We've Moved

Please come see what we've been up to at the NEW (and hopefully vastly improved) Small Hands in the Big World site and tell me what you think. I'd love to hear your feedback.

The new site should load faster, be easier to search, and look better. What do you think? Was it worth the move from Blogger over to WordPress?

Learning WordPress has been much easier than I anticipated and I'm loving all the ways to customize my site. Uploading images doesn't don't seem to slow things down the way it did using Blogger and overall, WordPress appears to be a more sophisticated tool.

One disappointment was that importing my old posts hasn't been easy--they came out all garbled when I used the "automatic" import. However, I am transferring them over individually so everything will be in one place and you'll be able to easily search for projects or entries you may have enjoyed in the past.

Please come on over, take a look, and leave your comments. I love hearing from you and am so curious to get some feedback.

Thank you,
Liz

Shaving Cream and Sunshine

Who knew that a shaving cream project would be so perfect on a hot summer day? Apparently my kids did because they took this shaving cream idea and ran with it… literally.

It started as color mixing in Ziploc bags. One generous squirt of shaving cream plus a drop of food coloring per bag made for squishy fun as they watched color distribute throughout the foam. Knowing this would not satisfy their curiosity, I brought out two plastic containers on a tray (as if that would help contain the mess… ha!), reminded the kids that my birthday is coming up and asked if they would please decorate a cake for me. They didn’t get it at first but as soon as I cut a small triangle from the corner of each bag, their eyes lit up and they knew exactly what to do. The colorful shaving cream was fabulous fluffy frosting for my “cakes.”

Layer upon layer of pastel shaving cream covered the containers. Sara was more interested in building height with her “frosting” while William focused on details with a pattern of little blue peaks he created with his fingers. At this point he decided that hands were a far superior “tool” for cake decorating.

Sara followed suit but her technique was less delicate and more SPLAT

Before long, their hands were covered which inspired the next phase of this project. I knew it was coming...

"Look Mom, Foam Hands"

"OOOO, dis gives me an idea"



Up to their elbows in shaving cream and looking quite pleased with themselves, they took it to another level... and yes, I know, they always take it to another level.

Foam Fight!

"Freeze Girl"

That's right, I'm one tough foam dude 

Why was this so perfect for a hot summer day? The already warmed kiddy-pool served as the perfect spot for rinsing off when needed and sprinklers made it even more exciting. I have a pretty high threshold for tolerating a mess but I was very happy this project took place outside.

The Wisdom of Daddy: Building Confidence

On a recent play date, my friend (a Dad) and I took the kids to Duthie Hill Park, known for a remarkable mountain bike trail system. The 6-year-old “big kids” (my son and his daughter) hit the trail on bikes with him while our younger ones (girls ages 3 ½ and 4) walked with me. Our plan wasn’t specific but he mentioned there was a big open space with a BMX track “in the middle” and they planned to ride there a bit.

My "Dad Friend" with his youngest at the skate park, another exciting place he introduced us to

The girls and I decided we would be “on the creature trail” (both are fans of the PBS Kids show “Wild Kratts”) spotting slugs, fuzzy caterpillars, and even tadpoles. We had fun shaking “snow” from the Cottonwood Tree seed pods that littered part of the trail and pretending the dogs we passed with mountain bikers were actually wolves. Then we became a wolf pack ourselves, all the while picking and eating ripe salmon berries. It was lovely.

Lovely, that is, until we came to a fork in the trail and I was unsure of directions. Straight ahead seemed the obvious answer but there was a massive wooden bike ramp/jump built off to the side (“is that part of the BMX track?” I wondered). We had been walking for a while and enjoying ourselves along the way but there were no obvious signs that we were getting close to anything… I started wondering if we were lost and I didn’t want to wear the girls out trekking along in the wrong direction. Unsure of myself and completely unfamiliar with the location (no map at the entry to the trail system so I didn’t even know if we were on a loop or not), I wasn’t willing to risk getting lost (that was highly unlikely, actually, but I admit it crossed my mind). Plus, I didn’t want cranky kids begging to be carried as they dragged their feet back to the car if they became too tired on the trail. All of these concerns were just banter in my mind… the girls were getting along beautifully without a complaint in the world, I simply couldn’t stop pondering the “what ifs,” so we turned around.

Meanwhile, at the “so cool” (direct quote from my son, by the way) BMX track that we never made it to, my son, his friend, and her Dad were happily zipping around the track, catching air on jumps, banking corners and even falling sometimes but getting right back up and having a blast. Do you think my Dad friend was out there fretting about “what ifs” at the time? Um no, I don’t think so either… and that, my friends, is the wisdom of Daddies.  

There is a HUGE gap between my idea of what it means to take risks and a Dad’s idea. My idea of “risky” activities with my kids is taking them kayaking (in a tandem kayak with me and wearing a life vest, of course), letting them use a sharp knife in the kitchen while I supervise, or rocking out with them to heavy metal from the ‘80s (hey, some of those lyrics are dicey… and for the record, it’s “Highway to Help” if my kids ask).

This biking experience reminded me of the time my husband finally took me to Red Top Lookout with him and the kids. He had taken the kids there a few times before so I had heard a lot about this incredibly scenic fire lookout station set high in the Cascades. First of all, let me tell you that the view from there is absolutely breathtaking, but second of all, let me tell you… Holy Flaming Treetops, this lookout is literally perched on a mountaintop with perilous cliffs all around!

See? I wasn't exaggerating

Personally, I wouldn’t have considered this a kid-friendly destination if I hadn’t experienced it with my own kids myself… and to think that their Dad brought them here a couple times on his own (gulp).

Taking a little break on the way up

Almost there

Feeling on top of the world

Yes, a lot of supervision was required and it took great coaxing to get our youngest to walk herself up the trail but they both did it and they both absolutely love that place, no doubt proud of themselves for hiking a tough trail and exhilarated to experience the fresh cold air and amazing views all around. Ask either of them about their favorite hike and they’ll proudly tell you, “Red Top Lookout.”

So on this Father’s Day I’d like to officially thank my dear Husband, my “Dad-Friend” Brad, and all Dads out there for all that you bring to the table but particularly for the fun and exciting challenges you present to our kids. The confidence you’re instilling in them will last a lifetime. Hopefully the air-guitar skills I'm teaching won't sink in so much.

Happy Father’s Day!

Fantastic Friday

Tomorrow is a big day. It's the last day of Kindergarten for my big kid ("graduation" is Monday), we go back to Jubilee Farm for our first Summer CSA pick-up, and (I saved the best for last)... it is my beloved Mother-In-Law's birthday!

Here is Baby Ellen with her Mom, she was sweet from day one!

I couldn't have asked for a better "second Mom" in my life. She is loving and supportive in more ways than I can count and not only do I love her as a Mom, she has become a dear friend. My kids are really close to their sweet "Grammy" thanks to all the time she has spent with each of them from the day they were born.

Another thing I love about my darling Mother-in-Law is how wonderfully gracious she is. She doesn't care that I'm often still in pajamas when she visits in the morning, she doesn't expect me to be "perfect," she doesn't give guilt trips. Thankfully I also think she will forgive that a) I copied her idea for her birthday gift gift (she made a Shutterfly shopping bag for her Mom and it is receiving rave reviews whenever Great Grandma uses it) and b) I waited until the last minute to place my order. Sorry, dear Ellen, please see your "gift preview" below. I hope you know how much I appreciate you and how much we all love you. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Reusable Shopping Bag

View the entire collection of cards.

Lava Lamp Fireworks

We've gone from doing art projects when our lovely friends visit to doing science experiments. These young scientists still love to paint but chemical reactions get them even more excited--can you tell?

How I wish the lovely blogging Rashmie from Mommy Labs was my neighbor. I’d be knocking on her door for play dates all the time… for the kids and for me. Besides her incredibly creative ideas and inspiring stories, she makes every activity seem like a complete joy. Alas, she lives half a world away, in India so I can’t just drop by but I’m grateful for the brilliance she generously shares online.

Mesmerized by the photos and description of her Diwali Homemade Fireworks Display and thinking of 4th of July coming up, I finally picked up some Alka-Seltzer and decided to give this experiment a try. No, I didn’t have heartburn or acid reflux to take care of before doing a science experiment with four kids ages 3 to 6, Alka-Seltzer is the “activator” necessary to make this magic happen.

In addition to those magic fizzy tabs (any brand will do), all you need is some clear glass or plastic bottles, oil (the type is up to you but the cheaper the better since it won’t be usable after this), food coloring, and water. A funnel is helpful too. Use approximately one part water to two parts oil (look at Rashmie's post for the right ratio, not mine, I was cheap with the oil) and anywhere from 3 to 5 drops of food coloring (more is fine… and actually a must if you are 6 or younger so I learned).

Setting things up was half the fun. Watching how the water plunged into the oil, creating golden bubbles of all sizes was thrilling before it separated then settled at the bottom. Droplets of food coloring were equally interesting to watch suspended in the oil and eventually sinking and dispersing into and coloring the water. It was hard impossible to get the kids to only add a couple drops and once they got the idea to mix colors, the food coloring was flowing freely. Oh well... another variable to experiment with. I tried to teach them about the Scientific Method along the way (Remember? Hypothesis... Experimentation... etc.) but was only able to get the most focused girl to write "Hypothe..." then it was all about the Alka-Seltzer or "Alka-Sod" as my dear William kept calling it.

 I had envisioned starting with a small piece of tablet then increasing the amount to observe the reaction as it changed... um, yeah right. It doesn't work like that when you're 6 or younger. "More Alka-Sod! More Alka-Sod!" they yelled. I could hardly open the packets quickly enough for their ravenous scientific hunger.

This is the color you get with a LOT of blue and a LOT of green food coloring

This is the color you get when you add a LOT of red drops and a LOT of blue drops when Mom isn't looking

I doubt any of them could tell you about the Scientific Method but they can certainly explain the exciting fizz of "Alka-Sod."

Birthday Nature Crafts

Once the Forest Fairy and Animal party theme was approved by my Birthday Girl, fun ideas were abundant. Simple, affordable, and quick ideas, however, weren’t as easy to come up with. Enter Pinterest, a world of nothing but cool ideas to browse.

I need to thank the creative Mom of Paint Cut Paste who inspired these no-sew Forest Animal Masks using felt and glue.

All this mask-making took was a mix of colorful felt squares from Michael's (about 39 cents each), some thin black elastic, and fabric glue (I used all-purpose Tacky Glue). Superhero masks littering our playroom served as starting patterns to provide the perfect size and placement of eye holes. Next I hand-sketched  animal shapes around those masks onto paper, playing around with them until they looked right.

"Easy Peasy!" as the dear Birthday Girl would say. Sadly, I didn't get any photos of her in these masks that day...  she was too busy changing into different fairy princess costumes during the party. Oh well, at least it wasn't Hello Kitty.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Sara. I love you more than words can say.

 

Forest Fairy Fourth Birthday

Once we said “Goodbye” to Hello Kitty and welcomed the Forest Fairy & Animal Theme, Sara came up with a modest guest list of six girls and six boys ranging in ages 3 to 6. Twelve kids might not sound like a big party but we learned that a dozen kids can be just as wild as thirty when you invite two pairs of rambunctious brothers. HOLY COW (and I say this with deep respect and admiration for the patient parents of these pairs of lovable boys). It was a wild ride but also one very fun and very happy celebration.

One "Forest" Cake complete with blue sprinkle river and white chocolate-dipped pretzel logs...

 

One Fairy Cake complete with fairies playing jump rope and a cougar prowling after a mountain goat. When in doubt about decorating a homemade birthday cake, just add M&Ms and figurines from those great "Toob" play sets  

Anyone with Kindergarten-age boys will know that their sense of humor is blossoming… that’s putting it nicely. In a more direct manner, one might say they are goofy, wild, and loud to the Nth degree. So take this mix of wild boys (mine included), add wild animal masks (provided by me… whoops, didn’t think that through very well) and being relegated indoors (it was horribly cold weather with mixed hail and rain) and you get one super crazy high-volume wrestling match, interrupted only by cake, crafts, and opening presents along the way.

Girl Power still ruled the day. The Birthday Girl and her 5 girlfriends weren’t phased by the testosterone frenzy. They joined in the wild animal play for a bit but it didn’t take long for them to break off and start their own imaginative play in the rooms where I had set up twinkle lights and a bunch of fairy wings and fancy dress-up clothes.

Thanks to both lovely Grandmas, there were plenty of colorful flowers to adorn Spring Nature Crowns and all the kids (both genders) enjoyed making them.

Lots of hugs on Sara's Happy 4th Birthday -- lots of costume changes too. Go back and see how many outfits Sara was able to squeeze into her two hour party - it's impressive!

Tired Party Animals went home with Handmade Animal Masks, Fairy Wings for the girls (found affordable ones at Party City), and "Pixie Dust Activators" for the boys (light-up version of the classic hand-held magnet- and gravity-driven gyroscope). Everyone had fun and Mommy learned that William's upcoming 6th Birthday needs to be planned outdoors where wild boys can run, jump, wrestle, ninja-kick, and do all the things that wonderfully wild boys do.

Goodbye Kitty

Call me an ogre, call me what you will but I couldn’t help but discourage my girl from having a Hello Kitty birthday party. While she has inherited some pajamas and a t-shirt with the infamous kitty face, there are no Hello Kitty toys in our home and she has never seen a show featuring Hello Kitty... her fascination merely comes from admiration of an older neighbor girl who mentioned she had a Hello Kitty birthday. Sigh… what’s a Crafty Mom to do when her child chooses a theme that Mommy doesn’t want to execute? Well, I guess I would like to execute Hello Kitty but not in the way dear almost-four Sara was thinking…  

Why the Hello Kitty hate? Part of it is that I just don’t get it. Even back in the ‘80s when my little buddies showed off their collections of Hello Kitty eraser tops and mini pens, I wasn’t sure what the big deal was. And more than not “getting it” (I imagine there will be MANY things I won’t relate to in my children’s interests over the years) I suppose the commercialism is what I find so unappealing. I won’t veto a shirt or pjs but a whole party? Really?!

When I mentioned this “birthday dilemma” to my dear Swedish friend (an incredibly kind, intelligent, active, multi-lingual working mom with angelic children, by the way) her suggestion nearly knocked me off my feet. “How about not asking what kind of party they want? When my girls have a birthday, I make a cake; we sing a song and have friends over.” Drat! I should have thought about that a couple years ago, before Sara’s zoo party or William’s superhero party which I got so into, you’d think I was the one turning 5! Yes, I’m afraid I’ve done this to myself, creating the perfect storm for high expectations on birthdays… but hey, it’s what I like to do so as long as it’s not Hello Kitty, I’m on board!

My sneaky phase one of the Hello Kitty eradication began with talking about how much fun she had up at the Veterinarian Clinic at the Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett. “Remember how you got to care for all types of animals in the Vet Clinic? Instead of just focusing on Kitties, wouldn’t it be fun to have a party featuring a mix of animals?” I asked innocently? Sara pondered this thoughtfully. “How about forest animals? Then we can make a big chocolate cake with trees and animals on it” I continued. My last suggestion finally sealed the deal:  “We could make it even more fun if we did forest animals AND forest fairies, how about that?” SOLD! Even though it was a huge mouthful that Sara could hardly remember when inviting friends to her party, my girl was totally on board for her Forest Animal and Forest Fairy 4^th Birthday Party!    Party Details complete with animal masks and fairy wings coming soon…