Smile And Wave

Her Little Green Thumb

Ruby and I planted some seeds over the weekend in our self-watering sprout kit. We should've started a few weeks ago but we're still well in the safe zone for getting these little guys started and hopefully into a raised bed soon. I debated trying to grow anything new this year since the wildlife ate up anything that sprouted last year, including the mature sunflowers, but it's a great way to teach the kids about gardening and another chance for me to learn something new. 

We planted carrots, radishes, and bell peppers in our sprout kit and the radishes shot right up about 36 hours later! The carrots are on their way and we're still waiting on the peppers but it's been fun to see Ruby's excitement when she checks on them every day. We've planted moonflower and morning glory along part of our chain link fence line thanks to my friend, Ruthie, in hopes that it'll shoot up fast, too! The sunflowers will go up where they did last year but I have to finish bolting my cedar fence panels to the fence and then I hope to get some marigolds in a pot or two soon. They're my favorite summer flower because they remind me of my childhood.

My forsythia bush got planted in a bare spot and my burning bush shrubs seem to be alive even though the last snow did a number on them. The grass...well, I just wonder if it's time to throw in the towel since we're on water restrictions this year. If you have lush green grass, go roll around in it for me, okay!

Have you planted anything in your garden this year? I know some of you are probably already eating the fruits of your labor if you live somewhere warm!

-Rachel

That Time Sebastian Discovered Stop Motion

The kids got kid's-sized video cameras from their great-grandparents for Christmas and spent a good hour right after running around the house filming each other. More recently Sebastian has discovered an app called Lego Movie that lets him make stop-motion movies. Brett gave him a quick lesson in the basics and he's since spent hours creating little battle scenes and story lines on the floor of his room. 

It always makes my mama heart happy to see my kids show a genuine interest in something creative. Yeah, they'll do a project if I get it set up for them and they like to dance and sing but when they choose to explore something on their own I can start to see where their natural interests and talents are. I love that he's able to get lost in his own world for a bit and how proudly he'll run to find us after he's finished editing his latest. 

Watch out Steven Spielberg.  

-Rachel

Signs of A Good Time

Every day after school I've encouraged the kids to spend some time outside while the weather has been nice and after a long winter spent inside I've not needed to tell them twice. I let Ruby break in the chalkboard wall and she drew the loveliest picture. Apparently this is the bear family and a rainbow and the sun with spokes on it and then later she added some rain.

Sebastian brought home a mealworm from school and let it crawl up in his shirt so we had to take it off to find it. We put it in a jar for observation and safe keeping although I'm not sure it's going to make it back to school tomorrow for all the attention it got from Ruby. 

We're expecting snow on Tuesday. It's funny how you can be shirtless one afternoon and so bundled up the next. I've said it before but I've never appreciated the warming of the air and the return of green grass as much as I do this spring. I can feel everything coming to life again. 

-Rachel

Work In Progress: Kids' Work Space

Over Spring Break last week we drove up to Denver to visit the Children's Museum with some of our friends. We got there about thirty minutes after they opened and I had the intention of heading home a little after lunchtime but we were all enjoying it so much that we closed the place down. There was a Kinetics room where kids could play with compressed air and plastic balls, a bubble room, an animal clinic where you could play the vet (Ruby's favorite), an organic grocery store, a painting station, a paper airplane and rocket section, and a building room.

It was full of miniature tools and plenty of repurposed recycleables for building their own creations or following laminated picture tutorials. Ruby and I built a butterfly from a tongue depressor and pipe cleaners, Tim helped Sebastian make a caterpillar from brads and an egg carton, and I saw a few cars made out of toilet paper tubes with plastic lids for wheels. I would've never thought my kids would be ready to use a hand saw but apparently once they got started they were quite capable (under supervision of course). 

I told my friend, Mindy, half-jokingly that I needed to clean out our garage so I could build a similar work station for the kids. Then I decided I really would. 

It's still a work in progress but I think most of the hard work has been done. I spent six hours last Friday clearing out and reorganizing the garage and then a few more hours on Saturday purchasing supplies from the hardware store and figuring out how to set up their workspace as well as mine. 

I took down some pre-existing pegboard that needed to be rearranged and repainted and it white. I had some MDF cut at Lowe's to fit snugly in the back of our Volvo and it fit nicely under the existing board on the kids' side. I painted it with a coat of chalkboard paint but ran out of time to get a second coat on before finishing for the day. I did manage to get it screwed into the existing drywall. It's tall enough for both kids to enjoy drawing on it. I may even borrow it from time-to-time. 

I'd searched for a little table to utilize but ended up repurposing the mud table I built for the kids last fall. It's the perfect height and has some space for storage below. We'd had a chalkboard tablet from the last house that I hadn't been able to find a place for so I will give it another coat of chalkboard paint and screw it to the mud table. The white pegboard will go above it but needs to be framed out first. The tiered wire baskets were a thrifted find I was thinking to use in our kitchen but decided it'd be perfect for holding recycled items for the kids to reuse.

I'll probably add a few baskets and a shelf and some hooks for hanging their own tools-everything sized appropriately as I find it. I'm hoping to not spend much money on this space but I think it'll be quite valuable to them as a place to explore and create where they have don't have to pretend their toys are real. I promise to be back with a full reveal for both sides when they're set up.

I love making the most out of the space available to us in our home. Although my DIY clothing rack is now holding most of Brett's Army gear you can see how I envisioned using one side of our basement as my own personal closet. I turned a large wardrobe into a closet office here and have yet to officially post how we've set up the front porch as a little retreat from the rest of the house. 

Do you have any big house projects you're in the middle of right now or that you can't wait to start?

-Rachel

 

Giveaway: A Little More Color from Crayola

Thanks to the lovely folks at Crayola, I've already got the kids' Easter baskets filled and stashed for Easter morning. We go through a lot of art supplies these days thanks to my little Impressionists and since we're still tripping over new toys received (and thoroughly enjoyed) at Christmas and on Valentine's Day I'm really thankful for the opportunity to give them what my friend, Mindy, calls consumables. The sidewalk chalk and bubbles will surely come out on our next warm afternoon and the Color Wonder pads will help keep boredom at bay until then. 

Along with the Crayola Wonder Pads, Crayola Chalk, Crayola Outdoor Colored Bubbles Big Wand, and Crayola Crayons, they sent a $25 gift card to Michael's to help me create the ultimate Easter basket. Along with supplies to fill in their baskets I picked up some butterflies to adorn Ruby's handle and some scrapbook paper to make a little banner for Sebastian's. The plastic eggs are full of bubblegum and I also found a few smaller treats I knew they'd like.

I love the way their baskets turned out and how colorful they are. I know the kids are going to flip out when they see all of these goodies waiting for them!

The best part is that Crayola is going to send the same products to one of my lucky readers! One winner will receive all of the items pictured below plus a $25 Michael's gift card to help fill their own basket. 

To enter for a chance to win:

* Leave a comment below sharing what you're most looking forward to once Spring arrives. 

For extra chances feel free to do the following and then comment again letting me know you did.

* Tweet about this giveaway from @Crayola on @RachelDenbow.

* Like Crayola on Facebook.

I'll choose a winner on March 6th so that Crayola can send out your prize in time for Easter. Please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you if a link is not available.

Thanks to Crayola for a chance to enjoy these products!

-Rachel

Note: The Crayola product, gift card, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by Crayola.

My Little Lover Boy

One evening right after Valentine's Day we were getting the kids ready for bed when S sighed a big six-year-old boy sigh and said, "I just can't stop thinking about her." Brett and I both started in asking who he was talking about and he mentioned his sweetheart from school for the first time this year. He'd had a crush on a sweet little girl with 'yellow hair' named Emma in Springfield but hadn't had another girl steal his heart in the same way until now. 

"I'm in love with her," he said dramatically as I tucked him in to bed. We proceeded to have the longest conversation of his life about how she smiled at him in gym class but didn't talk to him because she's shy and that his friends that know he likes her make fun of him. He asked me how she would know if he liked her and how he would know if she liked him back and I offered up my nuggets of how to treat girls you like. You know, don't hit them, push them, tease them, or ignore them and to say nice things to her like how pretty he thought she was, etc. 

I sat there informing him that it wasn't okay to kiss any girls at school no matter how much he liked them unless he asked their permission. And then only on the cheek. Flu season, duh! Then I remembered getting my very first kiss from our neighbor friend, Robert, behind the couch at my house while my mom was in the kitchen cooking dinner. I think he had a runny nose, too. Gross.

I couldn't believe we were already having this conversation and my heart both ached for the passing of time and exploded for this new territory that allowed my son and I to talk so openly about something so innocent and sweet. 

I felt ever so keenly how important my job is as his mother to teach him how to grow into the kind of man that respects and appreciates women-one that can be both strong and gentle, kind, honest, thoughtful, playful, brave, and steady. I know a time will come when he won't be so eager to tell me that he's smitten with another 'yellow-haired' girl or ask me if he should have one of his friends tell her he likes her. I'm going to enjoy this rare opportunity with a captive audience and do my best to help him maneuver through the treacherous waters of young love. 

I picked him up after school today and the first thing out of his mouth was, " I gave her some lipstick I found." 

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I gave R some lipstick."

"What lipstick? Do you mean chapstick? From home? You shouldn't share chapstick. GERMS."

"No, I found it on the floor. It was watermelon."

He's getting there.

-Rachel 

Valentine's Day 2013

This Valentine's Day was so different from last year. Last year we were having brunch with our dear friends the morning after our going away party at Red Velvet and then headed back to our house to pack for our big move. This year we're about to mark a full year in our new city. 

My friend, Jessa, and I had planned to do it up real good for our boys' class V-day party since their Christmas party consisted of celery, apples, and popcorn at their desks while the class next door had paper chains hanging from every wall and Christmas music playing while they all danced around the room. Thankfully, his teacher welcomed our enthusiasm and we spent the two days before the party gathering and making.

I reused a lot of things I had leftover from Ruby's pink and red birthday party but made extra garland from felt squares, a garland of love letters, some felt hearts to hang from the ceiling, and a fringed felt heart for their class door (seen on our mantle mirror). There were balloons and healthy treats in the mix and Jessa made the best cake pops I've ever had. It was so fun preparing for it because I knew the kids would enjoy the extra festive feeling of their room and I really wanted S to have the same kind of party memories I have from elementary school. We had some great room moms! I still remember you, Mrs. Donahue!

The afternoon I was supposed to take everything to his classroom to set up I got a call from the nurse's office saying Sebastian had a temperature of 104. I felt bad for the kid. He was going to have to miss his Valentine's Day party and all the fun of exchanging Valentines with his friends. I wasn't about to pull out of party decorating, though, so he got hauled back up to school with Ruby and his carpool buddy and they helped set the party table and played with balloons while I got tiny electrocutions every time I lifted a ceiling tile to hang garlands. It made me feel better that he was still able to take part in a small way.

On Valentine's Day we putzed around the house and got a few fun packages in the mail from family far away before heading back to school to pick up Sebastian's valentines and take our decor down. His teacher said the kids loved it and he appreciated it despite some of his other male teacher friends giving him a hard time about all the pink and red. We were able to bring home our decorations and string them up in our own space to finish off the day with a shrimp stir fry and plans for a date night the following day.

We also got to enjoy the fact that Brett was at home with us to celebrate instead of being away with work responsibilities. A vague timeline that I was dreading for months when we moved here has come and gone and his job is keeping him stationed here in town for the time being. It's been a small sigh of relief but I also know not to get too comfortable with anything the Army decides as things can change so quickly. For now, I'm learning to be so grateful for the time we've been given. 

Almost exactly one year here in our new town. That blows my mind. I still feel like we just got here. 

Did you do anything special to celebrate V-Day? Ruby bedazzled her giraffe. 

-Rachel

p.s. Some have asked how I made the garlands and fringed heart. For the garlands I cut felt squares in half, folded the top edge over some braided twine, and stitched it down before cutting fringe up to the stitch line. I spent a lot of time at the sewing machine but it's almost mindless work after awhile and there's always netflix. Plus, they're reusable and great for birthday parties. For the heart I got some felt yardage, cut out a heart, cut strips of felt that overlapped the edges and were about 5" wide and stitched them to the heart shape at the top before cutting fringe into them. I made sure the next layer of felt covered the stitch line until I got to the top. Then I cut four holes in the top of the heart piece but under the fringe to string twine through to hang it on the wall/mirror.   

Colorado Springs Flea Market

The Colorado Springs Flea Market is one of my happy places. It is a huge fenced cement lot full of both storage spaces and vendors that set up camp every weekend of the year no matter what the weather. Two dollars gets you in (12 and under are free) and another $1 gets you a cart. I've been five or six times both with and without kids and it's always fun to go treasure hunting. They've got a bounce house and ferris wheel so my usual strategy with the kids is that if they're good halfway through the flea we'll go buy tickets for some bounce time and then finish the rest of the flea. I always give them a small amount to spend and they usually come home with vintage My Little Ponies and Transformers that cost fifty cents. I never have to talk them into going!

My parents used to take my brother and I to a place called Denio's Farmer's Market in Roseville, CA growing up. It was full of booths that sold just about everything-cheap plastic toys, colorful sunglasses, pinatas, Mexican blankets, bouquets of flowers, blankets with wolves and dolphins on them, tacky velvet paintings, colorful umbrellas, superhero toys, princess wands, and rows and rows of fresh produce. If ever there was a place to buy fresh produce it's California. I remember saving up to buy a pink skateboard, plastic slap bracelets, and pogs. Oh, pogs. This one isn't nearly the size of Denio's but I still love roaming the rows of tools, fresh produce, and toys from my childhood and I love sharing it with my kids. 

Have you ever been to a huge outdoor flea market? 

-Rachel

What Ruby Wore: Pigtails!

Outfit details: Shirt & tights, Target. Skirt, handmade. Vintage loafers, thrifted. Teepee c/o PlayHaven.

I was able to talk Ruby into pigtails for about twenty minutes on Valentine's Day! Her hair in the back is long enough to make it work so I'm thinking I can start with twenty minutes once a week and work my way up. Ha! She helped me pick out half of her outfit. She loves her lion shirt and these sparkly tights and I picked out the skirt and shoes. She ended up wanting to change them into her geriatric looking gold loafers and I'm not one to stand in between a girl and her favorite shoes. 

While we were opening our Valentines at breakfast the doorbell rang and a man with a tall, thin box greeted us telling me I just barely looked over 21 so he needed my signature on it. He gets a gold star for being charming. The kids were thrilled with their teepee sent over from Play Haven and spent the rest of the morning playing in it. As a girl with a lot of teepee making experience under her belt, I have to say I'm quite impressed with the craftsmanship of this kid-sized teepee. It's beautifully made, just the right size so that it doesn't swallow a room, and I pulled it out of the box and was able to set it up right away without needing to assemble it. It doesn't get much better than that.

Here's to pigtails and teepees. 

-Rachel

 

Collage Valentine Craft

One afternoon last week the kids were getting restless so I grabbed a stack of Lucky mags that were headed to the recycling bin and some manilla folders and told them to sit. I cut hearts out for them, pulled out some pages with pretty colors, and let them cut and paste until they were done. Ruby wrote her name on hers. In case you don't read toddler it says 'Ruby'. 

It took me back to elementary school art class and it was fun to introduce the kids to something new (to them). 

-Rachel