Art therapy

Art therapy

On one of the many rainy days lately, the kids busted in the door from school on a mission. Like junkies looking for crack, they tore the house apart looking for art supplies, dumped everything on the table and got to work.

Intrigued, I made a cup of tea and joined in.

I was delighted watching Finn’s creative process.

I’m so familiar with Hadley’s. It’s organic for her. It’s who she is. Art literally seeps from every pore on this child. Peter and I compare her to Edward Scissorhands. She’s frenzied in her working style, with paper flying everywhere, moving at a manic pace but the outcome is always a detailed, terrifically imaginative piece.

Finn’s talents are coming out slowly over time as he ages. I’m enjoying seeing his confidence and talent bloom. He is thoughtful and methodical, favoring order and symmetry.

I loved the piece below for one specific reason. (ignore the water stain on the right. I did that.)

He was chewing a piece of gum while working and the wrapper was still on the table. I saw him pick it up, twist it on his pencil and go to glue it down. He looked up at me and said “Is this ok?” I assured him it was and that I loved it.

And I do. In fact, I think the gum wrapper is my favorite part.

Long after they had abandoned the art for video games, I stayed and finished the tissue paper “P” I was working on, drinking tea and listening to Adele’s “21” for the 7 millionth time.  I love how it turned out.

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Science is cool

Science is cool

We are a science loving family. Big time. Everything is a potential science experiment. I mean EVERYTHING. (PGP lives here after all.) So there was much excitement when Finn’s kindergarten teacher sent out a letter saying they were having a Science Fair. Love it! It’s never to early to start getting your science on.

Finny P loved the whole process and was SO into it. Peter, of course, the ultimate science fair pro, having done a trillion, was the master. (Honestly, I don’t think I have ever done one. Ever.) There was lots of hypothesizing and analyzing. As well as lots of creative juices involved in making the poster.

(note: He wanted to put the “6” next to his name so people would know he is 6 years old. It took everything I had not to object and rip it off and freak out and take control of the entire project. (exhale) BUT, I didn’t and it turned out exactly as it should. He was so proud explaining his experiment to everyone. (He made little tin foil boats in various shapes and then tested to see how many pennies each one could hold. Groundbreaking stuff.)

I watched Peter at the Science Fair today and smiled from afar. He went up to each child and asked what they learned from their experiment. He asked questions, was genuinely interested, and listened patiently as these 5 and 6 year olds rattled off what they learned. It was terribly sweet and a lovely reminder of why I love him so.

Here’s to many more Science Fairs!

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Lavender Lady

Lavender Lady

I love the smell of lavender. I used to hate it and thought it smelled like old ladies. (I would turn my nose up at the lavender scented products when I was stocking up on Spring Rain lotion and soap at Crabtree and Evelyn in high school. I love how scents can remind you of specific times.)

I digress…

But now I seek it out and inhale deeply every time I come into contact with it.

Sometimes, I’ll dab a little oil under each nostril to smell for hours.

I buy most all of my lavender products locally from Moondance Botanicals, a magical little shop in Denver you should check out if you’re in the area.

I always put lavender oil in the bath when I’m soaking. Sometimes if I’m just soaking my feet, I’ll put in a few drops. I highly recommend soaking your feet. An acupuncturist recommended it and I find it so relaxing, right before bed.

I have a bottle of lavender oil and water that I spritz in all of our rooms as the kids are getting on pajamas and readying for bed. I like to think it helps relax them too, or at least signal that it’s wind down time.

I love it in candles. St. Germain-en-Laye Lavender is one of my fave lavender scented candles. Peter, however, hates it and thinks it smells like “another guy is in the house” (he thinks it smells too much like a guy’s cologne) so I don’t buy it much anymore.

You can’t go wrong with an old classic like Dr. Bronner’s lavender soap.

And finally, on this little lavender tour, I save the best for last. Dagoba Lavender blueberry chocolate bar. Haven’t had this in a while because it’s not vegan but the combination of lavender, blueberry and chocolate is beyond delightful.

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