accessible craftiness.

While we love whole end-to-end crafty projects, I also love seeing kids just play and explore with materials. Something interesting always happens. We like to keep a few baskets of supplies out all the time on our dining room table - markers, pencils, beeswax crayons, kid scissors (funky edging scissors are fun too), bits of patterned/colored paper, blank notecards, glue sticks, stickers, lined notebooks, sketchbooks. This stuff is used ALL the time. I also like to keep things interesting by adding something new (rotating supplies) to the baskets every few days, so that they have something to experiment with. Things like paper clay, modeling beeswax, stamps and stamp pads, paper crimpers, decorative hole punches, blank storybooks - something different to keep it fresh. When my boys were toddlers, they had access to fewer (age-appropriate) supplies - as they get older, more items can be added to the baskets.

We tend to do a few craft based projects each week which tie into the season or what we are reading/working on that week. The boys then usually also make something every day with this pile of supplies. They write cards to family members or friends, make tickets to their shows, draw menus for their cafe, write wish lists or letters to me, make signs, create 'cartoons', or just scribble and cut and make a big fun mess.


Yesterday the boys were into a new rainbow stamp pad I found, and were using stamps on it, and soon moved on to stamping handprints...and eventually footprints (good thing it is washable stamp ink!). I like seeing how they think. Always something fun, creative and interesting!


We have a big 3-day weekend coming up - catch you all on Monday!

Photos of the Day - October.

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow.
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know.
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away.

- Robert Frost, October

pumpkin picking time.

Pumpkin picking season is upon us! We visited our first pumpkin patch to pick up a few dozen small pie pumpkins. We like to bake them, make the puree, and then freeze or refrigerate it to use instead of canned pumpkin for all of our fall and holiday baking. We also save some in cool dark storage in the basement to use later.


The boys like visiting all of the different pumpkin patches - some have animals, some have corn mazes, most have hayrides, and many have haunted barns. Ooooooh. When you are 3 and 5, it doesn't take much to make a dark barn spooky!


The boys also picked up a few bigger pumpkins to use as seasonal decor outside around the house - and will also carve them in a few weeks.


It is fun to get out to a farm, wander on a cool sunny day, and look at things. Of course, pulling wagons around is pretty fun too.

aldo leopold.

The cool days and cold nights have made it perfect to walk outside - no wasps or mosquitoes, bright blue skies, and nice cool temps. We love visiting different trails - from prairie, wetlands, farmland, forest.


Living in Wisconsin one thing we often see, no matter where we hike, is information about Aldo Leopold. On a hike last weekend we once again came across a placquard at a viewing platform about him. A has asked many times about who he is, and has visited the local Aldo Leopold Nature Center and the children's shack.


After our hike, A decided we needed to learn more. We checked out several books - both adult books as well as children's books, and have spent some time learning more about this Wisconsin wildlife ecologist. We plan to visit a few more Wisconsin spots which are rich with his history, and we found a few interesting projects to do together!


I think the boys are interested in hearing about people who spent much of their time in the woods, participating and living fully in nature, and working to improve the environment around them! A can't get enough. Reading these books has spurned questions about ecology, conservation, restoration, sustainable agriculture and more. I think they also just like hearing about people who grew up walking in the woods, playing in the creek, and collecting bugs!


Want more?

Books:
A Sand County Almanac (Outdoor Essays & Reflections)

Aldo Leopold:Protector/Wild

Aldo Leopold: American Ecologist (First Books - American Conservationists Series)

Websites:
Wisconsin DNR :: Aldo Leopold

Aldo Leopold Nature Center: About Aldo

backyard campfire conversations.

Backyard campfires on cool autumn nights are the best. Warm fire. Cozy blankets. Campfire popcorn. Lots of stars...


...interesting conversation. Where did our hanging out around the backyard fire lead us? To some interesting questions from A.


How hot is fire?
Why is part of the fire orange and part of it blue?
How hot does it have to be to make popcorn pop?
How does popcorn pop?
How many stars are there?
Are all of those stars suns?
Do all suns have planets?
Can we see planets too?
Which one is Jupiter?
Why do the flames go up?
Why do the flames stop as they go up?
Is there other life in space?
How far are those stars?
Is there oxygen in space?
Can fire burn in space without oxygen?
If there is no gravity in space, what would fire look like in no-gravity (like in the space shuttle)?
Can we see a space shuttle or satellites from here?
Is that all the stars?
How come we can't see all the stars from here?
How can you tell that airplane is not as far as the stars?
Do different kinds of logs burn differently?
Does different fuel burn hotter?
What is hotter, big orange flames, or small blue flames?

And many (many!) more. I love following questions, thoughts, ideas, and inspirations wherever they might lead. What a great evening!

Note:: Any Minneapolis readers out there? My husband has a work conference this month in the Minneapolis/Bloomington area and we might tag along. We have been a few times before, but have been with kids only during the peak of winter. We'd love to find some fun things to do outside and/or more local and keep away from the big shopping/tourist oriented spots (other than the mandatory visit to IKEA, of course). Ideas/recommendations? You can email me at scorch_dc@yahoo.com. Thanks! :)