Overheard This Week

Mama did you see that boy on the tv?  He burped out a snail!  I wish I could burp out a snail.

Overheard This Week

Son: Sister did you make this telescope?
Daughter: Uh-huh.
Son: Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you, this is so awesome!  Mama I have a new name for sister, Best Telescope Maker!
(The telescope in question, is infact a rolled up piece of paper.)

Overheard This Week

Sister, you are going to have to go kiss that bear somewhere else, I am busy.  Please, just go kiss that bear somewhere else!

A Bit of Magic

We received a really nice art desk/Easel from my brother's family and put it under my son's loft bed.  We're working on rearranging the kids' room.  It's quite dark under the bed and so I decided to hang up some lights I bought months ago.  It really added some needed lighting and color.  Plus the kids just loved helping hang the laterns.  I did however discover we are 8 lanterns short of what the package says we ought to have, oh well.

Now we just need some art on the walls.  These lights should help with that!

What A Difference Wool Makes

Sometimes I'm stubborn, okay most of the time.  I hadn't worked with felt much since childhood and figured, you know felt is felt.  I do strive to use natural materials, but aren't there always exceptions?  Since having my kids I have been looking at more kid centered crafts, and many of these involve felt.  On the websites and books they usually state to use wool felt.  I did the price comparison and wool felt is quite a bit more expensive.  So, I just kept using the other stuff.  I finally decided a month or so ago that if everyone keeps talking about it, then it must be worth using.  So I ordered some (as I haven't found a local shop that carries it).  Okay, everyone is right!  I am never going back.  It's amazing how much nicer to work with the wool is.  Plus the wool just looks nicer to start with. 
I made my son his birthday crown last year using, you guessed it, the poly felt. (The stars are wool as they were added this year).

I made my daughter's out of the wool felt this year.


Yes, L's has had a year of rough play behind it, so maybe next year I should pull them out to compare again.  But I think these pictures speak for themselves.  I didn't use a pattern, just what I remembered from reading The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections. Which if you haven't checked out this book, you should.  I now know that birthday crowns are a Waldorf tradition, but reading this book was my first introduction to them.
I'd like to say that from now on I'll listen when people call for a better quality material.  Yes, let's leave it there, I'd like to say that I'll listen.