Simple Play

Here is a repeat of my article for Novembers Frontier Gazette that I thought was worth saying over here as well!

Simple Play
The Christmas fliers have been out in abundance over the last two weeks, full of talking toys, computers and remote controlled cars. Even the doll houses have lights that works and sound cards that make the family talk! Wii and it's games of virtual imagination are big on the scene and what toddler wouldn't like a tractor with flashing lights and real motor sounds?

But what I long for as a mom is a house with home grown imagination and occasional moments of piece and quiet!
Mary and Laura had very simple play toys, made from the natural resources around them or toys that imitated adult responsibilities.

Here is a little list of toys and games that I find quiet, educational and fun for my children.

Wooden train set - we have a battery powered plastic set, but for children under 5, it is difficult to put together, trains crash as they run at different speeds depending on the battery power, and the pieces break when a parent accidentally steps on one hidden under the laundry.

Our wooden set though.....fits perfectly with any building block set, can be cheap or expensive (Thomas verses store brand) and can be put together in any order by any set of cute chubby fingers that is willing to try!
I always enjoy hearing the gentle "chugg chugg whoooo" from my littlest family member

Cloth Dolls - I get so tired of dressing Barbie for the umpteenth time, because her limbs are so stiff for DD to get her dressed. Rag dolls, Waldorf inspires dolls or cloth and wire dolls such as doll house dolls or the Pony club or Only hearts are "girl shape" inspired and easy for young fingers to dress on their own. One rag doll can become a baby, a sister or a best friend at play time, and can be as much fun as any barbie if given with a generous wardrobe. (Oh!! Look at this link!!)

Books - The window to the imagination, almost any kind will do! Finding books that are age appropriate and easy to read for the child is a good idea. But also having books that you can read as a family can inspire great moments together. Offer to read a new book to a child in your life!

Paper, Ribbons, Scissors and Glue- My childrens favorite Holiday gift is when Uncle B raids the dollar store paper and craft department. I personally avoid paint and markers, but I have no issues scrubbing up glue off my table! I have had some very interesting pictures, creatures and "items" created at our table from little ones imaginations without prompts or suggestions.

Just Like Mom: (or Dad!) - Let your children help with chores by providing miniatures of your tools, such as little aprons, small squirt bottles with vinegar and water, little dusters and mini cookie cutters. Let them use playdough when you're baking.
I am all for plastic work tools and hard hats as well, so they can be fixers like Dad.

Out door Fun- Today we had our first snow, and there are two snowmen in my yard! The sleds are out and the skates cleaned up, ready for the local rink. In the fall they made pretend camp fires from pruned scrub, pretended to be birds in nests with the leaf piles. And in the summer they spent hours throwing rocks in the lake and building sand castles and motes. And last spring the loved jumping in the puddles and planting and watering seeds in the garden. There is always lot's to do outside, even without buckets of toys. Head outside and explore and see what Mother nature has left for us to play with!

Toy Tip: Let the batteries wear out and don't replace them! If a toy can be "used" without the batteries, leave them out and let the children start using their own imaginations again.

Little House in the Big Woods

Besides nature journals we are also following along with a group on Ravelry doing the Little House on the Prairie series. Here's what we did this week

For week One we read Chapter One of Little House in the Big Woods.

Here are our activities we could choose from

1 Go on a nature walk and collect sticks and other natural items (you will want a lot of sticks as they will go with another activity this week!) Done!

2. Use your sticks and natural items that you gathered on your walk (or rolled up brown paper) to create a miniature “Little House” Done!

3. Make Jerky Also suggested was dried apples or fruit leather

4. Make Johnnycakes (HEY, THESE ARE GLUTEN FREE!) using this recipe:
1 cup of cornmeal
1 teaspoon each sugar and salt
Add
1 1/4 cups water, creating a thick batter.
If you want your johnny cake thinner, add one half cup water or milk for a more rich flavor. Drop the batter onto a buttered or greased griddle (Laura used bacon grease!), fry until pale brown, and flip to cook the other side. Serve the johnny cake warm with toppings of choice; butter and maple syrup are common, although jam and savory spreads can be used as well.

5.Make a rag-doll using this pattern. We will be making more things for our dolls (both male and female depending on which doll you want to have), so please make this if you can! Don’t forget to hand-sew and use recycled fabrics if possible. Done!

Home Time Music

Back before Christmas I read to my daughter The Little House in the Big Woods (by Laura Ingles Wilder ) and there was a story about her Pa playing the fiddle for them and them dancing. We use to do that when my Grandma T would come to visit our house when I was a teenager! She taught me basic fiddle and my dad had a harmonica. My mom can actually play guitar but always preferred to listen. But tonight we passed this tradition on to our own 3 children. Husband is a guitar player (as well as a pianist like myself) who has learned the values of traditional music from living with me for the last 8 1/2 years! I even catch him tapping his toe to real western country music (not so much modern country) that the children step dance too. They take Canadian Step Dance lessons every Wednesday with Kelly Maw. The oldest two wanted to show their dad what they are learning, as he works from 6am-9:30pm most days, this was his night home with the family. we started out with Cd's and then I recognized one of the step dance routines was actually to a song I use to play on the fiddle with my grandma! Now I have to say, it's probably been 2 years since I've touched my violin, and quite a few months since I've had out my mandolin. But I dusted off the violin and rosined up my bow really well and my husband pulled out his guitar and we all had a jig of a night! The children even taught me one of their step dances. I really want to take lessons, I even have the shoes. But you know how mothers tend to sacrifice too often.....:) We also did a bit of swing, as the children have to come up with their own routine for a free dance section in Rock'n Robin, a modern song with a step dance beat. My husband can't dance, won't even try. It's about the only thing he's self conscious about. But we made him anyways, after closing the blinds to the front window! We ended the evening with the lights out and the Cd player off, playing our worn out sleepy heads almost to sleep with their favorite lullabies, like Hush-a-bye Don't You Cry, and our version of Rock a bye Baby where no baby falls....we sing:

Rock A Bye Baby
On the tree top
When the wind blows
The cradle will rock
We'll pray to Jesus
To hold you tight
And stay by your bedside
All through the night

That was my daughters song, she hasn't wanted me to sing it at bed time for a year or two now, sadly. But that was her special request tonight! And with a Twinkle Twinkle Little Star we packed them off to bed.
Goodnight!

Clutter

As a homeschooling mother, I have the privilege of having three children in the house (and surrounding property!) 24/7. But because we are home all the time, the house is much more chaotic. It's not like kindergarten, where the teacher has a hard day and sends home her little pupils with a sigh of relief, and then turns around and cleans up in the quiet of her empty class room what the little angels missed or are too little to do. My students never leave. So all this must be done as they clamber into new projects, fight over the train set and I'm making meals. It's hard to keep a perfectly clean house, which has been hard for me to except. My mother kept an immaculately clean house, dusting at least once a week, vacuuming even more. Home cooked meals on the table every night, made in a spotless kitchen. Now I've never been a tidy, I've always been a bit of a messy. But I so appreciate an uncluttered house. But I just can't keep up, and I often hate having company, for fear of being judged. Out of a moment of frustration about this one day, I hibernated to my computer, and as I was searching other homeschool sites, I spotted this verse -"Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest" Proverbs 114:4 NIV
I looked it up in my favored translation-
"Where no oxen are, the crib is clean, but much increase is by the strength of the ox." Proverbs 14:4 KJV

I was inspired by these verses, and here is my paraphrase, and my motto for house keeping:

A HOUSE EMPTY OF IT'S FAMILY ALL DAY, MAY STAY CLEANER THAN A HOME FULL OF CHILDREN, FAMILY AND FRIENDS, BUT IT DOES NOT STRENGTHEN THE FAMILY TO PROFIT AS MUCH IN LOVE, VALUES, KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING!

Now, this is NOT to say there is not as much love in two income, public school families. But, in my position, I will never be able to take for granted that the children have been taught how to deal with life situations by anyone else. I will have to be the one that teaches them about the birds and the bees, and what to do on the internet when questionable things come up. They will not have their peers around discussing last weekends party, so I will have to make sure they know how to deal with smoking, drinking and drugs, and what those things are! But because I am in this position of being their #1 influence, I have a better chance of instilling the Christian values we have chosen to follow for this family. I read once what an advocate of Homeschooling said "With all the unsupervised time in schools,(ie group stations, over sized classes, recess, hour long lunches) do you really want your children being taught life by all their other inexperienced peers?" Homeschooling allows for 3 on one child/adult interaction. When they have a question, they are talking to someone who has experienced decision making in the adult world.

And if that is the advantage I receive, I will live with the cluttered house! It's worth it!!

Previouse post, October 20, 2008

Entry for October 20, 2008

So, I have purchased a clock! It's not quite a working clock, although it keeps good time, the Westminster chimes are off. I believe a tooth may be missing off a gear inside. So I have sent it to the Jewelery shop in Southampton for cleaning and repair. It is a true antique. It is electric with the ORIGINAL chord (read fire hazard) probably from the 1940's. But the sound of the chimes lightly ringing is amazing. I feel no sense of urgency when they ring, but it does bring me back to my tasks quickly when I have been distracted! I'm very excited to get it back, hopefully repaired. Although it will cost some money, it will be worth it! I will consider it my Christmas present to myself!
Today, I am waiting to receive my swap partner for the apron swap. I'm very excited, waiting to get started on the apron!!
Short and sweet today!
Ta Ta!

Previouse post: Oct 03, 2008

Entry for October 03, 2008

Well, I sit here trying not to tear up, as I start this blog to be a witness of the lives around me dealing with cancer. But this blog is not about greif or loss, but the appreciation of life it self! How I want to simplify my life and share the gifts passed on to me by my grandmothers and mom. The words of wisdom, the skills , the encouragement and the love. I will talk about my crocheting, my sewing, and my family members inspirations to me. Up front, I am a born again believer in Christ, But please don't let that scare you away from this blog...I was taught to teach by example, not banging people over the head with the Bible! As I mention the Joys or sorrows in my life, I may once in a while use terms or a view that are typically Christian, but if you disagree I please ask that you respect me and my beliefs and move on to an area on my blog that does interest you.

I am presently working around my house decluttering, trying to get back to the basics so that the lives of me and my family will be less distracted and hopefully make us more appreciative of one another.

I am looking to buy a small mantal clock that chimes on the hour, to remind us throughout the day that time has passed, and want to encourage my family to think about whether or not they have done something productive or reflective in that time. Also, to help me keep the kids on track with their homeschooling!

I started out as a tatter, and now I crochet. I’m also a seamstress, and love sewing aprons and girls dresses, and want to try crocheting some soon. I use to tat because I could keep it in my uniform pocket as a night desk nurses aid on an Alzheimer floor and no one could get poked or hurt with it. Now I crochet, so i can drop it to move my kids along in their school work as I home school (If they get hurt with the needle, they’re standing too close to the teacher!)
I have a new appreciation for aprons! I now am trying to get in the habbit of wearing one! My Grandmothers wore aprons…I honour my robust,rural, maker of everything, (and I mean everything!) grandmother in large bibbed or half aprons. I even remember some pinned to her collar when she decorated Wedding cakes! And in memory, my petite, english food making grandmother, also a farmers wife, who wore small embroidered and lacy half aprons once in a while.
I’ve just started wearing aprons. Aprons are becoming the boundaries for my kids. “When I’m in my bows….I’M BUSY!!!” It doesn’t make me June Cleaver friendly, but it allows me to get my work done with fewer interruptions, and the kids have to learn to do things for themselves, which they would learn in a formal school setting otherwise. They had no other way to tell when I was in work mode, or available for a distractions…they always aimed for the distractions! My inspiration was Apron Evangelism by Maggie http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/apronevangelism.htm !
I just started handing out Yellow cards like the refs in Soccer….working like a charm! And I keep the card in the pocket of my apron. I got tired of raising my voice above the three children to be heard.

I hope to post some of my ideas and designs from here, I crochet mostly hats and accessories, but sew anything! I especially like sewing girls dresses from vintage patterns and flower girls, but I am sewing aprons right now. I would like to try crocheting a few of these items as well!

I am a member of Ravelry .com as HatsFineandFancy. I also have a Facebook group by the same name that was for selling the hats, but am thinking of changing it into a brag page for crafters! I may start selling my hats on Etsy.com under the same name. Still deciding on that one!

Well, I must sign off now. But here will be the pages motto. ..

Simply Celebrate life! And into each life, bring something a little Fine and Fancy