Good Morning Baltimore!

My mom won free tickets through Wash FM radio to go see the Broadway musical Hairspray at the Warner theatre in Washington DC! So we went to go see it last night and it was GREAT! How can someone not just LOVE this musical?! I think I will be singing "Good Morning Baltimore" for the next two weeks. In fact, the soundtrack is so upbeat and fairly wholesome, I may add it to Anastasia's music collection. Baby Einstein gets a little old now and then. The first and only movie I took her to see was when Hairspray was in the theatre last summer and she loved it. She didn't fuss a bit although I remember having to dance off to the side with her for the last few songs!

The live show with LIVE orchestra was superb! The cast was perfect (I guess that is what you get with Broadway) and I almost died laughing a few times. My only qualm was the huge number of sexual inuendos that left me so embarassed I am sure my face was beat red at times... and I feel I am usually pretty good at ignoring things like that. Sometimes I didn't know wether to laugh, or cringe! The movie version was not nearly so bad! But who can beat a live performance? The catchy songs, the whimsical and almost tackily silly props, the live performers dancing the night away, and even an explosion of confetti at the end... it was so emotionally charged I couldn't sleep by the time we got home!

And as lucky as I am to have had such a great night... I am still envious of Nick going to see the Pope tomorrow! I keep telling myself that Anastasia would not be content with all the traffiic, lines, waiting, and then a huge, long mass to sit through... so it would probably not be that great of a time.... but it is still the Pope and a historical event at that. So I will just be happy for my husband, and watch the mass on TV with Anastasia and all her toys. :)

I have quite a bit to do today... get dressed, fold and put away laundry, start packing boxes, work on the little book and bag I am making Anastasia, stop by Goodwill for some more items for the church bag, and eventually make enchiladas for dinner. I am thinking I might start making adventure bags for kids to sell on Etsy. They will be themed age-appropriately for city travel, beach, mountains, camping, forest, etc., and have destination appropriate coloring books, new crayons, little toys, maybe an educational book, binoculars, magnifying glass, bug box, a journal, etch-a-sketch, Bingo or I Spy games for the road, sand pails, etc. all in a matching themed bag. Maybe I could even ultra-customize it by adding kid-friendly maps, scavenger hunts and travel books for specific locations. *sigh* the wheels in my head just never seem to stop turning. 2 weeks from now, I should have the key to my very own craft room... then there will be no stopping the insanity!!!! Wahahahaha!

Ideas for a church-bag?

I am trying to come up with creative ideas for a "church bag" for Anastasia. Yesterday I brought crayons and some index cards and books to church with us. I try to avoid the Out-of-control-kid room (aka the crying room) at all costs. Anastasia spent almost 5 minutes drawing and then 20 minutes taking her crayons out of the box, and putting them back in. She did so well with the exception of a meltdown during the last five minutes.

So now I want to make her a bag/basket just for church (and other settings where I need a VERY well behaved child) with some picture books and toys she doesn't play with everyday. If anyone has any ideas please let me know. Everything has to be quiet and not-messy. I just want her to learn to sit quietly for one hour. I don't feel the crying room really teaches a kid how to act in church and there are always several out of control kids (5 and up) that really don't belong in there.

I will let you know what creative items I come up with!

UPDATE:

So I found a few great resources to share with any of you other craft-and-idea-obsessed individuals, who like me find children to be a wellspring of creativity! First, I found an article of organizing church activities here. The author keeps seperate activities in ziplock bags just for church and grabs a few to go. I also saw these lovely book kits for sale, and am inspired to make my own with the pattern from Mother Earth News. Lastly, I found a pattern for making "I Spy Bags" which look really nifty! I think I might come up with my own. I also purchased a sketch book, some colored pencils in a tin (which might actually be too loud as she shakes them) and an animal book at Borders. I want to hit up Dover for some small coloring books and sticker books. I remember the little $1 books that kept me occupied for HOURS. Maybe the same will hold true with my little munchkin. I also stopped by the dollar store for some plastic braclets, some princess figurines and some butterflies, some notepads and jungle animals from Michaels, and a fresh set of crayons and a magnetic doodle board from Target. Hopefully these will entertain her!

Greener Giving

Today Anastasia and I went to a nice baby shower for a friend. I am a total perfectionist because I had to color coordinate the gift. I bought The Very Hungary Caterpillar by Eric Carle because it is Anastasia's favorite book (alongside Owl Babies) and has a big green fat caterpillar on the front. To match I bought a little green romper that reads "Smile" in similar green, red, yellow and orange as the book. I decided to be extra resourceful and make part of the gift because I feel handmade items are so timeless and usually much nicer than toys you find in a store. I found an adorable, little washcloth gnome tutorial here. I used fabric I had on hand: fleece and calico dots for the hat. Anastasia loved it so now I have to make her one! Then, I couldn't find a bag in my stash that matched, so I made one... so not only were all my items colored green, the bag and gnome were even earth-friendly green as the bag is reusable and I made them from scraps of fabric I had on hand. I am just experimenting with hand embroidery (I don't believe in machine embroidery) and I was very proud of my little gnome stitching. So my gift total was $12 + tax for a very green and really nice (if I do say so myself) gift. And the recipient seemed to like it as well... that is important too I guess. :)

Details of gnome and stitching on bag:

Tea and Montessori

I stopped by the library and after reading a review by Montessori teacher, Meg McElwee (Montessori by Hand) of Montessori from the Start (which I finished reading about a month ago). I felt that maybe I just picked up the wrong book because I felt the overall feel of the book was closer to our culture's perception of pushing our children to be independant rather than the attachment method which has worked so well for us. So I picked out How to Raise and Amazing Child the Montessori Way (also reviewed by the same teacher) and I love it! I definately feel this method fits our family ideals of "less is more" and our appreciation for beauty: manmade and natural. It is a very easy, positive read based on the principle that you will know when your child is ready for the next thing. So even if you don't know anything about Marie Montessori or her method, I highly recommend this book to educate yourself or as a guideline for a way to educate your child.

After reading the first book, I made some hand-eye coordination puzzles for Anastasia. First I cut a small hole in a box--just big enough for a poker chip, rounded up 5 poker chips and taught Anastasia how to use them. She was able to do this around the age of 12 months. I also gave her some toothpicks and a red-pepper flake shaker and showed her how to put the toothpicks in the holes. It took her a little longer but she spent hours occupied with this, and by 13 months she mastered it. I was amazed at how she concentrated on these puzzles and liked the challenge they offered her. Now she can draw on paper with colored pencils with ease, carry around a bowl with fruit and eat it carefully without spilling, etc. I am amazed what little toddlers can do if given the opportunity, and I like how Montessori believes in giving them this freedom.

Raising an Amazing Child the Montessori Way has so many nice pictures that I feel captivate my dream house: organized, beautiful, clean and above all, peacefully pleasant to be in. I honestly used to think all the anti-plastic enthusiasts were borderline insane in our day... but they aren't the ones giving their children lead-laced plastic junk made to become garbage. I have a nice mix of plastic, wood, metal, and fabric toys, and am perfectly comfortable with this, but Anastasia definately prefers the more natural, non-plastic items. It is amazing to me! I think the important thing for me is to really give her all possible outlets for creativity and exploration, and to not allow the materialistic mindset of our culture to infect her. I feel this is at the very heart of the Montessori method, and I hope to model our home around these ideals. I find myself having to completely change my own mindset... it is hard not to want this or that: be it a finely made European doll house or a crappy China-made shirt on sale at Target for $5.

Ok, so on the same note-- sort of, I found the best blog of kiddie crafts: the Crafty Crow. I can't wait to do them all with Anastasia in the future but boy am I enjoying this 14 month age! I love her more everyday!

Weekend Adventure

Here is Anastasia with her mischievous look about her. I finally found her a sunhat for the summer.

We had a semi-productive weekend. I feel we are just passing the time until we get into our house!! On Saturday Nick, Anastasia and I hopped in the Jeep and took a ride our to Leesburg, Va. We picked up some Bad Ass Coffee in Manassas on our way out. Leesburg was quaint but held a few gems. I fell in love with this Cottage Antique Store with really shabby-chic antiques and incredible prices (especially for antiques). I fell in love with a green dresser-mirror combo for $198. Solid Wood! If only I was in the market for one at this point in my life. There was also a fun little thrift store called the "Resourceful Woman" where I found a few treasures. There were also several antique stores, including one that had a huge cage full of beautiful canaries! I really want a pet canary that sings sweet songs. They sound like a nice Spring morning. *sigh* If only they weren't $100 a piece maybe I would own one! After our walking tour of Leesburg, we also took a drive to see what else was around and then went home.

Sunday was even more of an adventure as we are currently in the market for a new dresser for Anastasia. I suggested we go to some estate sales as it was cold and rainy and whenever we go to estate sales that is how the weather happens to be. I found 4 sales in the paper and figured that our dresser could be at any one of them... if only I knew what would take place. The first sale was great! Everything was 1/2 off... but no "safe" dresser for a little girl. The second one was a little sketchy as it was a small shack of a house with junk all over the yard and a sign on the door reading, "Go Away! I can't do this anymore!....Don't steal Peter's stuff!" Lets say a person with a shotgun behind the door would not seem out of place at all so we high-tailed it out of there. House number 3 was labeled as being in Alexandria but was actually in Arlington so we drove 30 minutes to Alexandria to find nothing. Then we decided it was Pizza time so we went into DC for some Armands. That made the whole trip completely worthwhile. Then on to house number 4 that was actually in Alexandria. As we were nearing Audabon Road we saw some large, nice town homes and were hoping for something of the same... instead we found a classic, 1960's Virginia trailer park. Anastasia was already grumpy but since we had come so far, Nick ran in to confirm our suspicions. Nothing worth our while. After church in Woodbridge, the day was still young so we made a stop at IKEA and found a lamp, some baskets, cutting boards, 59cent glasses, and some vanilla frozen yogurts making our day a definite success of sorts.

On Friday I picked up some polka dot fabric to make aprons for Anastasia and I. Now I am in love with the Emmeline apron by Meg at Montessori by Hand. I am not in love with paying $12+shipping for a pattern after spending $15 on supplies and needing to spend at least $10 more! That is almost a $40 apron... as cute as it is. Thankfully my mom suggested buying it for me for my birthday... and as Nick said last night, once I get my mind set on something... I have to have it my way. :) So I can't really help it that I have to have this apron!!! Unfortunately my apron project will be on hold until my mom orders me and we receive the pattern. In the meantime I am planning on embroidering and sewing some produce bags out of some muslin I bought at the store. It should be a quick project with a goal of using even less plastic bags at the grocery store. I hate being wasteful!! Hopefully this week will afford me some time.

The Story of Stuff

I was a little side-tracked while working on my resume, and came across The Story Of Stuff video. Definately a bit disheartening, but the movie's simplicity and humor make it an enjoyable watch. Take some time to watch it.

Speaking of stuff, I stopped by Goodwill for their "Dollar Day" and for $12 I bought a new summer wardrobe (5 t-shirts and a skirt), and a tank top for Anastasia, a onesie, a nice hard-cover number book, and a sweater for my mom. I also went to the consignment shop and found a sun hat and a couple outfits for Anastasia. This all courtesy of "overpaying" taxes last year. So needless to say, I shouldn't need any more summer clothes!! Now if only Nick would let me spice up his wardrobe with second-hand finds.... :) I think after I finish my resume I will make a list of items we need for our new house that I can buy used and try and find them on Craig's List and at local yard sales. That is my contibution to the environment (and my bank account). The danger about good deals is buying what you actually need as opposed to excess "stuff". That is why my parent's house is a jungle of junk.

Remember, Reduce, Re-use and Recycle.

April Showers

We had a very nice, but overly short weekend. Is it just me, or should weekends be AT LEAST 3 days long? So maybe no one would get anything done, but we would all be a lot happier!

Saturday we took a drive out to Culpeper for sandwiches at this little Deli called "The Stable." Nick decided their slogan should be "our sandwiches could feed a horse." He is not to far from the truth as my sandwich was stacked so high, I couldn't fit it in my mouth. I seriously could only eat 1/4 of it before I felt like I might explode! After our short visit to Culpeper, we headed to Shenandoah for a 3 mile (about) hike in white oak canyon. We hiked to the less-frequented lower falls and it was truly breathtaking. Anastasia had the best seat in the house-- in her backpack carrier on Nick's back. We had a nice time and a stop at the "Frost Diner" in Culpeper served us well with some yummy ice cream on our way home.

Sunday I learned how to play a dice game called "Bunco" at my aunt's house. The game was complete luck... and serves more as a social outlet for friends. Not my favorite game, but I won some Tupperware so that was good. I think I would prefer to have a mom's poker night instead of Bunco. That would be a little more my speed. Or even Spades!

I just started reading Dr. Sears' book "Parenting the Fussy Baby and High-Need Child." I wouldn't have described Anastasia as a fussy baby, I just assumed she was normal since she was my first. I just assumed every baby was "demanding" and had to be held, cuddled and nursed all the time. Since she has gotten older, when I read about how "normal" children act or behave I realize she isn't so normal. On top of that, her hot-or-cold attitude toward everything, her spunk, and her determination concluded for me that Anastasia is definitely a strong-willed child. Reading this book has really pinpointed Anastasia on the dot from day 1! It makes me feel like I haven't "spoiled" Anastasia, she just wants what she wants when she wants it. I am excited to read this book and learn more ways to help Anastasia develop her will rather than try and suppress it. I like that Dr. Sears has a lot of advice on disciplining and directing a strong-willed child (as they need a significant amount for their own safety and well-being). I am hoping to come away with a greater understanding of my child and how to effectively meet her needs as a little person and direct her towards becoming a good contributor to society, rather than a monster.

It is April! Hooray! It is a classic, dreary April Day. You know, the "April Showers bring May flowers" kind of day. I am very excited that at the end of this month we should be (God willing) closing on our little mountain house. I have to work today on my resume and fill out an application as an old friend from Alexandria Animal Hospital who lives in Front Royal, has helped me to get an interview at a local veterinary clinic there. I want to work Saturdays and evenings, but they aren't open past 6 pm and they are only open a few hours on Saturdays. But some hours are better than none! I actually kind of miss working to a certain extent and a few days a week would make me feel like a better contributor to my family and society. We will see what happens!! Its all very exciting! So I am hoping April will go by quick and maybe I will be living somewhere new come my birthday (May 4th)!! That would be the very best present ever!!