Chestnut Fun

We got sooo many. All week it's been the big "thing" to play with. We count them, we sort them by size, we put them on the couch, in the bathtub, on the floor, we made fall decoration... simple and so beautiful! Truely my style of playing...

We also have chicken!

I just saved 35 Euros buying wood animals at the Ostheimer Outlet near us. A real treat. The shop experience was wonderful - being surrounded by soooo many handcrafted wood animals. The best impression was looking at about 50 baby Jesus' in one row. We had a hard time choosing. Originally we only wanted to get a gift for a friend's 4th birthday. L had also already gotten some for christmas. Then she fell in love with a tree! Which I am so happy about, bc my Mom used to have such a tree when I was a kid (I'm still mad at her for throwing it out or whatever happened with it). So it was a good "excuse" for getting our own. Since most of the items were half price off, I found myself also buying some really small animals for the tree - a squirrel, a bird, an owl and a little mouse. Most of them were about 5 Euros each. Still a lot, but so worth it, considering they're all handmade and everlasting.

Since L has about all the toys she "needs" until she's 10, I'd recommend everyone to add to the animal farm (preferrably animals from our real life experience), if anyone wants to get her a little gift (hello Grandparents, Daddy & Co!).

Nice Scarfs to play with or decorate

I recommend this ebay-shop: http://www.ebay.de/itm/250923528350?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2648.
I just bought 9 colored (Waldorf) scarves to either decorate the season's table or for L. to build caves, houses, rooms, wrap her babies... whatever. This lady has them in all colors and for a really good price. I had been looking around for a while, but all I found from "real" Waldorf suppliers (catalogues etc.) were quite expensive, I thought. So I'm happy I found these... I can't post pictures yet, because the set of rainbow scarves is going to be my birthday gift for L. ;)

Spring Table (part 2)

Story of the Root Children (Etwas von den Wurzelkindern)

This book by Sibylle von Olfers (amazon.com, amazon.de) is a classic.

While I was doing a bit of research on the season's table, I realized that especially the spring sceneries often are based on this story - the root children being awakened by Mother Earth and then they turn into flower children in spring with new colorful dresses and each of them representing one kind of flower. Until after summer and fall they return to Mother Earth and sleep through the winter.

Today was a really mild almost spring type of day. I took down all our winter decoration and cleaned my living room window (I don't clean any other windows as this is the only window we actually look through, the others are not worth it... hehe). And then Lenara and I got all excited about creating our own little root children. I made one today. And once again it felt soooo good creating something with my hands. While I was making it, Lenara took out her finger colors and colored her entire table - no, she didn't want a sheet of paper to paint on. I knew it was going to be a mess eventually, but I could tell she was enjoying it a lot - as much as I was enjoying my work. So I let her do what she had to do. And after all, I did what I had to do... clean. ;)

Since Lenara enjoyed the Christmas play on our winter table so much, our spring one will be the root children. We'll collect natural things like little flowers, stones, etc. outside during our walks and I will continue making more children, mother earth and the spring and summer dresses. We already collected little oval stones to paint them and use them as ladybugs and all type of bugs that appear in the book. I can't wait! A project in progress. And one we definitely both enjoy as much.

And these as well

I had them in my mind all night... think I'm going to make some like that.
(found on ebay, not possible to link).

And some I really REALLY want (books)

Olles Reise zu König Winter von Elsa Beskow und Diethild Plattner (I just ordered this one for Xmas)
Pelles neue Kleider von Elsa Beskow
Die Wichtelkinder von Elsa Beskow
Etwas von den Wurzelkindern von Sibylle von Olfers
Christof und die Tiere von Christiane Lesch

Our absolute Favorites (books)

Meine ersten Geschichten von Anne Steinwart und Dagmar Geisler von Oetinger

Das große Gähnen: Eine Zoo- und Gutenacht-Geschichte von Monika Spang und Sonja Bougaeva von Atlantis, Orell Füssli

Die Krickelkrakels. Das bewegte Buch von Die Krickelkrakels von Oetinger

Henriette Bimmelbahn von James Krüss und Lisl Stich

Klumpedump und Schnickelschnack von Bettina Stietencron und Hedwig Diestel

Bobo reist aufs Land
von Hakon Mielche

The little star (continued)

Both Lenara and I really enjoy our new little tradition. She wants to read the book about the little star about every night. We light up the room only with candles and I read it to her. A magical atmosphere. Last night Lenara surprised me. After I had read the book one time, she asked to look through it again. She recited every (EVERY!) line of the book - correctly. And it's not an easy language - but rhymes. Children remember rhymes so quickly. Amazing!!! It was so fascinating to watch her. And she was proud of herself indeed.

This is what our scene looks like right now:

1st Sunday in Advent = Scenery
2nd Sunday in Advent = Stars, Sheep & Cock
3rd Sunday in Advent = Ox & Donkey






to come:

4th Sunday in Advent = Flower (Christmas Rose)
Christmas Eve = Baby Jesus with Maria & Joseph

Mickey Mouse in da House

Jumping Jack

Creative Day

Today I spent all morning (regardless of any other to-dos on my list... and let me tell you, it felt sooooo good being creative and not keeping the watch in mind every second) -- making a garage for Lenara's bigger vehicle toys. And we recently bought another little IKEA expedit shelve for her stuff. With lots of baskets. I made little tags for them today. What a fun morning. I miss being creative so much. It's good for my soul. I need to take better care of my soul these days... (on the list).

I miss you international Mommy.

Felting

Lisa Jordan made these - so wonderful and inspiring! I'm in love with her work! And she has some tutorials too!



These are stones!




And here's my try:


I'm really not happy with the result. I predict it'll all fall apart, when Lenara is playing with it. :(

Summer Outfits for Annabel and Maruun

Making Play Dough!

Rainy Day. Tea. Pretzels. Erykah Badu blasting from the web radio...
We made some play dough for the first time today. So fun! That's going to be something we'll do a lot in the future.






RECEIPE:
What you need for making this non-toxic play dough, which will last a couple of weeks in a plastic container/bag in your fridge:

200g flour/Mehl (type 405)
100g salt/Salz
2EL/table spoons safflower oil/Distelöl
2EL/table spoons tartaric acid/Weinsäure (Apotheke/Pharmacy)
200ml boiling water/kochendes Wasser

optional:
(dry or fluid) food coloring/Lebensmittelfarbe (Pulver oder flüssig)

Take 2/3 of the flour. Mix it with salt and tartaric acid (use hand mixer). Slowly add the boiling water while mixing. Add oil. If the dough is still too greasy add the rest of the flour bit by bit and start working with your hands until dough is perfect. If you use food coloring powder add it to the dry ingredients in the beginning. If you use the fluid, add in the end. We separated 3 parts and used 3 different colors.

NOTE: The dough is non-toxic, yet NOT edible! Children shouldn't eat a larger amount. So please watch your kids when using the play dough!

Some more examples of our work. We loved the table soccer part: