Kites + Stethoscopes = A Midnight Flight

Tonight we had some friends over for a bonfire, and I delighted in watching the magic of children's imagination unfold before my eyes. It can take so little to spark new worlds and adventures. Ben read the recently re-published Elsa Beskow book The Land of Long Ago to Rowan and his sweet friend. Then they spent the rest of the night trying to recreate the events of the book so that they too could enter into that magical world of mischievous gnomes, flying trees, princesses, trolls, dragons, and knights. We overheard adorable conversations, "Ok, so we just need one gnome, a fallen twee twunk, and a bwoken umbwella... hmmm... we don't have any of those... wait yes we do! we have a wood pile, if we pwetend we could make a whole world out of that!" The next half hour consisted of them disappearing into our home and reappearing with a huge kite that was attached to their backs with a stethoscope, then disappearing into the night and reappearing with corn cob skewers pilfered from the friend's home to use to ... get this... CLIMB THE SIDE OF OUR BUILDING SO THEY COULD GET TO THE ROOF AND THEN FLY OFF USING THEIR KITE. Can you tell their dads are rock climbers?

Such sweet silly things served to fill my heart, and re-delight me with motherhood.

Now Ben and I are fantasizing about midnight climbs and majestic flights. Isn't that what every kid thinks their parents do after they go to sleep anyways?

Handmade Holiday

Today I finished up Cedar's last Christmas present. Inspired by this amazing mama made waldorf doll, I wanted to make my lil guy a masculine doll that mirrored his sweet soul, that he could pour his love into. I want to nurture his growing ability to nurture. So I took my cabbage patch doll from the 80's and some left over felted wool I had from dissected sweaters and went to town. His hat is of an elf ish style with a wooden toggle closure under his chin so it stays put. He has a wool tunic belted with a leather belt salvaged from extra attachers for my bike basket. He also has wool sleeves and pant legs tied on. He has a little pouch attached to his belt to collect acorns and stones and a walking stick in his hand to help him on his journeys. I am quite pleased with how it has turned out even if his face is plastic and he can't have that great, crazy, waldorf hair. (My heart melted watching him carry around this same doll pre makeover in a play silk turned baby sling. Lots of kisses. Adorable.)

I also sewed some very simple wool longies today for lil guy from another dissected sweater. I just took a portion of the sweater near the waist band and sewed it into a tube and then sewed on the bottom portion of each sleeve and voila... pants. And then I made some socks.

I had a goal to do as much as I could by hand this year, using materials we already had and I am thoroughly enjoying the process :)

What are you making for Christmas?

No Mercy for Sweaters

Sweaters faced great peril in my home today. Struck by great inspiration I dissected two wool sweaters and made;, a gnome hat for Rowan, a stocking cap, a lavender pillow for Cedar's bed, an "herb collecting bag for healing the animals" for Rowan, and a pair of Long Johns!  I took a pair of my lil guys boxer briefs and sewed them to the arms of an old cashmere sweater . Result? Cashmere long underwear for free!  It feels good to have the (silly) yet creative juices flowing again.