What's making you laugh, these days?
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Magic Wands for Wizards
We made some magic wands for our little wizards!
Some old apple sticks that we gleaned from an orchard last fall had all the right magical qualities, and my violin bow was willing to spare a couple of unicorn hairs.
Our resident wizardry expert had certain ideas about how his wand was to be assembled. (It needed to have a phoenix feather inside the wood.) We drilled a tiny, deep hole into the handle end of the stick like this:
And then he stuffed the feather inside:
We trimmed off the last little bit of feather that was left sticking out, and I wrapped the handle with a fine gold wire.
It looks very magical, and has been used almost non-stop for the past week. Diego has finally managed to produce a jet of green light. (We had some fun this morning doing slow exposures with a flashlight, and coloring the image in Photoshop. Is it too heavy on the green? My art director had some very specific demands.)
Now, if I could only get that "SILENCIO" charm to work!
Some old apple sticks that we gleaned from an orchard last fall had all the right magical qualities, and my violin bow was willing to spare a couple of unicorn hairs.
Our resident wizardry expert had certain ideas about how his wand was to be assembled. (It needed to have a phoenix feather inside the wood.) We drilled a tiny, deep hole into the handle end of the stick like this:
And then he stuffed the feather inside:
We trimmed off the last little bit of feather that was left sticking out, and I wrapped the handle with a fine gold wire.
It looks very magical, and has been used almost non-stop for the past week. Diego has finally managed to produce a jet of green light. (We had some fun this morning doing slow exposures with a flashlight, and coloring the image in Photoshop. Is it too heavy on the green? My art director had some very specific demands.)
Now, if I could only get that "SILENCIO" charm to work!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Julio's Birthday Tea
Yesterday, my baby turned TWO!
We had a very simple celebration with just the immediate family, and it was so relaxed and fun. While Papa and Diego entertained Julio in the other room, Ruben and I made a birthday tea with all of his favorites.
Along with cucumber sandwiches, he enjoyed the little cups of raisins and dried cranberries and an extra lemon wedge. He picked up each little treat and asked, "Is this for ME?" He blew out his candles six times. His cake was one of my July favorites, a pound cake with a layer of fresh strawberries that have been mashed with a little confectioners sugar.
In spite of the fine china, some of the guests were wearing pajamas.
We had a very simple celebration with just the immediate family, and it was so relaxed and fun. While Papa and Diego entertained Julio in the other room, Ruben and I made a birthday tea with all of his favorites.
Along with cucumber sandwiches, he enjoyed the little cups of raisins and dried cranberries and an extra lemon wedge. He picked up each little treat and asked, "Is this for ME?" He blew out his candles six times. His cake was one of my July favorites, a pound cake with a layer of fresh strawberries that have been mashed with a little confectioners sugar.
In spite of the fine china, some of the guests were wearing pajamas.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
It was magical to take my kids to this place that I remember so vividly from my own childhood. It is now better than ever, with many living and interactive exhibits.
A Red-tailed Hawk:
An enclosed garden full of butterflies (some of them sharing a picnic):
A creek to play in:
My childhood favorite, a tiny hummingbird nest:
A Peregrine Falcon:
These birds were rescued and are being cared for by the Audubon Society.
You may click on any of the pictures to see them larger.
A Red-tailed Hawk:
An enclosed garden full of butterflies (some of them sharing a picnic):
A creek to play in:
My childhood favorite, a tiny hummingbird nest:
A Peregrine Falcon:
These birds were rescued and are being cared for by the Audubon Society.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Crib Conversion
I have never been thrilled with the way our crib was supposed to turn into a toddler bed. It was too big and too high off of the ground. So, the other day I rebuilt it. Even though it has the same footprint as our old crib, it now looks like an inviting kid-sized couch and is so much lower than the crib that it gives the feeling of a lot more space in the room.
It cost $15 (for the wood) and was very simple.
He loves it. Now, shhh... it's naptime!
It cost $15 (for the wood) and was very simple.
He loves it. Now, shhh... it's naptime!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Travels with Julio
Traveling solo with a toddler definitely requires careful planning and many compromises.
I packed all sorts of things to keep Julio entertained and well-fed, but I was afraid that the long flight would be too much for both of us.
Instead, there were no disasters.
Of course, it was cramped and uncomfortable and the flight was soooo looong, but Julio was a brilliant little traveler. Both ways. Our neighbors on the planes even thanked and complimented us, as Julio was in a pleasant mood or sleeping the whole time. People around us laughed when somewhere over the Atlantic he loudly exclaimed, "A CUCUMBER for ME? Oh, THANK YOU, Mama! THANK YOU!" I know that I got off easy, so please don't hate me if you are the people whose toddler screamed for 10 hours straight the last time you flew to China. Or if you were sitting next to them.
It will probably be a while before Julio and I go on a long trip together again, so we will have some time to enjoy these sweet memories of our first perfect flight together.
I packed all sorts of things to keep Julio entertained and well-fed, but I was afraid that the long flight would be too much for both of us.
Instead, there were no disasters.
Of course, it was cramped and uncomfortable and the flight was soooo looong, but Julio was a brilliant little traveler. Both ways. Our neighbors on the planes even thanked and complimented us, as Julio was in a pleasant mood or sleeping the whole time. People around us laughed when somewhere over the Atlantic he loudly exclaimed, "A CUCUMBER for ME? Oh, THANK YOU, Mama! THANK YOU!" I know that I got off easy, so please don't hate me if you are the people whose toddler screamed for 10 hours straight the last time you flew to China. Or if you were sitting next to them.
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