In their hearts

As we head into February, the girls have been eager to begin valentine art projects.  Yesterday, inspired by the always awesome blog, The Artful Parent, we drew and painted hearts, filled with drawings of people and things that are in our hearts.

An example of J's stream of consciousness thinking-- spirals led to snails...

I asked Willow why none of her family members made the list and she told me that there wasn't room for us!  Love that Roly Polys (yes, the insect) and the African Savannah (??) made the list but not us :-)

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Boston Museum of Science

Last weekend, Jay and I took the kids to the Boston Museum of Science.  I can't believe this is the first time we have made it there (Actually, I can. Admission costs $22 for adults and $19 for children.  Thank goodness for library passes that got us in for $5 each!!).  The museum really well planned.  The displays are fun, interactive  and interesting for all ages. There was so much to see that we barely scratched the surface in the 6 hours that we were there.  We'll definitely go back...soon!

View of Boston across the Charles River.  Taken from the museum restaurant

The kids were SO thilled to see dinosaur bones.

Another favorite was the butterfly room.   It was full of all sorts of amazingly beautiful butterflies and moths.  Indigo especially loved this little speckled one.

This is a real Atlas Moth!!  It is nocturnal, so it just stays in one place, sleeping all day.  It is bigger than a lot of birds!

Snow!

This has been such a strange winter so far.  The only snow we saw fell before Halloween, and most of the winter has been unseasonably warm.  Today, though, we awoke to a few inches of snow.  The girls were beyond thrilled!  Hoping for more ahead (as long as it always falls on the weekend and doesn't cause school to be canceled)...

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The girls and I spent this chilly holiday at home, making art.  We talked a bit about Dr. King and , particularly, his peaceful, nonviolent methods of protest.  Afterward, I invited the girls to use the computer to type  out their feelings about Dr. King and the things he accomplished.  They cut out their thoughts and pasted them onto a painting that they had created especially for this project.  They were so proud of the results!  I think the project also really encouraged them to think more about the importance of the day and the man.  When the girls argued later in the night and Indigo shoved Willow, she wailed "I sorry I didn't use peace!!"

Later, we made peace sign paper plates, an idea I found here: http://www.frugalfamilyfunblog.com/2010/09/toddler-art-groovy-peace-signs.html .  Willow is obsessed with hearts and peace signs these days.  I remember the little girl who came to our little art class also drew peace signs on everything when she was about this age.  There must be something very appealing about drawing symbols around this time.

Growing

Julia Indigo just started a little preschool program one day per week for a couple of hours.  She looks like such a big girl in her backpack with name tag written by her.  So cute...

Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary

Yesterday we visited another Audubon sanctuary-- Broad Meadow Brook.    Audubon sanctuaries are great because they always have well marked trails, nice boardwalks protecting the wetlands, educational displays and nice bathrooms.  All the keys to a successful hike with small children.  This sanctuary was no exception.  After we perused the very cool displays in the nature center, we headed out on this beautiful 60 degree day (Is this really January in New England!!?).  We were a little disappointed by our proximity to the surrounding neighborhoods-- we were just about walking through backyards at first-- and the factory and train noise.  The girls loved the rocky stream crossings, though and and little icy creeks. 
Afterward, we headed in to Worcester for an awesome lunch at Mezcal Tequila Cantina.  They gladly made an allergy free special order for Julia Indigo.  The rest of us ordered dishes that were amazingly healthy and fresh for New England Mexican food.  There were vegetarian options in every category and my vegetarian burrito was full of yummy treats like squash and mushrooms.  We'll definitely eat there again (soon!). 
When we finished eating, Jay and I walked the girls a block down to Colombus Park, a really nice, nearly new park with lots of fun, unique structures for the kids to run around on.  Next time, we'll follow the hiking trails leading from the park, up the hill, to several other parks. 
All in all a fun way to spend a pretty winter day!

Hanging out at the nature center

A little interactive area along the trail

A little art on the way

The water made the hike for the girls

The little ice streams were a lot of fun, too.

Art

The other day, the kids and I decided to create collages out of old magazines.  The results of this project are always so much more surreal than I could ever have planned.

Willow:  Love the little flower she made in the lower left side of the picture out of a blue dog paw print and a strip of house siding.  So creative!

Julia:  She said her goal was to "creep Daddy out" and I think she succeeded.  The random eyes were creepy enough but the addition of the Steve Buscemi was genius (and totally her own idea)!

Chirp Chirp

Boy, you take one week off from posting and then it becomes another and then another and here it has been more than a month since I posted anything in this little space.  Sorry friends and family!  I didn't make a New Year's resolution, so I hereby resolve to be better about posting (course, we all know what happens to resolutions...but I'll make a good effort!).

Christmas is over but I am still going to post some pictures of some of the craft projects the girls and I created over the holiday break.  Love the handmade touch on our holiday mantel!

Decorating the Christmas tree.

The tree themed mantel this year.    I saw the tree branch with hanging ornaments idea in a magazine and wanted to try making one here.  I love it so much that I am working on some non-Christmasy decorations to hang on it for the rest of the year!

Another use for the girls' watercolor paintings.  This time I cut trees out of the paintings and the girls added glitter to them, and to the toilet paper roll tree trunks.  I am keeping these up a while longer too.  I am such a sucker for watercolor paintings (especially ones done by such talented artists :-)

The tree on the left was made by hot gluing multicolored yarn to a cardboard cone from Michaels.  The middle tree was sewn together out of an old, felted sweater.  No idea where the wooden tree came from!

Another cardboard cone at center that the kids painted.  Willow used a snowflake punch and then glued the snowflakes around the "tree".  This one is a keeper!  Two more poorly sewn felted trees in front.

Willow-- always funky.  I swear she is going to be a fashion stylist some day....