Jonah Lisa Land

Extra Hand Trick

Do you know what this little gadget is?

It's called a carabiner (cara-BE-ner) and it's a piece of climbing gear.  We live in a climbing mecca so these things are everywhere.  I've recently hit on a great way to use carabiners (aka 'biners or d-rings) as a piece of mommy gear, too.

See, my house is 3 stories, I have a large yard and I am forever leaving the baby monitor behind as I move around the place getting things done.  Nothing annoys me more than getting everything I need down in the basement or out on the patio and them realizing I have to go all the way back upstairs to get the stupid monitor.  Well, no more...

It's the perfect solution for me.  I've started clipping a carabiner to my belt loop when we go on short walks, too.  On a big walk we'll take a small pack, but on a short walk a carabiner gives me a place to hook a water bottle and Huck's ballcap or jacket when he inevitably gets tired of them. 

It's really like having an extra hand, and what mom doesn't need one of those?

And don't worry if you don't live near any mountain cimbing.  Most cities have rock climbing gyms these days so you can find carabiners at almost any sporting goods store.  Lots of people use them as key rings which is another great idea for moms.  That way you can hook your keys to the outside of your purse or diaper bag instead of dropping them into the black hole.

Anyway, hope it helps you like it has me.

Nest Cam :: Laying

Welcome to our Nest Cam!!  

Here's the story so far...

While we were away (for the whole month of April!) on a long cross-country road trip all the snow at our house melted and a female robin started building a nest on our front porch.  When we returned home we found this amazing creation on a pile of pinecones I keep in a little stand planter as part of my fall and winter decorations. 

I usually put the pinecones away once the snow melts and then I plant flowers there but this year I was late getting to that chore.  I guess sometimes it can pay off to be late.  Since we've been home I've actually thought about moving the nest.  I didn't know if whoever built it had already used it or perhaps even decided the front porch was too busy an area and abandoned it for a new nesting site.  But I was a little worried to move it, too.  And since you can't plant flowers in Eastern Idaho for another week or so anyway, we just decided to wait. 

We've looked at the nest several times.  The construction is amazing.  Besides using twigs and plant matter, robbins also use mud.  They pack it between the twigs an then the mud dries, hardening like cement.  When I was thinking about moving it, I gave the nest a little poke (probably not a good idea).  It didn't even budge.  It's like it's glued to those pinecones. 

Well, It's a very good thing we took the patient approach because yesterday morning Huck and I took a peek outside and saw this...

We've named her Clementine and she's definitely up to something. 

We've also learned that American Robins lay 3-5 eggs over the course of a few days.  Check in tomorrow and maybe we'll get a peek inside the nest to see if she's laid anything yet.

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Introducing...Nest Cam 2009!

Very exciting news at our house.  A pair of American Robins have decided to nest on our front porch!  We feel so honored.  We have a perfect view from the powder room window.  Close enough to see all the action but removed enough not to be a disturbance.  We've locked the front door and roped off the bottom of the front stairs.

We'll be following the progress of the robins via our Nest Cam and we'd like to invite you to join us. 

You will be able to access all Nest Cam posts, and only Nest Cam posts, from that button in my sidebar. Or you can grab the button for your own site so you and your readers can access the daily reports straight from your own blog. 

Here's the code: <a href="http://thetobyshow.typepad.com/the_toby_show/nest-cam/"><img src="https://thetobyshow.typepad.com/NestCamButton-150.jpg"></a>

These posts will be 100% family friendly and totally appropriate for kids.  That's right, I'm cleaning up my act.  I'm even gonna change my banner.  I really hope you'll join us as we watch everything unfold.  The whole process should take about a month, give or take.  3 or 4 days to lay the clutch of eggs, 12 or so days of incubation, and then 13 or so days for the babies to mature and fledge.  I'll try to do a Nest Cam post daily (at the very least every other day).  Along with the daily progress report and photo I'll also be posting links with cool information we learn about robins and even a few robin and nest related art and craft projects to do.

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The fun starts tomorrow!  Don't miss it!

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Jemma :: 5 months

Happy Weekend

Watch this.  It will make you feel good.

Cheap & Easy :: Button Snake

Welcome One Crafty Place readers!

I haven't done anything Cheap & Easy in a while (Unless you ask my husband.  Waka Waka.) so when I saw this Montessori inspired project a few weeks ago on my friend's blog One Hook Wonder I knew it would be one of the first things I made when I got home from our big roadtrip.

Turns out the mommy blogs are silly with these little things.  Check out various other incarnations here, here & here, too.  Color me surprised.  I'd never even seen them before. 

It's a great way to teach preschoolers the complex practical life skill of buttoning and unbuttoning while having a whiz bang of a time.

You can pretty much get the idea of how to do this just by looking at the thing but here are some basic instructions for the...well...craft challenged.  There's nothing to be ashamed about (bless your heart).

Materials:

One big button
A length of ribbon
A bunch of felt
Needle & thread/embroidery floss

1. Fold the ribbon down and sew the button to the top.

2. Cut a bunch of felt squares.  Use the button you choose to determine the size of square that will be best.

3.  Snip a slit in each little felt square.  Again, use your button as your guide.  You can certainly use any type of heavy-ish fabric but the nice thing about using felt is there won't be any fraying over time.

4. Take one square and slide it down to the bottom, leaving about 2 inches of "tail" at the bottom.  Sew that ribbon to that square on both sides.  This is your base.  Other examples may have done this differently, or even left the bottom "open," but this is how I chose to do it.

5.  Put it all on a plate or in a small basket and let 'em string it up.

This project took less than 30 minutes and I made two.  Huck loved doing this and got really good at it very quickly. 

This game might not have a super long life but you can always pass it along to a younger friend or sibling.  And don't waste the first time your child uses this.  It takes concentration.  Set your child up just before you need to start making dinner.  Show them how to do a few of them and then marvel from across the room as they work on it "all by myself" for the next half hour!

TIP:  Another great opportunity for your child to practice new buttoning skills without making a thing is when you wash bedding.   If you use duvet covers on your beds, assign your child the task of unbuttoning them, and then rebuttoning them again once the duvets are washed.  It's like having a free Montessori dressing frame in every room.

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If you liked this, you'll like the other Cheap & Easy projects.

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Mama's got a brand new bag!

Huck's not the only one sporting a new bag these days.  This was my Mother's Day present from Stephen...

It's a cute little handbag made from the cover of an old book.  It's from a fabulous Etsy shop called A Spoonful of Chocolate Hope.  I would have never known it existed if it weren't for a wonderful Toby Show reader.  Thank you, Dani (and if you haven't checked out Dani's blog, please do so now).  Dani tipped me off to the bag in the comments section, I went to check it out, I loved it, I bookmarked it and I made a mental note to thank Dani and buy the bag.  Those mental notes are tricky.  I'm always losing them in the wash. 

Fortunately, Stephen reads my blog.  When I want to vent about diaper inequality or whiskers on my toothbrush it's unfortunate.  But when he reads the comments, checks out links and buys me stuff my readers find and know I would love, it's very fortunate indeed.

Thanks, honey. 

Upcycled Field Bag

I got this wonderful idea from Camp Creek Blog.  A child's field bag made from an old pair of pants.  Brilliant, I say.  It's one of those projects I've had bookmarked forever. 

Well, the snow has finally melted here and uncovered all kinds of things that little boys find absolutely irresistible and interesting.  Huck has been bringing home sparkly rocks, sticks shaped like letters and sap covered pine cones so I decided it was time to make a field bag to encourage his exploration--and keep the all those lovely bits of nature out of my washing machine.

It's really meant to be utilitarian so it's probably dumb to have embellished it.  It'll most likely be covered in mud in short order.  But what the hell.  I have trouble passing up any opportunity to use felt.

As you clean out the closet this spring be sure not to throw out any pants or shorts that are made from sturdy material and have good pockets.  And if you don't find any you can always hit your local thrift store, where I picked up these khakis for $1.50.  I think camo cargo pants would make a great field bag. 

Once you choose the right pair of pants you can actually make 2 bags.  Perfect if you have more than one child or as a gift for your child's best pal.  I'm making our second pants leg into a bag for another 3 year old boy who recently moved into our neighborhood and is ironically named Finn.  

I mean, come on, Huck and Finn out collecting rocks and poking at bugs?  

It was meant to be.

To make the bag simply cut the pants or shorts in half up the crotch.  You'll want to cut out the fly.  Use the waist as the top of the bag and cut off the legs so the bag is the length you want.  Now you'll have 2 pieces and each piece will be one bag.  Turn one piece it inside out and sew it closed at the bottom (what used to be the leg) and down one side (where the fly used to be).  Now turn it right side out and that's your pouch with a front and back pocket and belt loops at the top.  For the handles I just cut out the inseams of the rest of both pant legs.  Cut as close to the seam as you can and make 2 long strips.  Sew one end of each of the strips to the top of the bag at oposite sides.  Tie the loose ends together in a knot.  Be sure and leave the straps long and tie the knot lower if you want to be able to "let it out" as your child grows.

Here's a peek inside the field bag of a 3 year old explorer. 

Magnifying glass, specimen jar, a bit of twine (you never know), a flashlight,
a chapstick, a pair of gloves, a few popsicle sticks (for poking stuff),
and some Pocket Naturalist Guides

The specimen jar is just a plastic McCormick's Spice jar.  These make great specimen jars because they are lightweight, and have an inner lid with air holes! 

In the Spring especially, we like to carry a plastic grocery bag for picking up bits of trash the melting snow has revealed. 

Like the Collage Kit I made Huck a while back, this will also go on my list of go to gifts for kids' birthdays.  It's simple, inexpensive and thoughtful.  You can easily personalized it with a name or initials and fill it with age-appropriate stuff geared specifically to the child's interests...

For the tiny entomologist:  A specimen jar, magnifying glass & a butterfly or Common Insects Guide

For the budding artist:  A mini watercolor set, colored pencils and a sketch pad

For the animal tracker: An Echo Pocket Scope and an Animal Tracks Guide

For the junior botanist: A small plant press or notebook and a North American Tree or flower guide

For the young ornithologist: Lightweight binoculars and a bird guide for your region

For the little geologist: A Rocks & Minerals Guide, water dropper, scratch stone & small pick

Or you can do what I did and just fill it with stuff you already have at home.  It's the cheapest option and leaves lots of room for a kid's interests and field bag needs to develop over time. 

Be sure and check out all the Pocket Naturalist Guides that are available though.  They're really great and just the right size to take on a walk.  There are bird and tree guides for different regions of the US and even several specific states.  If you live near a pond there are a few guides specific to Pond Life.  They even make ones for Urban Wildlife, Edible Plants, and First Aid.  We love these guides as well as the bigger and more detailed Audubon Field Guides that we use at home and these great nature guides, which I've written about before.  Huck loves his guides but is only just getting the idea of how to use them.  In the meantime there's a lot of pretend going on around here.

He says that the potholes on our dirt road are dinosaur tracks.

And since I made the field bag he's been having daily pretend nature walks around the house, too.  I'm ashamed to say he's caught three dead houseflies.  Whatcha gonna do?

For great nature walk inspiration visit Imagine Childhood.  The shop carries lots of wonderful explorer kits & identification charts and the blog features a reader's nature walk every week.

Gimme an L!

As in LOSER ! 

Is that not the saddest, dorkiest cheerleader you have ever seen in your life? 

I know you just said yes. 

Well, you're wrong!  Dead wrong.

I may have been sad and dorky but some of these other girls were definitely giving me a run for my money.  And hey, I had spirit, dammit!

Football is serious business in Texas.  Even PeeWee football.  And even though I was a major tomboy, the lure of regulation pom poms was strong.  I also wasn't rebel enough to demand to play.  It never even crossed my mind.  Honestly, it's not that I wanted to be a cheerleader so badly, I really just wanted to be a cute girl.

Unfortunately, they don't make shoe pom poms big enough to hide the fact that I was skinny and buck-toothed and a head taller than all the boys.

I mean look at that lineup.  A chubby girl, the only black girl in the entire league, an awkward white chick with an afro, a Yankee, and a skinny, knock-kneed redhead.  There are two cute petite girls in there, too but I'm sure they had speech impediments or lazy eyes or something.  Even our little mini peewee cheerleaders were tantrum prone.  I knew we didn't look like the other squads.  And yes, it hurt.

We were like the Bad News Bears of peewee football cheerleading.  It's like they took all the gangly, overweight, minority, nerdy girls who wanted to cheer and put them on one team so as not to infect the other adorable squads with our dorkiness.

And we sucked, too.  There was no movie ending for the Texan's cheerleaders.  We didn't look ridiculous but rock the crowds with our coordination, spirit and style, putting all the squads of cute girls in good fitting uniforms to shame.  There was no third act where the coach of the other squad came over and apologized for not believing in us as they handed over the trophe we should have rightly won but lost on a technicality.  There was however a nasty episode where I overheard one of the football player's moms lamenting the fact that the Texans, our team of little he-men, had the worst cheerleaders in the league. 

No, we were as bad as we looked.  I wish I had more pictures, but just take a moment and try imagine us doing a pyramid.  Or herkies.  Oh, how we tried. 

Okay, now shake your head and scour the image of me doing a herkie in that get up from your brain.

If you can.

Ever heard of a Snow Roller?

I hadn't either until I moved to Idaho.

Let me introduce you...

This is a rare and naturally occuring phenomenon.  Those are not snow covered hale bales, people.  It's a product of the magical combination of cold, snow, wind, just the right amount of moisture and high plains. 

These rollers occurred on the other side of Idaho from us, but on the day before we crossed the state line to come back from our long, Springtime journey.  There are many reasons to love Idaho (and if a native Texan can say that it really must be true) but also many, many reasons to pack up and move to Hawaii.