HKG204: Artistic Expression

i am not really a crafty person on my own, but i do love doing crafts with and for the kids. today was just such a day. livie's been building on some art she and josh started a couple weeks ago, and the art is displayed on one of our living room walls. i decided that q should have his own section of the wall, too, and since he and i have been working on him learning shapes, colors, letters, and numbers, i figured his side of the wall should have a preschool-y theme. today, he and i made several "vehicles" using various shapes. q seems to be enjoying his wall and keeps asking me to add trucks to the train i made, but i do keep having to run interference to keep him from ripping them off the wall. waffle has been attacking them, too...the car already had an accident, got totaled, and had to be repaired with tape :-) i see, now, why many preschool materials are laminated ;-p

this afternoon, livie and i began beefing up her wall, too...turning it into a full-blown garden. she has big plans to add flowers, a tree, birds, and woodland creatures and bugs to her garden...i predict that in a few weeks, we won't see any more bare wall on her side!

q boycotted his nap again today...i think the end of naps is very, very near. the last three times he's skipped a nap, he has not been tired or cranky in the late afternoon...i think his body might be outgrowing the need for that mid-day rest. he's also been sleeping a little bit later in the morning at times...seeming to get all he needs from his nighttime rest. we shall see how this progresses.

this afternoon, livie had flamenco class. q and i just wandered around central/soho, got some fruits, and went to his favorite playground. he had a good time playing there and seemed to become enamored of a big girl...followed her all over with this dopey grin on his face. after she went home, he plunked himself down on a bench and began raiding the collection of fruit i just bought. while he was doing that, a group of six older teens/young twenties men came to the playground and climbed onto the carousel...they spent the next 10 minutes goofing off and being rather ridiculous (but funny). q seemed to be offended...asked me what they were doing while giving me angry eyebrows :-)

tomorrow's big adventure is the TOY LIBRARY...i can't wait to check this thing out!

taking a break from play time for a waffle kiss

looking ridiculously cute...he had just finished pulling his shirt up over his head/wearing it like a headband. i tried to get a picture of that, but he yanked it back down and i got this pic instead...still cute :-)

a couple weeks ago, we got waffle another brown mouse thinking he might give up on his burnt/hairless mouse. nope. no dice. here, i have put both next to him to snuggle him...note the difference in size/wear & tear. waffle REALLY loves his brown mousey!

livie's growing garden. the red shape at the top is a sign that announces this is olivia's garden...will have to go back over the letters with a sharpie since they don't show up in crayon very well.

q's wall in progress. i need to get another pic...the train has two more trucks on it, and it is now also carrying the alphabet. tomorrow, we will make a number train and a semi truck. if i can figure out how to make a tractor, we will do that, too...oh, and a helicopter...and a motorcycle :-)