beady-ize

for the past few weeks, edgar has been festooning himself as though for mardi gras, and david has been the photo-journalist. here is a random assortment of accessories and outfits.

i am thankful for the great grab-bags of costume jewels from the neighbourhood services, which allow us to keep our son in the style to which he has become accustomed.

it's not oatmeal..

here is a play-clay recipe that comes in handy when one's pantry is out of..... salt?
which is a situation i realized i was in today, kind-of.
(honestly, can you believe that i have fleur-de sel, Himalayan pink, Australian pearl, rock, french grey sea, sea+garlic, kosher, et cetera, et cetera, salts....and no ordinary table salt??? i need to give myself a shake.)oatmeal play-clay
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup flour
1 cup intant oatmeal
food colouring
mix it up!
a great little squish-ball...
store in an airtight container.
~

(recipe from 'the ultimate book of kid concoctions' by j. thomas and d. pagel)

magic muck

a great treat arrived in the mail today...marg sent us a book called 'the ultimate book of kid concoctions' and it truly seems to be as described...a great selection of recipes for paints, glues, clays, putties, and yes, muck. the girl and i chose the *muck* for an activity during edgar's naptime.

food colouring

3/4 C corn starch

1/3 C water

mix it up, let it sit for a few minutes, then have fun!

this stuff is liquid until you squeeze it, and then it firms up very convincingly only to melt away as soon as you relax your grip...very good fun.

and serves as a very good bog in which to ensnare unwitting creatures.

queen bee

i had promised myself that i would fashion a crown for our friend tym's birthday present...and then was caught by the 'flu.

time passed in a groggy haze then

all of a sudden, her birthday party is tomorrow!

~

so tonight, in a burst of health-appreciative energy, i puttered together a treasure-encrusted headpiece for her make-believe.

tym and esther often lord about together in royal finery, and the tiara is always the weakest link...

yes, there have been a few dramatic moments attempting to explain to a de-crowned queen that some plastic just does not glue back together well.

at all.

so, here a quick document of the frenzy, and the resulting prize.

i'm delighted, and can't wait to blast one together for esther as well.

(tilt head to left... now)

goodnight, sweet prince.

yoo-hoo, robins...

two sure signs of spring on spruce street,

1)puddle socks

and

2)the great orange cat venturing onto the porch. edgar also took his first splashy steps in the sunshine, although he preferred a more contemplative approach to the seasons' cusp...

he peacefully settled into investigating the new environment,
as only a thickly diapered child would.

tiny rubber boots are the perfect vessel

for carrying

the scent of springtime into a home.

not chocolate

a project thomas and esther worked on last week...

"worms-in-dirt!"mushy and squshy and messier than real worms.

lesson learned.

pearls before pups

we had a big dress-up day on monday...the search was on for crowns, pearls, bracelets and the perfect princess gown. i was informed that she was a princess from africa.

i have heard it said that a child's work is play, and i understand the sentiment...very serious business, this make-believe, complete with lofty voice and demure comportment.

a sweet elegant,

then a seamless transmogrification into a "white puppy with a pink nose, please",

and the princess gown is easily a silky puppy coat, eventually to become accented by a pink scarf 'tail.'

gorgeous.