
I have been wanting to photo all those adorable Amigurumi toys that Juliana made for her siblings. Once I half-heartedly looked through the playroom and found two, got distracted. Another time I found one in the living room, had the thought to then keep looking but sunlight was fading. I always seem to see a few when I'm not ready to take a photo. (I'm pretty sure that this is a cruel truth of blogging.) But today, the first day in I don't know how long where I was entirely alone for an entire day in my home (happy dance), I thought that I would (rays of sunshine too) find all those little varmints and shoot their portrait. So, I looked. I found one. One duck. Ya know why I found it? Cause it's mine. Juliana made this one for me. One duck. One cranky duck who cannot find any of her dumbigurumi toy friends anywhere. What is with my kids!? This place is a complete and total mess! (I'm very sure that this is a cruel truth of mothering.) But on my hunt around the house I found.....

....this, we'll call it a weaving on the living room couch. I looked over last night between the chorus of family snickers at American Idol gafooeys and found Isabela to be doing this. She didn't ask me how, or anything, she just took it upon herself to warp and and weft this little piece of cardboard for fun.

On the girls' bedroom rug (which you really can't even make out anymore because of everything that is disguising it) I found this scarf that Eleni has started after I taught her how to single crochet over the holidays. She will pick this up and sit next to me any time that I have yarn in my own lap, and it is obvious how entirely grown up and smart this makes her feel at (as of last week) 7 years old. It sort of grows in all directions, though not purposefully. I found that the attitude that I give her in response to this unintended sort of wonkiness, is the attitude that she has officially adopted. It goes like this : "Oh well, its fun, and you get better the more you do it and its better than doing nothing."

On Eleni's bed I found Blueberry wearing her first attempt at a scarf that got really curly. Oh well, Blueberry needed a scarf anyway. I do remember too now, that Isabela crocheted a scarf and a teeny, tiny beret for her little owl Amigurumi, location unknown.
Inspiration is such a funny thing. In my naivete (after 19 years of parenting, it fades not) I presumed that all these little toys would get made, and that they would become the characters of hours of imaginative play, sit pristinely on a bedside table perhaps, or maybe tuck neatly under a pillow. (In fact they are scattered. Somewhere. I'm sure we'll find them. Or likely if I ask they can tell me exactly where.) It also reminds me how after Jeff had spent days building them a gorgeous house way up the in cedar trees, instead of playing in the new tree house they were mostly just inspired to nail wood to trees. Lots of trees. It seems that giving them handmade mostly inspires them to make. And what more could we give them really? As is typically the case, whenever a good thing has been done by us- the parenting portion of us, which increasingly includes Juliana,- it was undoubtedly and completely done by mistake.
A cruel, humbling truth.
But cause for joy, nonetheless.
Have a great weekend, xoxo, Anna
I have great doubts that too many of your parenting skills are mere mistakes. But it is delightful to see your children take up a craft of their own and do it in their own style.
ReplyDelete<3
ReplyDeleteMy Kids just want me to make stuff............
ReplyDeleteme thinks inspiration is the better gift
ReplyDeleteOH you must find the others. I can't wait to see them.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, those are adorable!!
ReplyDeleteTanya
Cute little ducky. Kids are like sponges and they learn so much from us whether we like it or not!
ReplyDeleteAmazing!!!
ReplyDeleteBut an off topic question if I may? Where might we be able to buy those sweet notebook props from the first picture? I've seen some in pictures on flickr, but haven't been able to track them down! :) Nothing's better than fabric, except maybe paper comes close!
did you make new journals? or where are those from? theyre cute! (as is the little ducky and the crochet stories
ReplyDeleteHey all- DUH! I totally forgot to say that I have 3 new journal designs that we'll be uploading to the store next week :) You're going to love them, the inner pages are sweet too!
ReplyDeletexoxo, AM
You have such a fun crafty house! I hope I stumble upon such creativity when my daughter is a bit older.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, was definitely going to ask about the journals too. :) Need to get my hands on those! I'll keep an eye on your shop!
What a sweet little ducky! It is so nice to see my little girl want to craft right beside me. I look forward to seeing her skills and interests grow.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea you had journals! They are beautiful. I have a lust for beautiful paper like I do for fabric!
I love the expanding scarf. I still do this from time to time... I wish my excuse was that I was 7 :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I learned the same about parenting.
ReplyDeleteMy kids didn't play much in the woodhouse I made for them, but they just did love to build their own houses, in the wood and later in the comunity we lived in.
My son builded his last treehouse when he was 17 in France, for his 3 year old brother.
Love, Gerda
Two of the best gifts to give children--appreciation for handmade and inspiration for creativity. The impact of those will last forever.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to seeing the other little critters if they ever come out of hiding. :)
Full disclosure: The reason I most love this post is because you mention the mess... the complete and total mess! Five different times this week alone I have either cried, or vowed to surrender, because I cannot overcome our mess. And if I say a peep about it, then I know I will get sage advice about what to do. I don't want advice. I want a kindred spirit. A kindred spirit with lots of busy, creative, busy, constructive imaginative children, that are adored in spite of THE MESS! Would you please like to be my Mess Friend? We can agree to cry, or laugh, and then do something other than worry and fret about the messes.
ReplyDeleteNatalie, embrace the mess. We will undoubtedly miss it.
ReplyDeletexoxo, your Mess Friend, Anna
Natalie do you need more than one mess friend?
ReplyDeleteAnna,
I love this! I love that your creativity is shown through your children. I too love to create and hope that some day my children (I have an 18mo old daughter and am due with #2 in April) will create as well I certainly hope that I can embrace the mess and revel in the beauty that their little hands create.
I love hearing your chronicles of motherhood :)
ReplyDeleteI love how colorful your house is -- ours is too, mainly because your fabrics are every where! : )
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for those journals!!!
Someday I will have an Anna Maria journal. someday.
ReplyDeleteIsabella's weaving must have been such a wonderful surprise! And my girlie of 6 has been wanting to try at the hook. Perhaps it is time? She loves to work at her knitting tower while I crochet. Such sweet times.
What a great post. The last paragraph almost brought a tear to my eye. Is that too mushy? . . .
ReplyDeleteI <3 this post! It is my house and my kids in a nutshell! Long live handmade and little hands!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait until my little one is old enough to craft with me. She just turned 1 1/2 and I recently blogged about our first valentine's craft together. I was unsure how it would go, but it melted my heart to see her so serious about delicately sprinkling tiny crayon shavings all over her wax paper heart. I think that's a good sign for her future as a crafter :)
ReplyDeleteI started my crafting...well more like cooking by decorating Christmas cookies with my 2 yr granddaughter. I hope she will want to sew with me and knit with me...unlike her mama who never ever met a craft she liked!
ReplyDeletei love how you keep it real. so glad to know i'm not alone! :)
ReplyDeletesunny days to you,there are very cold.Sockstoy oh my fan.I love it.I'm a mom,I just call my daughter who is Istanbul..She is married but I' still doing toys to her:))
ReplyDeleteso very lovely that your children want to make and create things to that little blue scarf on teddy is adorable. And i love that little duck so cute, dee x
ReplyDeleteI just love this post. I taught both of my nieces how to spin and knit and the younger (7 years old) proudly takes out her knitting and works on it whenever I'm around. She looks so proud/serious when she does it - it makes me so happy! I have the sneaking suspicion that she is working on something for my birthday present :)
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is only 9 mos, but I HOPE she wants to be creative like her mommy (and daddy! and grandparents!). I've recently realized she has a pile of toys in every room in the house, and as I have fabric and yarn and paint and paper all over the house as well, I've realized just this week that my house is going to look like this until my kids are grown. Now I know why my mom always said "I feel like all I every do is pick things up!". Also, where did you get the girls' rug? >.>
ReplyDeleteA lovely, warm blog post.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is just 4, and she does not craft much (yet!), but I enjoy that trusting look in her eyes, and confidence in her voice when she says "mommy you'll make this for me"
I hope she will make some wonky scarves of her own, and craft a zillion other things, just for the fun of it.
Thank you again, you made my evening :-)
a cause for joy, indeed! thanks for the sweet glimpses of life at your house -- it's very inspiring.
ReplyDeleteI love that idea...that our children find joy in following us in our endeavors instead of just the outcome of our work. What a beautiful idea...humbling and joyful indeed!!
ReplyDeleteOh Anna, I SO know what you mean! Last night my 10-year-old danced the youngest princess part in "The Dancing Princesses" ballet at the big theater downtown and we've been preparing and rehearsing and sewing and prop-making for weeks. The dazzling-ness of the concert and the relief of it being over is SOOOO damped by the MESS I've been ignoring in the house!!!! Mercy!
ReplyDeleteThat little duck and bear are so cute!
ReplyDeleteAnna! I just wanted to say how much I love reading your blog, seeing all the beautiful things you (and your daughters!) create, and exploring all the fun links you include.
ReplyDeleteI finally listened to your Craftsanity podcast and it was so inspirational :) Just wanted to send you some appreciation, admiration, and thanks!
Beth
Words of wisdom from a wise mother!
ReplyDeleteFrom Greece a beautiful blog!
ReplyDeleteHave fun!
Just gorgeous
ReplyDelete"(I'm pretty sure that this is a cruel truth of blogging.)"
ReplyDeleteSo true!
"(I'm very sure that this is a cruel truth of mothering.)"
Ugh! Even more true!
But the "mistake" part is undoubtedly untrue. Because while I *do* understand the happy accidents, I also know that such lovely and serendipitous accidents follow a lot of intentional, joyful, and sometimes even heartbreaking things done on purpose.
I also love how you stated "the parenting portion of us." Made me chuckle -- so accurately stated. We have a "parenting portion" too, three "big kids" (adults, really) to six little ones -- and I love it.
Yes, yes, and yes... that happens so much and is the cause of much vexing and great joy! Thanks for putting it in to words.
ReplyDeleteWords of wisdom from a wise mother!2945abc45 0211
ReplyDeletewhat yarn is eleni using for her scarf??? i really like it!
ReplyDelete