1 year ago, you needed training wheels; today, you fly.
A morning color walk with cousins is the best. Big L and little l are in town for Big B's birthday, and we set off this morning for adventure. Each big kid chose a different color, so we diplomatically played a guessing game to determine the 'winner'--and Big L came out on top, choosing BLACK. A great start to the last day of Big B's fourth year!
I am honored to have been featured as a guest blogger on today's Quilting Gallery blog, discussing The Safe Motherhood Quilt Project. Please visit the Gallery and read more about the project and how you can get involved.
It was such a bright afternoon today, we decided to hunt for shiny treasures of SILVER and GOLD. Along the way we stopped and visited old neighbors, and met new ones--including one that invited us to a party, and one that might just be Big B's Kindergarten teacher. Have I mentioned that we live in a GREAT neighborhood?
Tucked away behind a parking lot, which is tucked away behind a community park, which is tucked away behind a quaint, quiet neighborhood, a small footbridge leads us into a magical land. There, a native Mesic Hammock transforms us into warriors, into Narnians, into brave woodspeople, charged with navigating a labyrinth of secret trails.
We climb root stairways and inspect fairy houses. We cross creeks by log bridge and seek treasure along the way.
If we conquer the labyrinth, we are rewarded with brilliantly picturesque stages on which to play, accompanied by choirs of insects, birds, and the most fantastic imaginary creatures.
"She looked back over her shoulder
“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.
MATERIALS: Printed profile photo(s), pencil, trace paper, clear contact paper, scotch tape, scissors, watercolor paper, watercolor paints, paintbrushes
STEP THREE: Cut outlines
STEP FIVE: PAINT!
STEP SIX: Allow paint to dry, then peel away contact paper for your silhouette painting!
I am beyond honored to create a second square for Tatia Malika Oden French, whose mother I have worked with on a committee to try and increase awareness about patients' rights to informed consent and refusal.
Day three of our outdoor classroom creation. Time to introduce some plant life.
Taking a walk in our backyard, we discovered many new tangerines and a few lone mangoes clinging to our old tree. 
To create a fluffy green for centerpiece for our little learning garden, we finally dusted off the Chia Tree that Noni gave Big B for Christmas a couple of years ago. We soaked the little clay pot and the seeds, and we will plant them tomorrow.
(Ch-ch-ch-chia Seeds A-Soaking)
We spent almost the entire morning in our developing outdoor classroom. The find of the day came from right next door: our wonderful neighbors were discarding an old toy bin storage system, with just one broken rail and a few missing bins. Perfect for an outdoor organization station. We started filling it with bug collecting gear, chalk, and various water table supplies.
Our outdoor music station began taking shape today, as we collected all of the 'drums' we could find from the garage and backyard, exploring the tones they produced. 
We also found lids to two old dutch ovens, perfect for cymbals to accompany the drums. (I'm sure the neighbors agree...)
And of course, more water table action today, this time with the inclusion of spray bottles, play sand, and ice cubes. 
The boys played outside nearly all morning, enjoying the summer sun, the new (but almost entirely recycled) play space, and being with each other.
"Help your brother's boat across,
For the past three summers, I have wanted to take advantage of the daily outdoor play that this season brings by creating an outdoor classroom. I envision an environment that is attractive to my boys and provides opportunities for imaginative, messy, exploratory play.
We also cleaned up the water table--an excellent yard sale find--and filled it with soapy water, measuring cups, and shells of all shapes and sizes.
Extra Credit: On the way home from the grocery store, we saw this easel on the side of the road! A bit weathered but the perfect addition to our new creative space.
Here's the June 2009 edition of The Write Connection, issued by the Mississippi Forum on Children and Families. A great monthly resource for ideas in your own outdoor classroom.
After a hot summer morning at the beach, we took a hot summer afternoon walk to the duck pond, and the color choice was unanimous: ORANGE. This may be my personal favorite so far!
I received in the mail today the first square from a growing list of quilters who have found The Safe Motherhood Quilt Project through my blog. Marianne Ogg is a young mother who has been quilting for 20 years, and it shows, through her craftsmanship and perfect piecing. Thank you, Marianne, for becoming involved in this project. I have added your name to a sidebar that I hope will continue to grow as we help Ina May Gaskin bring awareness to American maternal mortality.
Two days after her death on May 25, 2009, Kerry's infant son Austin died in Dean's arms. Marianne chose the background fabric for the square because it reminded her of water, and Kerry was involved in promoting youth swimming programs.
This afternoon, Papa and I took Big B on our first 'date' since little b was born, almost a year and a half ago. We have been wanting to spend this kind of afternoon with him for quite some time. He is fulfilling all of the childhood cliches we've all heard too often: growing too fast, before you know it, in the blink of an eye, etc. So this afternoon, while Grammy and Papu played with little b in the mall (thank you!), Papa and I treated Big B to popcorn, candy, and the new Disney Pixar film UP in 3-D.
Mimi is in town! Big B, always the consummate host, offered her the selection for yesterday's color walk. Mimi told him that one of her favorite colors is, and has always been, RED. Very fitting for a hot June Florida afternoon!
Last June, Big B and I started our quest. We made a list of all fifty states and kept it in the car. One by one, we checked off license plates. We saw many at first, then one every few days, and then every few weeks... As our list became smaller, our excitement grew bigger. Seeing those elusive last few states--Wyoming, Oregon, Alaska, Oklahoma--would literally make our day. Now, just a few weeks before the one-year anniversary of our quest's beginning, we have only one state left to find.
Aside from the memories of time spent with family, playing in the country, and connecting with old friends, we left the North Florida woods last weekend with a tangible treat--actually, seven tangible treats--fresh eggs from the dome chickens.
Just outside the dome-sweet-dome where Aunt S, Uncle S, Big L and little l live, eleven chickens present them with fresh eggs every day (except the rooster, the two funky chickens, and the one brooding mama hen).
Big B and little b love the daily ritual that occurs there, inspecting the coop for eggs like seekers on a treasure hunt. Many of my friends and Papa's family are familiar with the taste of fresh eggs, but this is a relatively new indulgence for me. It is something very special. The morning after these seven were collected, we made simple turkey-cheddar omelets for breakfast. They were easily the most delicious I've ever tasted.
Big B is a master of all things I Spy. Where's Waldo, Hidden Pictures, and I Spy books have always piqued his interest. So in preparation for our trip to North Florida this past weekend, I made him and little b the road trip version of this popular game: their own I Spy Bottles.
MATERIALS: durable plastic bottle with tight fitting lid, glue, trinkets smaller than diameter of opening, birdseed / rice / oats, paper, pen or printer, scotch or packing tape
STEP FIVE: Apply strong glue to the lid and screw on tightly.
LESSONS LEARNED: I used scotch tape for the labels, and little b removed his instantly. Clear packing tape would have worked much better. Although the birdseed offers a great textural / colorful palette, it tends to leave a dusty residue on the objects hidden within...not so helpful when color is a key clue. I found this tutorial that suggests multi-colored rice, which we'll use next time. And there will be a next time, because I think this would make a fantastic birthday gift. Perhaps the best lesson of this project was that it offers a great opportunity to rid your house of those lost objects that don't quite fit in. Now they do!
