remaking

i've been on a crafty kick lately, and the object has been my overflowing paper/cardboard recycling...

project #1: it's been in the back of my mind that i haven't made any effort to teach l her letters the way i did with c.  not that i doubt she'll learn them in due course, but i thought i should at least give her the opportunities.  having seen a few activities online, i looked around the kitchen and it clicked:

cereal box + junk mail + always-underfoot-letter-magnets = letter sorter box

just cut the front panel off and use it to make the dividers

it's been gratifying to see that she (and of course her sister) genuinely likes it.  she has no problem sorting them even though she doesn't know all the letter names yet.  guess we need to make two more for the rest of the letters!

projects #2 and #3:  homemade puzzles.  obviously, we go through a lot of puzzles around here ;-)

my first attempt involved a granola bar box and a catalog:

while i was quite pleased with the aesthetics, it didn't stand up to real play. the pieces were too thin to stay together well, so i added another layer of thin cardboard (a magic hat six-pack holder to be precise ;-) ).  i just used a glue stick and heavy duty scissors for this one. 

double sided ;-)

with the extra backing, it's a usable puzzle for c, but you have to be a bit careful to hold the pieces together.  so i kept looking..

#3:  aha! 

used coloring book cover + jumbo granola bar box =

the key was the corrugated cardboard.  i used an exacto knife for this one.  i won't lie - it took quite a long time to make this 24-piecer, and i wouldn't do it just for fun, but i'm looking forward to making some personalized ones for special occasions.  a more artistic person could cut design some really cool shapes too.  i thought about hiding the letters of a name, for example.

the corrugated cardboard made this one suitable for real use =)

c's only complaint was that the granola side made her want to eat some ;-)

postscript:  my recycling is still overflowing, but having found it so useful, i hate to take it out now and lose that stash of materials ;-)  so maybe i outsmarted myself =p

tender hearts

we bought daddy a birthday present today.  a sort of surprise, not really a surprise, birthday present.  at dinner, little l starts to say, 'daddy, we got you a ----'

'lucy!' i must have said it a little too sharply because she splutters, 'but i just want to tell daddy..' she can't finish because her little mouth starts quivering, then drooping, and a stream of heartbroken tears gushes out.  we both rush to comfort, but i can't tell if it's her tears or mine dripping down my face.

may you always have such a sweet and tender spirit.  may you always want to tell your daddy everything and anything in your gentle, loving little heart.

of kool-aid and ice skates

one of the best things about these few short preschool years is the abundance of firsts.  there are those you put in the baby book - first smile, first tooth, first steps - and then there are those everyday firsts, so many more, you could spend all your time just recording them. 

like a few weeks ago, when lu suddenly showed up having put her coat and gloves on herself (fingers all in the right holes), for the first time. 

like the girls' first valentines that they made for their little bible study friends.

like c tugging on my sleeve to say, 'i want to bring my treats [valentine's package from grandma and grandpa] to j's house, so we can share them with our friends.'  all the more precious because i know it was a meditated decision, not a natural impulse.

like lu saying out of the blue, 'mommy, you're the best!'

like overhearing c introducing herself to a girl at the playground.  'i told her i'm 3 1/2,' she told me afterwards.  this may not sound like a big deal, but initiating a friendly gesture out of her familiar circle - maybe there's hope for our little introvert =)

like our first pitcher of kool-aid (more properly speaking, our first blender of kool-aid, since that was the only container i could find =p).  we read a book that mentioned it, and ben found the girls' ignorance unpardonable.  so on the next shopping trip, we found this:

like our first try with ice skates.  c did well, with the help of a walker they had out for tots time.  her sister was less excited =p

and.. our first time on a zamboni ;-)

dupont circle

an old friend came through dc this weekend, and we met up at dupont circle near his hotel.  we only had a few hours, so we just strolled around the neighborhood, which turned out to be embassy central.  for reasons i can't quite articulate, i found it fascinating, this microcosm of the world.  the rest of you might not, so apologies ;-) 

we had a pastor who used to say, 'we don't have to go to the world anymore.  the world is coming to us.'  so here you are, a taste of the world in 5 blocks:

neat old architecture

albania

costa rica

 

laos

ireland

myanmar

pakistan

cyprus

the netherlands

chad - the rent for this must cost a quarter of their gdp

cote d'ivoire

south korea

venezuela

comic interlude ;-)

lesotho

turkey

lebanon

brookside gardens

i'll be the first to admit it: with the impending taiwan trip and the renewal of our violin lease (chinese and music being two of our homemade preschool categories), our nature activities have been rather neglected of late.  we did see a reptile show last month featuring a blue-tongued skink, a tegu, a python and a baby crocodile, so that was pretty nifty, but the last few weeks have been covered by issues of Zoobooks and another animal reference collection resurrected from my childhood.  granted, i can now tell you that there are five species of rhinos, of which three have two horns and two have one, but it's not exactly hands-on ;-)

i've had the brookside nature center in the back of my head for a few months, and with a fine day on tap and the girls awake early today, we decided to try it.  unfortunately, when i looked up the directions, i neglected to notice that they are closed on mondays, so that was that =p  fortunately, it's right next door to the brookside gardens, and we unwittingly stumbled on to a treasure that reminded me of the missouri botanical gardens.

after making our way across the boardwalks from the nature center to the gardens, we were met by the conservatory.  the morning was still chilly, so the greenhouse looked extra inviting, and it didn't disappoint.   oodles of flowers, tropical plants, waterfalls, fruit trees basked in the warm sunlight, and so did we.

an aptly named firecracker flower

that tickles!

the girls were delighted by the banana trees

this one's for grandma: a polkadotty plant!

lu declared this one of her favorites, and it seems fitting somehow

after warming up nicely, we headed out to the outdoor gardens, where my battery ran out.  humph.  nothing could have really captured the frolic of climbing every wall, racing down the paths, and gathering imaginary vegetables to serve in the treehouse of the children's garden anyways.  not that i wouldn't have tried ;-)  but here were my last few, and for sure, we will be back!

first they were lizards, now they've progressed to some kind of vertebrate ;-)

culinary corner: calling would-be bread bakers

i've always wanted to bake bread.  nothing better than that aromatic, crackling, homey goodness.  sight, smell, taste, touch, sound - fresh bread has it all.  but i've always been put off by the stickliness of the recipes: 'lukewarm' 105 degree water, knead, rest, rise, seemed like the stars had to align for worthwhile results.

no more!  my friend introduced me to the recipe below, and even invited me over to show me how easy it really was.  our kids mixed the ingredients (all four of them), i let it sit overnight, shaped it, let it sit some more, and voila!  bread by lunchtime with no more than 10 active minutes altogether.  after the first time, i didn't even look at the directions anymore.

so of course, i'm compelled to share =)  all you need is a covered pot and a cotton towel.  i suggest watching the 5 minute video below.  the original recipe is also below, but i'm copying it here to insert my comments (in gold) and pictures.  as for timeline, it works best for me to mix the ingredients at 5 or 6 pm, shape the dough say 9 am, then bake around 11 am.   as you'll see, it's extremely simple, just requires a bit of forethought on the timeline.

Recipe: No-Knead Bread

 

3 cups bread flour (NOT all purpose), more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon yeast (straight from the fridge is fine)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed (i just use flour)

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add about 1 5/8 cups water, (room temperature is fine) and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky (if too dry, add water by spoonfuls as needed). Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, up to 18, at room temperature. 

ready for step 2

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it (recipe says a towel but these days i use a floured cutting board or baking sheet for easy clean up); sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice (see video for technique).   Shape dough into a ball; put dough seam side down and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover lightly with a cotton towel (not terry cloth) and let rise for about 2 hours.

before second rise

after

3.  Half an hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees (i do 425). Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven.   Gather up dough and squeeze together to make a seam at the top, popping any large bubbles.  It may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes (I only do 13 min), until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack and enjoy the crackle!

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.   YUM!!

Recipe here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html?ref=dining

Article here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/08mini.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

Video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Ah9ES2yTU