even expensive salon stuff. Soda and vinegar really work and my hair doesn't stink (or smell really nice but oh well). I will let you know how I love it in a month.

Anonymous said...

Yes, frizzy, fuzzy, it poofs out on ONE SIDE ONLY!!! It's so crazy. So is the soda/vinegar action the way to go? Has it helped you? I swear, man, after having kids, my hair (and the rest of me) has gone crazy!

Gidget Girl Reading said...

oh tat peach looks soo juicy nad good! i love your flat penguin too! i blogged a unplugged for hte first time this week!

Clare said...

Yeah the soda/vinegar thing seemed to help quite a bit. I didn't even add any mousse. Here is a site that has a bit of info about using the soda/vinegar: http://babyslime.livejournal.com/174054.html

hope that helps!

Clare said...

Oh, and one more thing, I used a ratio of 1 Tablespoon of Soda and 2 Cups of water. I would assume that makes a good difference. I did the same ratio for the Cider vinegar.