december twenty-seventh : pieces

wellp. it's a dang good thing I gave myself a week to get (thoroughly) organized.
honestly, she says as she rolls her eyes at herself.
ah, well.
movin' on!

the pistachio shells are off the floor.
the shelves off the kitchen are emptied of All Things That Do Not Permanently Live Here. (the empty spaces fill up very, very quickly - that's why we have them.)

a single layer of things in the catch-all tray. a miracle, that.

the rubber stamps are in their proper place. (that means in order.)
certain things have had their thrice-yearly polish. (spring, fall, new year.)
a dresser drawer has been designed and created for crowns and hats and gloves and fancy tea dresses.

one of my best ideas ever. had no idea where I was gonna put this stuff.

the things that got lost in the holiday tornado that was Christmas Morning were pointed out and at least held for a few seconds. (particularly, i'm speaking of National Geographic Kids Almanac 2011 - I really think it will see much love over the next year or so.)
the games of last week -and last month- have been taken out of the livingroom's cabinet, and are now piled too high downstairs in the rumpus room.


finally, a place for Maddie's new puzzles. she'd been patiently waiting.


and a looksee at a new book.


hey! Rumis!


I think we'll really like this one... wanted to let you know 'bout this, if you don't have it. It's gotten really great reviews, and has won numerous awards. The reviews all say start at age 8-10, but we love Blokus (and Maddie's brain is wired this way), and we do just fine.
We played for the first time today - played two games, and really enjoyed it.

Mancala.


and other good stuff.


now here's what I've been wanting to tell you about.
' could be that I'm the only one that didn't know 'bout such a thing, but in case that's not true, I wanted to share.



I got these two coloring book references from Theresa at Lapaz Home Learning quite a while ago. I remembered them, and ordered them for under our tree. (have to admit outright that they were for me, as I just tug the children along sometimes.)
really, really cool.
we'll be checking these out casually-- kid-friendly great artist library books, then using different mediums or techniques for our own interpretations or reproductions.
this isn't a required thing, mind you-- I just want them to understand that every artist has the right to create and express as suits them... and that many different styles and expressions are possible and accepted. even celebrated.

this evolution went something like: Trev and I checked out Vincent Van Gogh, and soon it was evident that today was not the day for such things. So I said, "hey, how 'bout kid library books for learning about these artists?" and he said "okay", and we moved on to Lost Cities.


"Mom!! Is it time to paint, now!?!" Maddie jumps and sings.
"Well... Trevy doesn't want to... you wannu, still?"
"Yes!"
"Okay... which one do you want to create? I choose The Birth of Venus."
Maddie chose Salvador Dali's The Persistence of Memory.
(as I plan to use and have these books for as long as possible, we are not coloring directly in the book.)


so Madd's building after she paints, and i'm still coloring mine, and she asks, "what's the fear of climbing stairs called?"
"I have no idea," I say.
She continues to build her restaurant with the citiblocs... "Oh, yeah. I know what it's called. Climacophobia. 'Cause it starts with 'climb'."
"Want me to look it up?" I asked, being impressed, but totally figuring she made it up.
"Yeah."
Enters 'the fear of climbing stairs' on her handy-dandy laptop (always nearby), "Climacophobia", it says. "Climacophobia!! How did you know that!?! Was that on Word Girl?" asks her Mama.
Yup.
:)

all quietens down,
Madd heads to her room for some more puzzle time,
and Trev is downstairs with his Godzilla friends.

all is well here -
and right,
and fine,
and good.