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....

Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our holiday weekend here in New England has been just amazing! Sunshine and highs in the 60s have made the days feel more like September than late November.  We took advantage of the lovely weather to head outside!  On Friday, we headed up to Worcester check out the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store-- a warehouse full of surplus and donated building supplies.  We left empty handed, but found a pretty park where the kids ran around and climbed the absurdly tall bridges.

Pretty bridge in the park

Watching the geese swim by under yet another interesting bridge.

The next day, we headed down to Sharon, Ma to visit one of the many great Audubon wildlife sanctuaries in Massachusetts-- Moose Hill. In weather warm enough to wear short sleeves (!!) we wandered the hilly trails.  Eventually, we arrived at a rocky outcropping, overlooking a pretty valley.  A great end to a great November day!

This may be when the tick hitched a ride on Willow's back :(

Looking out to the valley below.

Resting after e great hike.

Blue Hills Reservation

Today we headed out for a hike up to the top of the Great Blue Hill in the Blue Hills Reservation in Canton, MA.  There were big crowds-- probably due to the close proximity of the trail to Boston-- but the views made it all worthwhile.  Jay and I were so impressed by how well the girls did on the steep, rocky trail.  They are going to be great little hikers next summer!

View from the top-- Looking East

Looking North, to Boston

The weather observatory on top

Girls' Room Makeover

We have done so much work to the house since we moved in three years ago, but the bedrooms have always fallen to the bottom of the priority list.  Now that Willow is in Kindergarten and starting to have more playdates, I wanted to give her ( and Julia) a room she could be proud of, with lots of handmade touches.

Here is what Willow's side of  the very long room looked like before:

And here is what it looks like now:

I made the duvet cover by sewing together squares of different blue fabrics to line the edges of a red polka dot fabric.  I am so happy with the way it turned out!  I also made the pillow case and throw pillow for her bed, in Willow's favorite colors of turquoise and red.

 Julia's side before:

Indigo sleeps in the (former) book nook!

And after:

I made a "J" pillow for Julia Indigo, along with a pillow sham in her favorite colors-- red and blue.

I added pom pom fringe (can you tell I love that stuff?) and stamped the shade with a feather motif.  I think it adds a little funk to the room.

I printed out the partial lyrics to the song "Julia", by the Beatles, which Julia was named after (along with activist Julia Butterfly Hill).  I added a little ocean themed watercolor at the bottom.  The frame was an ugly faux wood, until I spray painted it turquoise.

Willow's "artwork" is a horse portrait I traced from a coloring page and she then painted.  Love how she happened to choose the colors I am using in her room!

Above Willow's bed is lyrics to Scarlet Begonias, by the Grateful Dead.  We often sing this verse to Willow because her name pops up in it (and it is one of her Dad and I's favorite songs).  To make this I just painted an oval canvas turquoise, added sparkly letters, and painted a little Willow tree along the edge.

I love to make buntings!  I couldn't resist adding one above the dresser.

More projects and pictures to come!!!