our new favorite toy

dear alpha-bot mastermind,

thank you so much for having an awesome imagination. i recently got your alpha-bot toys from our local lakeshore, one of our favorite places, and have yet to find time to do anything else! this was seriously genius...

i wonder who you are and how you came to be so creative? did you just have great people around you who encouraged, or did you forge a path against much resistance?

all i know is that my mom hopes that i can grow up someday to do something equally great...because using my imagination and never losing it is something she hopes i hold on to forever.

thank you again for making all of the letters of the alphabet into robots.

sincerely,
S

p.s...my mom loves them because she thinks they are cool, but she also likes that it helps my attention span increase and that i am creating new paths of brain wrinkles by figuring out how each robot works all by myself! she appreciates that i get to have fun and practice patience, problem solving, and sitting still...but i have to admit, i just think they are super fun!!

who doesn't like a good adventure...?

so i'm new to this whole blogger/blogging world...and i have to say that i've jumped into the deep end with a blindfold! i would love for you to join my family of two on this amazing journey called life...because i guess part of having a blog is so that people will join you in your adventures, right?

so you can follow us on the left, yes, right there, uh huh. yes, just click "join this site"...also, we are on pinterest...a lot *wink wink*...and yes, even my three year old loves it. he has his own board where he collects things he likes. you can find our boards by clicking here.

uuumm, so this is awkward. it's like asking a stranger to be my bestest friend in the whole world....

...so...do you want to be our bff...?

boots in the rain

admittedly, many things have been weighing on my brain all at once lately. the ebbs and flows of life recently have felt more like a storm...and without realizing it, i have been sea sick. have you ever been so overwhelmed with, just, stuff, that all of a sudden you can't breathe? 

sometimes, Jesus has a way of cheering us up when we need it most...even when we don't know we need it.

so last sunday, it rained! and S has been waiting and waiting to use the pirate boots he got for his birthday in march...and oh, puddles, you had no idea what was coming your way! he woke up, got dressed and ran downstairs, ready for splashing!

off we went to sunday school...and on the way we stopped to splash in puddles. S has been told that he can only splash in puddles if he has his boots on...so he jumped in every. single. puddle. he. found. most were duds, but we did find one good one.

why did this cheer me up so much?

because we giggled our butts off, that's why!

"to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven...a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance..." (ecc. 3:1, 4)

sometimes i need to just stop and giggle with my son. i need to remember to pause and enjoy the little things way more often than i do.

S really is the best thing to happen to me. ever. seriously. i can't even believe how much love fills my heart because of that little guy...

may you find something today that makes you giggle and fills your heart with love!

xoxo

oh man, how exciting and humbling is it to learn

oh man. so i'm learning to pipe icing. and it is not easy.

it's very similar to what i do when i'm painting or using puff paint at the studio, but different because i'm holding a piping bag. (i'm pretty sure that is what it is called!) holding the bag puts my hand and wrist at a much different angle that, of course, feels totally awkward...and will feel awkward until i practice enough. thank God it's my best friend teaching me! she is patient with me, i mean, hello? she's still my friend after 18 years!

all this being said...

it had been a while since i was confronted with something completely new. i guess the last newest thing was figuring out how to use my computer, but that was almost a year ago. i have practiced, put in the hours, and have slowly become comfortable with my good ol' macbook. (though mostly thanks to the creatives at the apple store!)

i had forgotten how exciting and humbling it can be when learning something new. i was so excited at the thought of learning how to do the piping because of all of the cute things i would be able to decorate. cooking, let alone baking, is not one of my strengths. but my bff thought i might be able to get it. i am far from mastery, but i know one thing is certain...i will keep at it, even if she decides she doesn't need my help! ha :) oh my goodness, seriously, i had to focus on this new thing and really try my best...and keep trying after my best was just darn ugly! 

of course, my crazy brain started wandering. my thoughts wandered to a place where S is an adult. a good one. he obviously has a ways to go, seeing as he is only 3 years old now, but it is always in the back of my mind that he will need to be a responsible, respectable adult someday. and how can i, his mommy, not do my best to prepare him for all that will delight, challenge, hurt, and matter? 

so...some things that i hope S understands early on...

learning is easy sometimes, but not all the time

learning is usually fun, but sometimes it will make you cry

practice requires lots of character

(and doesn't always make perfect)

our best is always better than good enough

our best is always better than perfect

learn from your mistakes

learn from the mistakes of others, no matter who they are

don't give up, Jesus didn't

it will all be worth it in the end

(even if you don't succeed in the eyes of others)

i know i jumped off the deep end and wandered far from icing. i apologize, kind of. this is just how my brain works! let us look for the meaningful in all that we do and humble ourselves often to take on something new! (ha, that even rhymed :)

oh, and by the way, don't be jealous of my first cookie right there in the top right corner!

froggie handprint class project

i volunteered to do a craft in my son's preschool class. sometimes, i almost feel bad for his teacher because i am that mom that will volunteer to help...and...i'm that mom that will volunteer to help! :) S was so excited when i walked in and the teacher announced that, "S's mom, miss sara, came in today to do a special craft with you!" my son's eyes lit up. he was so proud. my heart melted.

this was such an easy craft to do with three year olds...and the kids had tons of fun!

paper plates

stapler & tape

paintbrushes

green & red tempera

google eyes & glue

paper & scissors

staple the plates in half and paint them green. do the handprints on the paper and cut them out when they are dry. tape them to the sides, i think it looks better with the thumbs out. the finishing touch is the smile and google eyes...and ta-da!

ribbit!

random monday 1 {imaginations}

the other day S was playing in the studio while i was cleaning in the bedroom...

and i walked in to this:

of course, instantly i burst into "omg-that's-so-adorable-i-must-giggle" giggles! 

i painted those ceramic deer while i was pregnant with S and he, with his awesome imagination, turned them into action figures! he said, "look, mom! the deer, one, two, three are in the light jet...bew, bew, bew..." apparently, deer make an appearance in the version of tron my son has in his head haha. (and yes, his light jet is missing its wings...honestly, we only know of the whereabouts of one...but hey, it can still fly.)

this triggered to remembrance one of the things that had been prayed for when i was pregnant with S. i wanted my son to have a grand imagination...and this was just one of the many ways God showed me that He answers prayers! and also, one of the many ways He shows me that He created S with a wonderfully creative mind!

let's all of us grown-ups, pull out those imaginations we once let run wild with 
so many thoughts, dreams, inventions, and creatures! 

let's all make a pact right now to dust them off and use them everyday, 
in work and in play, and most importantly...when engaging our children!

xoxo
happy monday!

(now i'm going to go finish chugging my mug of coffee...i'm ready for you, monday!)

diy sorting box

i am excited about this sorting box that i made for S. i think he will have some fun with it while sorting, counting, and practicing colors and following directions. plus, i will have fun because this will be a new quiet, busy activity...a win-win for everyone!

the box is one of those organizers from hobby lobby for only $2, which also happens to be the only money i spent during this project :) i gathered random items i had either laying around the house or in my craft supplies stash. when sorting the pieces initially, i made sure to have different amounts of each item so S will be able to practice counting.

the last part of the project that i plan on finishing one of these days (along with how many other projects i have haha) is to take pictures of the bin organized and sorted different ways and make cards. this is so S can practice following specific directions.

there are so many different things that can be done with something this simple...

organize it by size, shape, or color

sort by following the picture cards

use it as a sensory exploration...soft, hard, fluffy, bumpy, and smooth

make it a game by timing them

have them sort them how they see it and then explain why

as time passes and S begins to tire of it, he will be able to use the bin to store found treasures!

have fun sorting!

i met an angel at target

my son recently started preschool. i actually took it pretty well considering how i assumed it would go. the future playback in my mind was one full of anxiety, tears, restlessness...but the reality was much more...healthy. S is way more social than me, and oh so intelligent. of course, he is my son, and i think he is a genius...no, but really, he is super smart! it was time to let him spread his wings and begin to fly. luckily, i found an awesome place that both S and i took too instantly, and that also has a full phonics program for the 3's class, which was surprisingly difficult to find. plus, S loves his teacher. she is pretty much awesome and has such a great happy smile!

the one and only downside to preschool is obviously the tuition. whoa. but hey, whatever, us parents have to do is what we have to do! it's tough, but not out of reach. thank you, Jesus, that you always provide enough, not always more than enough, but always at least enough! so i have put myself on a budget, or what i like to call it, a 'money diet'...and i'm sort of embarrassed to say that it's the first time in my 32 years of life that i have had to go on a real one.

isn't it funny that as i have been on S to have self-control lately, this whole money diet thing happens? now i have to be on myself to have self-control! i've never been great at it, so it's been a rough month or so for sure. but...once i surrendered and began to fully trust God with it all, it's been less heavy...not less rough...just less burdensome. 

so, all this just to tell you a story about a recent trip to my favorite store in the universe......target...

talk about the ultimate test in self-control! seriously! target is like a black hole of all the things that i 'need' and 'didn't know i need' and things that i 'actually really need'...plus some things that are on clearance so low, that i just have to take advantage, ha.

okay, so i needed to get a couple of things for S's halloween costume, (he's decided to be darth vader and i've decided to make his costume every year...i can't wait to post about it!), and i saw some super cute shoes that were marked down something like 75%. so of course, hello, i try them on, they fit perfectly, and i'd been wanting some navy loafers just like them...they go in the cart without a hesitation.

they're cute, right?

fast forward to the checkout. in the back of my mind i'm thinking..."those shoes are a want...not a need...but they are on clearance...a want...but they are navy blue!" i feel convicted. during this chapter of my life, i must force myself to live within some tight margins. is it a need? make it work. is it a want? have some self-control, grown woman! does this lessen the quality of my life, my son's, our spiritual walk? no, it strengthens it! 

i get a pretty powerful silent pep talk in my head...i take them off the belt so i can tell the target girl that i have decided not to get them. i'm at peace. the lady in line behind me says, "oh, those are cute shoes..." she sees how much they are marked down. i tell her i'm not getting them and ask her if she is a size 6 so maybe she can take them, and her feet are not as small as my petite asian feet. she asks me why i am not getting them, and i tell her i'm on a budget and i'm trying to be good. she says i should just get them, they are so cheap. i tell her ya, but my son just started preschool and so i really shouldn't...

the woman grabs them out of my hand and says, "i'll buy them for you!"

i try to grab them back and tell her it's ok, no seriously, it's not a big deal. she insists and it becomes that situation where it was more polite to just let the other person do what they are going to do. i have to admit that i was a little embarrassed...my pride reared its ugly head and then it hit me all at once. 

i felt the Lord giving my heart a hug. in His quiet and still voice He was telling me that He is in control. the woman said that she wanted to get them for me because of my self-control...my self-control...all i can say even now, as i tear up again, is that God is good. he was using this wonderful woman to show me His invisible hand. i know that He will bless her back for her generous heart. it was just a God thing.

now every time i wear them, i say a prayer of thanks first to the Lord for loving me, then for providing more than i need, and then i say a little prayer for the beautiful woman at target. it pushes me to be a better example of Christ's love.

let's all go and be a blessing to someone else. we don't know how it will affect that person, or whether they will appreciate it as much as we think they should or not, but we need to do it as we are lead to do it. no matter what.

you know what else i realized? 
i always have more than enough. 
always.

found a little bit of happy today

just had to share this...

in the midst of a crazy week of S starting preschool, 

chiseling through a long to-do list at work, 

cutting mid-day naps out S's schedule, 

dealing with summer heat (yuck yuck yuck),
and S coming down with a major cold...

for a tiny moment in time, i had a 

happy 

thursday!

hope you did too

xoxo

muraling for a good cause

so a while ago i was asked to paint some tiles for a garden project for rancho domicitas, an awesome local non-profit that provides housing for abused or abandoned children. i was more than happy to be a part of this "serenity garden" that would be a special place for the children. the tiles were sold at their fundraiser so people were able to write special notes as a special message or memorial. long story short, the tiles for a wall project ended up becoming a mural...and i had never painted anything that large before. i was a little nervous, but what can you say when this is something for abused and abandoned children? nothing. one just pushes forward! 

i began the mural with little to no knowledge on painting murals, so i used common sense as i went along. there are probably better and more official ways of doing things, but here's how my first one went...

maybe one of the hardest part of the project was coming up with a design. thankfully they were happy with the bird idea because i love doing birds and trees, and it worked well with being in a garden. so i taped the tiles together and free-handed the design first in pencil then sharpie. (if you've never worked with bisque, the pencil and sharpie both disappear in the kiln.) i needed the black marker lines to show through the background that i sponged. the aqua and blue spruce faded down into kiwi and chartreuse. after sponging, i stamped some swirls on the top and leaves on the bottom for texture. after that dried, i painted everything else and used black puff paint to outline the birds and their legs.

next i had to do all of the writing.

i was most nervous about writing "The Serenity Garden" in puff paint because, for me, it isn't the easiest thing to use. it is a thick combination of underglaze paint and a bit of clay, so it's difficult to do curves. after a few butterflies in my tummy, it came out okay...thank you powers above!

next was all of the personal messages that people had chosen to be on the tiles. i do have to say that this part was emotional for me. the words that people chose were so full of love...

next was the firing process.

after it came out of the kiln i was so relieved. nothing chipped, smeared or cracked! it was exciting to hand them over to the awesome people who built and volunteered so many hours to putting the garden together. 

when my son and i went to the dedication, there were so many tears of joy. being a visitor, i could just feel the care, concern and love these individuals have for these children. all i could do was cry along, feel happy and be so proud to be included.

the final product! another awesome individual mounted it on this display. i was also excited to share the moment with S...what a special memory i will cherish forever. to see life through his eyes is such a special treasure. 

this experience did cause me to stop for a moment in the midst of the hustle and bustle of life. to stop and be still and know that God is in control. that the problems in my life are insignificant in comparison, not only to the pain that some children suffer, but also to the pain and suffering of Christ. yes, there are bad people that do bad things in a world where awful things take place...but, there are also courageous people that fight against those things and bring hope and healing to those who need it.

push forward today and be brave.

painting with straws

S and i did some painting with straws. S loved it and can't wait to do it again. we used watered down acrylic craft paints on canvas, but i have also done a version with slightly watered down tempera paints and tagboard. plus, i have so many of those little craft paint bottles that are less than half full, so it's a good way to use them up. (i hate wasting paint or throwing it away, it makes my heart sad thinking of what could've been if it had been used.)

all of the materials we used for this project were things i already had around the house...

acrylic craft paint
straws
little cups
popsicle sticks
water
canvas

we did just black first, then i had him pick just 2 other colors. i think having the bold black on the stark white with the bright colors on top ended up having a fun effect. he ended up choosing red and green. he picked blue and yellow for me, even though he ended up using some yellow also. i purposely limited his color choices because as a three year old boy, he tends to go so crazy with every color under the sun until it turns to brown! narrowing down his choices to 2 seemed to do the trick.

squeeze a little bit of paint in the cup, and add some water using an approximate 1:1 ratio. i have to admit that i'm not sure exactly what ratio i used, it ended up being a little different for every color. mix with the popsicle stick. S wanted to mix his own colors, so he had fun doing that. i used the stick as a 'scoop' for the paint and dropped it onto the canvas.

when you get ready to blow air into the straw to move the paint around, it helps to blow in slow, steady breaths to get more of the stringy looking 'arms'. (now make sure to take breaks so you don't get light-headed.) S did a little bit more of the fast, bursts of air which worked out just fine as well, it simply creates a different look. when he wanted more arms, i ended up tilting the canvas up until the watery paint began to drip. and...our final masterpieces!

as an extra lesson, we mixed some of the watery paint together and watched as they turned into new colors...it was magic! other ways to explore would be to add more water which creates a more translucent color which also moves more since there's more water. have fun with longer arms and crazier designs. you can also do less splotches with longer arms to create an abstract design that looks like a monster or animal or other creature or thing. use your imaginations to 'see' something in the lines. fill in the spaces to fill in the lines of your creature and even glue on some googly eyes...everything is always better with googly eyes! another different approach could be a color study with paper, instead of canvases, so you can do more paintings. you could pair complementary colors from a color wheel or create fun and creative color combinations to see how colors can create moods. the possibilities are endless...

enjoy!

happy birthday, dr. seuss {updated}

so it has become a routine now to spend saturday mornings at our local lakeshore, and this weekend was no exception. the workers there have begun to recognize us, which is great because they now always make sure my son is taken care of : )  our mantle above the fire place is almost filled to capacity with random crafts and things! though i love seeing it with all my heart, i know that soon it will be necessary to give it a good cleaning, and i'm not sure how S is going to deal with it. oh well, i'm one to sometimes prolong agony, so i'm just not going to worry about that now. i did sort of recently redo the fireplace to be the one place to display all S's art, i will surely post about that soon just so i can brag about my son's amazing talent...maybe when we spring clean it...

anyhow, below is a post i wrote a while on my old blog back in february. it's funny. it's been about 6 months since i wrote this, and i'm still nervous when S isn't in a cart! oh, no...

--

this morning we went to our local lakeshore for their dr. seuss birthday celebration. i was thinking it would be crowded…and i was right. though not too bad, S is getting old enough now to say as he is getting unbuckled from his car seat, “no cart!” more experienced moms i’m sure you know exactly what i mean, even if you weren’t/aren’t as freaked out as me. if S is in the shopping cart, then i know exactly where he is. if he isn’t, then he could get -gulp- lost! 

though S is old enough to know he wants some freedom, he has no clue what a stranger is and even less what it means to be lost! maybe watching too much crime-drama television, or the news for that matter, causes my brain to automatically go to the worst…buuuuut…it totally could happen to anyone! 

anxiety has always been a weakness of mine. the Lord has definitely been trying to teach me that i shouldn’t allow myself to get to that place, but i’m definitely still a pilgrim in training! anxiety is like a prison, i get trapped inside my brain. thoughts begin to overflow and create bars criss-crossing and overlapping until…until i just can’t focus on what it is that i need to see. Jesus. no matter what i think might or could happen, God is in control and that brings peace.

all that being said, S and i are both learning important life lessons everyday! he is learning to hold my hand, stay where i can see him, and not to wander. i tell him if he wants to check something out, to tell me and we will go together. i’m learning to be alert at all times, using those ‘mommy eyes’ that exist all around our heads, and to let go a little so S can grow and to trust the Lord with all my heart!

we had so much fun at lakeshore :) as we pulled up in the car, he shouted, “there’s the place!” all morning we talked about the exciting “cat in the hat birthday party” and he was ready to party!

first, we made a thing 1 thing 2 necklace…which of course mommy had to wear haha…(photo credit S)

next, we made thing 1 thing 2 hair hats. he even asked the lady to measure the hat to my head. i asked S to put it on at least just for a picture and at least he did me the favor.

the last activity was to make a crazy creature (aka a chicken). i love watching him pick out colors, materials, and then place them exactly where he wants to put them!! though it was the most crowded craft table, and i was sweating by the end, it was worth it to see this!

oh, and nana and papa met us at the store. SR said, “pleeeeease??” ever so sweetly when they were looking at the pretty awesome ZOOBMobile Car Designer Kit and papa said…well you know…

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

--

i do have to say though that S now knows what a stranger is. and now that he is in tae kwon do, he is learning self-defense which i love. here's some of the other projects he has done since...

S is most proud i think of the olympic torch. he was so dedicated to watching the 2012 summer olympics! still, every time S sees michael phelps on tv or anything, he shouts his name and remembers "he swims really fast in the pool!" crafts are so much fun with a three year old, and as you can see, S loves the glue! since S isn't in preschool yet, what a great opportunity to learn and practice so many awesome things...self-control, staying focused, motor skills, colors, shapes, following directions, sharing with other children, taking turns, and being respectful to adults as well. S loves it and always learns something new, i love spending special time with my son, he finds joy and confidence when he comes home and shares his art with nana and papa...lakeshore offers the activity for free, but we walk away with an experience that is priceless.

visually counting to 10

my son S is three and can count past ten, but has no idea what the numbers are when he is looking at them. to help his number recognition, i'm always looking for things that will help. today i was about to throw away an old target ad when i had an idea. S loves target, scissors, and is obsessed with mod podge...so we grabbed those with some scratch paper and had an impromptu crafty math lesson!

we searched through the ad and he cut out the numbers, while i pointed out the ones he needed. after i helped him put them in order, he "glued it all by himself!" we got to count to ten at least five times and he loved every second. after he held the paper in front of the fan until the glue dried, he ran to his papa and nana to show them what he had made and then counted again...i loved hearing his little voice explain how he did each step :)

i think i will hang it on the wall and every time we see it, we can point to each number and count again...perfect...a project that keeps on teaching!

time, let's stroll instead of sprint

as i'm getting older, time seems to fly by faster than possible. days turn into weeks and it all seems to slip through my fingers in that kind of slow motion where we find our eyes wide and body frozen. don't get me wrong, every day my life has purpose...being a mother is the best calling in the universe. maybe i just feel like i need to reassess how the hours of my day are spent. as a single mom i'm 'learning as i go' when it comes to juggling everything without back up. and i know there isn't a ring to help me rule over it all. but there has to be a way to have...more...i don't know...fun?

today my son and i went to the new children's museum in san diego, our new favorite place. he wanted to take his nana and papa to "check it out!" if you've never been there before, it's a hands-on art museum for kids! yes! it's as awesome as it sounds. S has such a great time, dragging all three of us grown-ups to check out and try everything. i love his love for learning, experiences, art and adventure. when we got home i thought, "what a fun day!" and that is it. i mean, iced coffee from starbucks, family time, running around the museum doing every art project they had...it was just fun, and that was it.

i guess this is life. sometimes we have to work even when we don't want to. then sometimes we get to spend the day doing cool stuff with people we love. so maybe the whole juggling trick is doing both while accepting the fact that i have to do both. now if i can just figure out how to keep time from passing by way too fast...