Where Is Thumbkin?

We are sewing!

2012-01-23T12:03:00.001-05:00

It started with a Hearthsong catalog just before her 8th birthday last November. She had circled something from just about every page, but put stars and hearts next to the things she REALLY wanted. Right next to a bright pink and purple child-sized sewing machine were three stars and four hearts.

"Really??" I was kind of shocked. She never approached me about learning to sew, and it was one of the things I didn't really think about teaching her yet, weirdly enough. Then we had a conference with her teacher, and the wheels started turning. One of the things we were concerned about was her handwriting. It's pretty atrocious. She does not hold her pencil correctly, and her hand fatigues quickly. We have tried the special pencil holders that are supposed to guide her fingers into place, but she hates them. Her teacher suggested doing fine motor activities to help strengthen her fingers, and sewing was one of them. She had heard that sewing with a needle and thread was good practice for holding a pencil correctly.

A-HAAAA!!!!

But, no, we didn't buy the little sewing machine. Instead, I bought her a beginning sewing book, a brand new pair of grown up scissors, just for her, and filled a pretty little flowered box with needles, craft thread, flower headed pins, measuring tape, a pincushion...everything you need to begin sewing. She was pretty excited to get started, especially after looking through her new book, which I would HIGHLY recommend to anyone who would like to teach a child how to sew. It's called Sewing School: Hand-Sewing Projects Kids Will Love to Make.

From CraftyPod

To read a great review and to see pics of what is inside, check out CraftyPod's post on this book. I love this book because you see things that REAL kids made! And you can tell that they made them because there is usually a pic of the child with their work. The stitches are all wonky, there is original artwork, things are not cut straight...and that is what makes this book great to me. My girl saw the pictures and said, "I CAN DO THIS!"

I bought another beginner book soon after with some really cute, really easy projects. Unfortunately, she was not as thrilled about it as I thought she would be, and we have yet to start a project from it. I finally figured out what it was. She was intimidated by the projects because they look perfect. They were made by a skilled adult with perfect, even stitches, perfect alignment, straight cuts, etc. Sigh. I am hoping to move her beyond the perfectionist expectation and get her to try something from the other book, but for now, we are sticking with Sewing School projects.

The first project was a needle book. You have to have somewhere to stick those things, right?

That little button gave her a huge amount of pride. She told everyone she knew that she can now sew on buttons! (By the way, the pics are from my Droid phone, using the "Man With Camera" app. I envy the Instagramers out there with their cool pics, so I'm trying out some new apps)

The next project she wanted to try was to make a "stuffie".

You draw a picture of a creature or animal, outline it with dark marker, so when you place a piece of muslin on top of your drawing, you can see through the fabric to trace it. We used Crayola Fabric Markers to permanently trace and color the image so it won't wash out or bleed. We have also used crayons and ironed the fabric with a sheet of paper on top to set the colors.

Of course, as soon as he saw what we were doing, Little Man wanted in on the fun of learning how to sew, so he jumped right in and started creating with us.


His first stuffie: a cat!

And here's our partial cast of characters! (Some are missing in action -- they are definitely a favorite toy these days!) Little Man made the caterpillar, I made the mouse, and Eleanor made the others. I think there is some great talent there!

I've got to include the latest: Kirby and Prince Fluff from Kirby's Epic Yarn.

Have you seen that game?? Total eye candy for crafters, you can't die, you just unravel your enemies, the kids adore it, and the music in many levels is actually nice and soothing.

And yes, I made Prince Fluff. :)

SCORE! Vintage hardware art for little boys.

2012-01-23T10:30:00.000-05:00

I went to a HUGE consignment sale a few months ago and picked up some amazing bargains, but my favorite one:

These "Hardware Store Alphabet Cards" are HUGE 8x10 individual cards that you can use for wall art. They remind me of the old children's book illustrations from the Dick and Jane era, or even those vintage textbooks that you can find once in a while. They sell for around $25 new, but I got a boxed set for FIVE BUCKS. I am dying to use these somehow. String them up, banner-like? Frame each one and sell them on etsy?

I need suggestions!

Ornaments!

2012-01-05T14:20:00.000-05:00

Last month I was hard at work getting my preschool fundraiser orders filled. I absolutely ADORE doing preschool events. The kids are always so sweet and excited to get their hand or footprint made in clay. I bring two at a time in the room so one can watch while the other gets it done.

Glazing the bisque ornaments before the final firing:

The finished product. Not one flaw or breakage...whew!

And off they go...

Hope is Fading

2011-10-20T21:07:00.000-04:00

This is definitely a video worth watching.

Hope is Fading – Orphan Sunday from Allan Rosenow on Vimeo.

I closed it.

2011-08-10T11:53:00.000-04:00

Orchard House School is no more. We have decided to send Eleanor back to public school and officially terminate the homeschool. It's the right decision for her this year. She has grown a lot this year in many ways and I believe she will do great.

But I must admit, I am sad that it has come to an end.


photo from Tomboy Design

Ok, deep breath. (updated!)

2011-08-03T10:20:00.001-04:00

We raised over $2000 for Nicholas this summer!

To those who donated: From the bottom of my heart, thank you for giving Nicholas a chance at a new life. I believe his family is out there somewhere.

Here's the deep breath part. I just found out that all the children who were on the 5/5/5 program, like Nicholas, will be able to keep their grants until January. After that, children who have turned 6 already, like Nicholas will this month, will be put into an "older child" category on the Reece's Rainbow website. If I am understanding correctly, the funds from those children will then get put into a general grant for the next older child who is being adopted. Because older children (6+) do not get adopted as easily as younger ones, by gathering the older child funds into one larger one, this is a way to make it easier for a family to adopt an older child. Unfortunately, this means that after that grant fund has been used for one child in that category, it takes a while to build up the funds again for another child in that category.

I'll speak plainly: If you have seen Nicholas and have been thinking and praying about adopting him, the time has come to seriously consider moving ahead. Contact Reece's Rainbow. See what you need to do to get your paperwork in order. Like, NOW.

I was told recently that he is just one out of many children. I can't save them all. That is true, unfortunately. But he is an individual, not a mass of children. He is one little child, who cries in his sleep at night. Who likes to dance to music. Who loves to play with adults. Who cries in his sleep at night.

He is just one little boy.

***UPDATE!***

I have learned that Reece's Rainbow has changed the policy regarding older children grants. They are now able to keep individual accounts until they are 10! This means that Nicholas will keep his grant, not until only January, as was the case until recently, but for another several years! That is wonderful news! But let's not let him be parentless all that time. Let's find a home for Nicholas before he lives another year alone. The danger of transfer is still very real.

And the winner is...

2011-07-22T23:56:00.004-04:00

AND THE WINNER IS...

VICKY McLeod Wilson!

 Congratulations!

FYI: I used Random.org to come up with a number between 1 and 188. I created a numbered list of all the entries, including the free ones from sharing online, and Vicky was number 110.

A HUGE thank you goes out to everyone who participated in this event. I wasn't sure if we were going to have a good response, and was crossing my fingers that the giveaway would pay for the Kindle and gift card at least! Just getting Nicholas' name and face out there for the world to see and be aware of was my #1 intent. I am thrilled to say that the giveaway made over $950 alone! Along with our recent yard sale, etsy sales from Where Is Thumbkin Pottery, personal donations, and donations from others before the giveaway, his posted 5/5/5 total is now up to $1555.50! We still have a check to send in from local donations, so that total will be even larger when that is added.

Kindle Giveaway extended!

2011-07-15T02:22:00.000-04:00

We have decided to extend the drawing for one more week -- instead of drawing today, the giveaway winner will be chosen and announced on Friday, July 22nd! We wanted to be able to give as many people as possible a chance to donate and win. We knew that there were some who needed more time to get their donations in, so it made sense to extend it a week. To enter, follow this LINK and read the details. It's easy!

I found a link to a photo gallery tonight that really rocked me. One picture in particular.

This is a child who is sentenced to a life in a mental institution in Eastern Europe. He/she was likely transferred near his/her 4th birthday. This picture shows a tiny child with Down syndrome, arms bound. Believe it or not, it is likely that this child is actually 8 or more years old.

This child is one of the "forgotten ones".

Why all this passion?

2011-07-06T01:24:00.001-04:00

For those of you who are new to this blog of mine, I would like to share the reason for all this energy and time I devote to this cause.

This is Ben, and he is my little boy.

He has Down syndrome, and was diagnosed with autism at age 7. He cannot speak, and he has very few signs. Yet, he communicates in his own way. Our Ben has a wonderful spirit and has shown us that the mysteries of his diagnosis is not all we, or many other people expect it to be. He has let us into his world many times, almost as if to say, "I am here. I can understand you. Check out this thing I can do." And then he amazes us. He expresses his love for us very clearly. His hugs are outta this world. He expresses that he needs us for security and comfort. His favorite thing to do when he is winding down is -- snuggling. Not really the first word I would have thought of in the past when hearing the word "autism". But he is the first one to take our hand, lead us to the couch, and settle in under a blanket, snuggled up under our arm, while sucking his fingers. You can feel the peace emanating from him during those times, and it effects everyone who is blessed enough to be the "snuggle-ee".

We have our challenges with him, don't get me wrong. I don't want to paint an unrealistic picture of him and claim that he is super human or super angelic. He can be SUCH a stinker. But as I observe him these days, I can see that he is just like any other 10 year old in many ways. He loves to watch Wipeout. He loves to hassle his little sister and brother. He loves to rock out to his music. He loves Fritos. He loves hanging out in the yard. And he looooves to be chased. (Sigh.) But this kid is a shining light and adds so much to our lives.

I can't imagine what life would be like for Ben if he did not have a mother or a father who loved him. I can't imagine what life would be like for Ben if he were in an orphanage in Eastern Europe, destined to be transferred to a mental institution where he would be exposed to disease, the cries of other children as they lay in their cribs -- sometimes tied to the rails, and malnourishment.

The list goes on. Thinking about Benjamin in one of those places, and what may happen to him and his spirit...just turns my blood cold.

Watch the video and you will see why I have such passion for children who are in these places or who are destined to be transferred to one of these places. They are all over Eastern Europe. While there are some pretty decent places, there are many more that are like this one. Nicholas lives in a poverty-stricken region. Places like this are understaffed, use sheets for diapers, have very inadequate equipment, and lately, are sending skeletal children home with adoptive families. A few have had to go straight to the hospital instead of home to their new beds with their new families. At this time, I don't know what is happening with Nicholas. But I do fear for him. He may be in a good place, but chances are that he is not.

Nicholas is my challenge this summer. I want to take away the look of sadness? despair? uncertainty? confusion? from his eyes and show him that someone loves him. I am raising funds for his hopeful adoption, and raising awareness of him so that someone will see him and say, "I will love that child."

Right now I am holding a giveaway for a really awesome Kindle (Free 3G + WiFi) plus a $50 Amazon Gift card, OR, if you decide you would rather have a $150 gift card to a major store of your choice, that can be arranged. Only $5 per entry!!! Now that, my friends, is a pretty good deal.

I just added a ChipIn Widget for this giveaway last night -- The previous donations will not show up there, but I do have a record of them, plus all the other "freebie" entries. The ChipIn Widget on the right hand sidebar towards the top of my blog makes it even easier to donate.

Follow this LINK for more details about the Kindle and more ways on how to enter.

Announcing...an Amazon Kindle (Free 3G + WiFi) , PLUS a $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

2011-06-24T13:27:00.003-04:00

Try to keep it together, people...

I am giving away a BRAND NEW Amazon Kindle plus a $50 Amazon gift card!

This will be my very first official blog giveaway, and I am so excited! This giveaway will benefit Nicholas, an orphan in Eastern Europe whose time is running out. Please read my post "Meet Nicholas" to learn more about this little guy.

Here is a bit of info about the Kindle from the Amazon website:

Kindle is our #1 bestselling item for two years running. It's also the most-wished-for, most-gifted, and has the most 5-star reviews of any product on Amazon. Now it's even better.
All-New, High-Contrast E Ink Screen - 50% better contrast with latest E Ink Pearl technology
Read in Bright Sunlight - No glare
New and Improved Fonts - New crisper, darker fonts
New Sleek Design - 21% smaller body while keeping the same 6" size reading area
17% Lighter - Only 8.7 ounces, weighs less than a paperback
Battery Life of Up to Two Months - A single charge lasts up to two months with wireless off
Double the Storage - Up to 3,500 books
Books in 60 Seconds - Download books anytime, anywhere
Free 3G Wireless - No monthly payments, no annual contracts
Built-In Wi-Fi - In addition to the 3G wireless, you can connect to Wi-Fi hotspots
20% Faster Page Turns - Seamless reading
Enhanced PDF Reader - With dictionary lookup, notes, and highlights
New WebKit-Based Browser - Browse the web over Wi-Fi (experimental)
Special Offers - Special offers and sponsored screensavers display on the Kindle screensaver and on the bottom of the home screen—they don't interrupt reading

I LOVE my Kindle. I was given one for Mother's Day from my wonderful husband, and I really have been enjoying it. Life is pretty busy with three children, and before I got my Kindle, I often wondered how I would find time to read. If I was lucky and remembered my book, I would be able to grab snippets of time while waiting to pick up children from school, waiting with the kids in the car while hubby makes a grocery run, etc. Now that I have a Kindle, it is easy to grab it and stick it in my purse, or leave in the car. I can now finish novels! I can upload books on it very easily, and I was THRILLED when I realized how many FREE books there are! I went crazy there for a while -- I uploaded Russian folk tales, 18th century children's stories, A Girl of the Limberlost...this thing ROCKS!

I am including a $50 gift card to help with book purchases, or even a Kindle cover. I HIGHLY recommend a JAVOedge book case. Holding onto a teeny little Kindle in my clumsy hands makes me a bit nervous -- I like hang onto something more substantial. The JAVOedge holds my Kindle very securely. I have no fears of it falling out at all. I really like the styles, as well.

Here is mine:

It is selling on Amazon for $29.99 at this time. JAVOedge Cherry Blossom Book Case for Amazon Kindle 3 (Ocean Blue) - Latest Generation

They also make some really nice ones with book lights. The possibilities seem endless!

PLEASE TAKE NOTE: If you do not want a Kindle, I have another option. I will substitute a $150 gift card from your choice of Target, Walmart, or Amazon.com.

Now, for the details:

All you need is $5 for each entry.

That's it! For instance, if you donate $50, you get 10 entries. Just click on the badge to the right with the picture of Nicholas' face, and it will take you to the donation page. There will be a yellow "donate" button under his description. There is also a "donate" button on this page to the right, under Nicholas' badge. Easy breezy...AND when you donate this way, it is tax-deductible.

AND, you can get entries by sharing about this fundraiser. For every blog post you publish, tweet you Twitter, or announcement on Facebook about this fundraiser, you will get an additional entry. Follow this blog and you will get an entry as well.

VERY IMPORTANT: Contact me with the amount you donated so I can give you the appropriate number of entries, and let me know about the additional entries that you have earned. The donation link does not give me info on who donated what, just the amount that it all totals. You can comment here, or leave a comment on my Facebook page, or email me at katie.whereisthumbkin@gmail.com

I will draw the lucky name on Friday, July ~~15th!~~ 22nd!
(in the event that this fundraiser does not produce enough donations to pay for the Kindle/gift card, I will extend the drawing date)

GOOD LUCK!!

ANYTHING...

2011-06-17T22:37:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder:

ANYTHING you see in my etsy shop, any short quote or poem that has been rambling around in your head these days, any poignant saying that you would like to give as a gift to a loved one (I do custom work)...anything sold will profit my little man, Nicholas.

100%.

I am working on a specific product that will benefit him not only for the 5-5-5 Warrior Project, but for as long as he has a grant fund through Reece's Rainbow. I can't wait to introduce it into my etsy shop in a few weeks!

In the meantime, there is a giveaway up my sleeve...watch for my next post!

(and whoever just donated that $10...THANK YOU! The donation "thermometer" has been sitting at that number for quite a while, and it's been bothering me! I still need to send in my yard sale check so it hasn't been reflected there yet -- thank you for the reminder. It will be going in the mailbox tomorrow morning!)

We had our Yard Sale!

2011-06-10T10:02:00.000-04:00

Simply put: It was a LOT of work. I was sore for days afterward and I got a sunburn.

But it was so worth it! Not only did we make around $400 for Nicholas, we got the word out in our community about Reece's Rainbow, and several people came just because it was a good cause. I highly recommend advertising in Craigslist (I posted three times, and once in the baby section), and posting flyers around town.

I hadn't had a garage sale in over 10 years, and had held onto a lot of stuff, not really knowing when our "last baby" would show up. Well, the youngest is 4 and I am turning 40 next year. I was really holding out for a while there, but the right time never came and I am thinking it probably won't at this point. Being Nicholas' 5-5-5 Warrior was a wonderful motivator to have a yard sale and let go of some old things and old dreams, clear out the clutter, clear out the attic and closets, and unburden our lives from excess. When I wavered about some meaningless object or other, Nicholas' face was there on the refrigerator, keeping me on track and focused. We had some awesome people giving us some really nice donations, which added to the magnitude of the sale. It was BIG.

We were pricing things to go bye bye...$5 a bag for folded clothing, .10 and .25 bins for the kiddies, lots of items that hurt me to price so low -- but I don't think I would have made as much as I did if I asked for higher prices.

This is what it looked like after the sale:

These were taken during the clean up, later in the day. Everything you see here (except the fridge) all had to go back on my back porch until we decided what to do with the rest. We are still thinking about it: Have another sale? Take it all to the flea market for $10 a table? Try a different location? (We were in kind of an out of the way place)

We also had a canopy -- and we were able to sell some drinks and snacks from there. Here is the quickie poster I made:

I am so glad that we were able to contribute a good amount to Nicholas' grant fund. I will be finding other ways this summer to keep things going. I can't tell you all how much I want to save this child. He seems to be one of the ones who has not gotten a lot of attention in the adoption circles in the past few years, and I can't understand why. He is absolutely adorable, and his dejected expression just brings out the protective mommy in me.

Please help me bring Nicholas to a prospective adopting family's attention. He should be going to kindergarten right now, making friends, playing in the sandbox, getting hugs from siblings and parents -- and eating a piece of birthday cake in August.

But in August, instead of cake and presents, he will more than likely face a life in a mental institution. Can you help him? If we can make him more visible to an adoptive family, he will have a better chance at a happy life. There is a donate button at the top right of my blog. Any thing helps. $5, $10. It's as simple as just a few clicks.

Help me save this one?

Brainstorming, fundraising, and plans!

2011-05-24T13:13:00.000-04:00

Time is a tickin' for my little man Nicholas, and I am getting my ideas in motion -- my brain has just been buzzing with a million fundraising ideas! It is difficult to narrow down, because I want to do them ALL.

One thing for sure. A mammoth garage sale is in the works. It's funny how we have been needing to unburden ourselves from the unnecessary things in our house for a while now, and the shelves are stacked full of items to get rid of, not to mention our attic. And all it takes is the idea of one little boy's fate in Eastern Europe to kick my butt into gear. The idea of extra cash never thrilled me enough, I guess, and it always seemed so overwhelming to organize. But we are going to do it, and everything will go towards Nicholas' grant fund at Reece's Rainbow.

The sale is set for Saturday, June 4th, and we will also be including a bake sale to draw them in and empty their pockets in exchange for some yummy treats! I have some wonderful friends donating a lot of items for the sale, and I couldn't be more grateful! I am crossing my fingers that this will give my little boy a big chunk of change for his adoption grant, and possibly get some awareness raised for him. You never know -- Nicholas' family just might be right here in my town.

We are also going to raffle off something very special (to be announced...), and I hope it will have a lot of response!

Meet Nicholas.

2011-05-09T00:03:00.015-04:00

This little boy has been on my mind and in my heart for several months now. I have shown his little face all over Facebook, trying to raise awareness of his situation, and have purchased Christmas ornaments for members of my family that had his face on them to raise funds for him. I have others watching out for him, hoping, and praying as well.

The thing is this. He is an orphan. He lives in Eastern Europe. He has Down syndrome. And the scariest thing of all: He is five.

When these children reach a certain age, they are dressed warmly, kissed by their caretakers whom they have known their whole lives, and tucked into a strange car with a strange person for a ride that is perhaps hours away. The security and routine of their "baby houses" is suddenly gone. A new chapter of their lives has come, and unfortunately, it is a bleak one.

Their destination is a government-run mental institution for older children, possibly up to age 18. These places are known for their lack of stimulation, poor living conditions, lack of adequate staff, and malnourished children, who are frequently tied to beds, benches, or chairs. There are typically no therapies provided. Many of the children resort to head-banging or obsessive rocking due to a prolonged lack of interaction and stimulation. When they are admitted into a mental institution, they are lost to the system forever, and are not considered available for adoption any more.

Some information about Nicholas (taken from his information page at Reece's Rainbow):

Date of Birth: August 2005
Gender: Male
Eyes: Blue
Hair: light brown
Nature: Quiet boy, loves to play with adults. He loves listening to music, trying to repeat the dance moves for adults. He has a selective attitude towards others. In a gesture of farewell. His appetite is good, he eats with a spoon and drinking from a cup, but not accurately. Sleep restless, sometimes cries in his sleep.

Nicholas has a wonderful soul about him! He needs a family quickly, he should be in a kindergarten class making friends, not stuck in an orphanage or institution.

He loves music. He loves to dance. He may be shy towards strangers. He can wave bye-bye. He loves his meals and can eat almost by himself. His sleep is restless (nightmares?), and sometimes cries in his sleep. "cries in his sleep." If he has nightmares in his baby house, imagine how a place like a government-run mental institution would be like for a boy like Nicholas. Can you imagine how terrified and alone he would feel? Nicholas is five. It is almost his turn. He will be going very soon unless someone is able to step forward for him.

I am stepping forward for Nicholas as his 5-5-5 Warrior, as part of the Reece's Rainbow Ministry. I am hoping to be able to raise money and awareness of him, so he will be adopted before it is too late. The money that I raise for him will be going into his individual grant fund. The money in his grant is to help offset the cost of adoption. It is possible to have a fully funded grant, folks. I have seen thousands of dollars donated towards specific children, allowing someone to more easily consider them for adoption. It has worked -- I have seen these children go home to loving families. I am hoping that I can contribute to seeing Nicholas' future be secured in the arms of a wonderful family. The money will stay in his grant fund, unless he is institutionalized, and made unavailable for adoption. I am hoping and praying that won't happen, but if it does, then it will go to another child's fund or even go towards the Older Child Grant. You should see the sweethearts there. Be still my beating heart.

I have a few thoughts about fund raising percolating in my head, but for now, I would like to announce that ANY profit from my Etsy store, Where Is Thumbkin Pottery, will go directly to Nicholas' Grant Fund. I will be adding more to my shop as things come out of the kiln, including some adoption-specific quote plaques and ornaments.

If you have any questions about pottery or donations, please contact me at katie.whereisthumbkin@gmail.com. To know more about Reece's Rainbow, please visit their website. www.reecesrainbow.org

I have a donation button on the right side of my blog under Reece's Rainbow. Anything donated there will go directly to Nicholas' grant fund. ANY LITTLE THING will help him. Especially a prayer.

Happy April Fool's Day!!

2011-04-01T22:29:00.003-04:00

These pictures should sum up the best trick of the day...

And I wonder who the trickster was who disorganized my neatly organized homeschool area back there...?

Hmmm...hipster or leprechaun in disguise?

2011-03-29T01:46:00.003-04:00

You decide.

Actually, I got this idea and pattern from an etsy seller (I Made You A Beard) who posted an awesome tutorial on how to make these funny little things. Only it looks like more adults wear them...than children. Well then! Personally, I think it looks much better on my four year old than it does on me -- and yes I did try it on.

And NO, those of you in my family...I did NOT happen to make several of these in many different colors to distribute as belated Christmas gifts to my many nephews. Ahem.

See you at Easter!

2011-03-13T17:06:00.002-04:00

I simply adore this wallpaper! Wish I had a place to put it...but I'll have to keep dreaming for now. It's called "Whitby" from Mini Moderns, and I snagged it from the super awesome blog Design Sponge.

Sick kiddos and pink cupcakes.

2011-03-11T16:37:00.004-05:00

Nope, I didn't hold that thermometer to an (incandescent) light bulb. I always get nervous when Eleanor runs a temp, because she is one of those kids whose fever skyrockets quickly and stays high for days. I have seen her axillary temp as high as 105. Not fun.

Poor child. She hates that thing...

Ian was comforted by his Teddy, who I've been told apparently knows how to play Mario Brothers and basketball.

But pink cupcakes made it all better. Temporarily, anyway...

And here is my beautiful Ben, feeling like crud like everyone else, but happy as a clam to be cuddling on the couch with us all.

And who says kid with autism aren't snugglers? Whatevah.

I'm a copycat, and no one knows...

2011-03-10T10:29:00.006-05:00

I made these awesome little Valentine cards for Ian's preschool class, and the reaction I got was almost like I had invented the washing machine or something. I even thought the teachers were going to go a bit Oprah audience on me. Thankfully they settled down. But I was relieved that they hadn't seen one (or 100) like it yet. Thing is, these were probably one of the more popular cards to make this year in the mama-blogging circles, and thankfully, one of the easiest to do. Just take the kid outside, say, "Hold up your fist, please!" and snap away. Then print, use an exacto knife on top and on the bottom of the fist and stick a lollipop through there. Secure with tape on the back. And voila...magic. Check out these cards by other bloggers: this one (great character!) and this one (very realistic!)

So, I will now bless you with the outtakes from our little photo session. (How can I pass up the chance to show off this face?)

Yep, this one's a character alright.

Slowing down.

2010-10-08T03:11:00.004-04:00

Life has been overwhelmingly busy these days, and something's gotta give. I guess it is pottery. I will still be doing the odd appointment here and there, but I have decided to cease all marketing, fund raising, home events, etc. This is something that I love about doing this work: I can slow down when I need to, even to a complete stop, for however long, and then pick it right back up again. I have so many ideas for marketing, but have felt like I would not be able to properly do the work in an adequate period of time, especially during the Christmas rush. So, I am calling for a pottery break. There are other avenues of creativity I would like to explore as well -- I miss sewing, and I would like to learn how to knit. One day!

Some good news! My husband and I are going to Yellowstone next week...all by ourselves. I am nervous to leave the kiddos for so long, but I am really excited to see these again:

The Grand Tetons

Made By You Monday

2010-09-06T21:51:00.002-04:00

I am participating in Skip To My Lou's Made By You Monday!

Check it out! There are so many interesting things being showcased...her readers are so talented!

Changes...

2010-08-31T09:50:00.007-04:00

Changes are happening at our household these days. We have decided to homeschool our 1st grader! We have been thinking about the possibilities of her education for a while now, and have decided that the public school setting is not right for her at this stage of her life. Right now she is like a butterfly trapped inside a classroom window.

This girl is a free spirit. Can you see it?

We have decided to school her using the Charlotte Mason method, which, after long and hard contemplation and research, seems to be the perfect fit for our Eleanor. It incorporates short, precise lessons with classic literature ("living" text instead of dry textbooks), lots of nature studies, and copywork. I have decided to supplement with additional math and science curriculum, to give a bit more structure to those areas. We are still going to sign her up to be on the waiting list for our local charter school, which we have heard nothing but wonderful things about (small class size, learning at ones own pace, encouraging creativity, positive behavior reinforcement, etc). The chances of her actually getting in are slim, since they use a lottery system for new applicants. It may be a couple of years before her turn comes, but until then, we are going to enjoy our time together, learning at home. We can't wait to get started!

Now, all I have to do is find my college diploma to send in to the state, clean out and organize the "preschool area" in our kitchen into a homeschool area, sign her up for some classes in art and possibly karate (which she has recently shown an interest in), find a fun computer math program (any suggestions?), and take slow deep breaths, because what I am really feeling, along with the excitement and anticipation is this...

(eek.)

So, what is new in my etsy store?

2010-08-16T12:03:00.002-04:00

Does anyone have any little gnomes or fairies that need a home in their garden? Yep, I got my mushrooms up, and I believe they are an improved version from my first ones. The new ones come in all sorts of sizes, and the spots are made from a raised slip, so you can feel the texture. They resemble the actual "amanita muscaria" mushroom a bit better that way.

Here you go...

Also, one of my favorite plaques so far:

It reminds me of my little boy, who, after I would sing the refrain to him, would come back with, "beautiful beautiful beautiful, beautiful mama..."

And more...

Check out my etsy sidebar for more items for sale, and remember that I can do custom orders, like name magnets, teacher gifts, your favorite quote, etc. If you are thinking that you see something you like, please don't delay -- all August proceeds will go to benefit the Browning Family, who are adopting little Ivanna and Matthew, who are orphans in Eastern Europe who have Down syndrome. Read about them in my previous post, and here.

Our girl has a family!!

2010-08-09T00:08:00.006-04:00

Remember Ivanna? I was absolutely thrilled to learn that she now has a family! (and a brother that they are adopting at the same time!) So here they are...Introducing The Browning Family over at An Extra Leaf!

From their "about us" page:

Phillip and Charrissa are very much blessed. They have six children: Isaac, Gabriel, Ethan, Elisabeth, Chloe and Justus. Every child brings much joy to their home. When their youngest child, Justus, was born with Down syndrome and a heart condition, they were reminded of just how a child could impact not only them, but those around them. Justus' testimony at only a year old is quite extraordinary in how it brings glory to God. He underwent heart surgery at four months old, and almost did not make it through. However; Christ saw fit to allow differently.

Many prayed across the nation for Justus, many who did not even know him. Many lives were touched as they saw how Christ was leading and directing during that time. All of which is a story in and of itself. Justus not only pulled through, but is now thriving.

It was during this time that the Browning family was made aware of the larger community of Down syndrome and other special needs. These children may have had special needs, requiring more care, but the spirit of both these children and their parents were far from fragile. Phillip and Charrissa saw it every day during their stay at the Children's Hospital - parents rallying around their children; urging and praying that they would survive whatever battle the child was facing. It both humbled them, and spoke to their hearts of something bigger ... they just did not know what yet.

Now, more than six months later they "accidentally" came upon Reece's Rainbow's website. Only this was no accident, but a divine appointment. The faces listed there were overwhelming. Even more overwhelming was the fact that these children had no rallying or urging as Phillip and Charrissa had seen during Justus' hospital stay. In fact, these children had no parental support at all. They were all orphans. Left to fight medical battles alone, and sometimes with no interventions. Sure, there were caretakers in the orphanages, but no nurturing from a mother's arms or wrestling matches with daddy. Once more, the moment these children reached the age of four or five, they were transferred to a mental institution. Once transferred; there is a statistic out there that states that about 80% of them will die during their first year due to an environment that can be described as dire - at best.

Phillip and Charrissa know that they can't rescue every child, but to simply turn away with that as an excuse did not set well. They prayed and asked for wisdom, guidance and provision. God answered. They know that this is a leap of faith, but feel called to it. They are aware that this will require more work - but consider it a labour of love. They prayerfully committed to adopting Matthew and Ivanna from an Eastern European orphanage. These two children are in great need of a forever family. Matthew is five and Ivanna is four. Both children are in very real danger of being transferred. The Brownings hope to bring them home before that can happen.

Every child is special. Every life – precious – fearfully and wonderfully made. These children are no different. They are no better or worse, but designed with 'an extra leaf' (extra chromosome). Because of that extra leaf, they are deemed not worthy of investment and are tucked away in a land that offers no voice and no hope. We pray that many will join in and lend them that voice. That through Christ - hope will be given.

We are happy to have you along with us as we seek to answer His calling in this journey of adoption. Our prayer is that, not just Matthew and Ivanna will come home - but that more children will find their forever families as a result of our journey. Our ultimate goal, above all and in everything, is that Christ will be glorified. We thank you in advance for your prayer and support as we seek to add to our family these very special "extra leaves".

My heart was warmed seeing these pictures of her new brothers preparing for her. A new family portrait, and some sweet new clothes, just for them! Oh, I just can't wait to see them come home!

If you would like to donate directly to their grant fund at Reece's Rainbow, please follow this link: The Browning Family

Also,

I am donating every last bit of my AUGUST proceeds from my etsy shop to go to the fund as well. Please take a look and help them come home! Where Is Thumbkin Pottery

The Avett Brothers

2010-07-31T10:34:00.002-04:00

I LOVE THESE GUYS...

Check them out here, seriously. January Wedding is also a favorite, and the kiddos sing right along. There has been nothing in the van's CD player since I have discovered them over a week ago over at Posie Gets Cozy. Thank you thank you thank you...

Oh -- and you're welcome.

Back to school!

2010-07-02T12:20:00.008-04:00

I am really supposed to be doing laundry, but I couldn't resist posting about the cute backpack I found for my 1st grader, who will be going back July 9. (She is on a year round schedule -- 9 weeks on, 3 off)

I narrowed down the online choices, called the final decision maker in, who squealed with delight when she saw this one:

I really like it, but it's also a little...strange?

I found it over at Queen Baby Bean. I decided to browse the site to see what else they had, and fell in love with all the toys...PLUS, guess what else they sell?

BENTO BOXES!!

Now, for my 4th grader, something a little like this would be just totally awesome:

I found him over at doobybrain.com. I just love it, but I will have to keep looking for a better deal. $60 on Ebay?? Yikes...

Bento boxes and my delightful discovery of Shinzi Katoh

2010-06-03T10:35:00.006-04:00

I have been revisiting the idea I have been mulling over for a year or so about starting the whole bento box lunch thing with my two elementary schoolers. My eldest is on a gluten free diet, so I have been packing him a lunch every day for four years. My daughter, is just plain picky. We send money to school, and most days she eats the cafeteria food. We have been trying to get her to try new foods, and I have been hoping that seeing other children eating green beans and chicken fried steak will open her mind up a bit. Um, no. In her school, the children get to choose what they want to eat -- the teacher goes over the menu with them the day before, and takes note of their choices. Unfortunately, she has been on a grilled cheese/chocolate milk diet for most of the year. She comes home absolutely ravenous, and she pretty much needs a second "lunch". She really gets excited when I pack her a lunch for school, and a typical one would be peanut butter and jelly on wheat, apple juice, carrots and dip, and popcorn. My son typically gets a ham sandwich with mayo on gluten-free bread, chips or popcorn, applesauce or oranges, and an apple juice. Sometimes I switch it up and he will eat beans and franks, or potato salad, chicken salad, etc. I have said to myself many times, we are in a lunch rut!

And then I saw these: Bentos

I'm actually feeling a little overwhelmed as I look through all the pictures of all the various styles, designs, and accessories -- it's hard to choose which ones to post on my blog. There are about a zillion. Japanese mothers are insanely creative with their children's lunches -- bentos are an expression of love for them. Many of them are like little diorama scenes -- remember the shoeboxes from our past? It must take some of these more intricate designs hours to create! They have these special little boxes, sometimes with two or more tiers, that you can pack the food into. I found a site called Happy Little Bento, and she is amazing!! Check out some of her creations for children:

Now, I chose these because they are pretty tame compared to some of the crazier ones I have seen, and these look completely doable. I love the little picks and cups, and know I could go nutty on ebay just getting the little egg molds, separators, spears and such. I just had to laugh at this guy's humor about bentos: Crazy Happy Lunch He has invented some really hilarious haiku poems for various bentos...I guess you just have to go take a look!

In my search for various containers, accessories, etc, I ran across a Japanese designer/artist that I have absolutely fell head over heels with:

Shinzi Katoh.

Think abstract vintage children's illustrations from 50's and 60's. Think fairy tales. Think retro color schemes. Think my wallet emptying...

Here are some bento boxes that come from this designer:

The hard part is deciding which one I like best! These designs might not be suited to my eight year old strapping boy, but for my daughter, and my little one who will need to take a snack to preschool, these would be perfect. There are a billion other kinds of bento boxes you can find, from Toy Story, Hello Kitty, etc., with various shapes and sections, or you could go for a more grown up look and get the plainer metal ones or even some fancy lacquered wooden ones.

The possibilities are truly endless. Looking forward to getting my first one!

Monkey toes and other things...

2010-06-03T09:25:00.009-04:00

Blue bird magnet -- "hi"

Tire swing magnet -- "play" (sold, but more are on the way!)

small ceramic plaque -- "you are my sunshine" (sold -- to a lovely woman who wanted to give it to her grandmother for her birthday. She used to sing it to her as a child, which made this plaque very meaningful to them. I love hearing stories like this.)

Mini-plaque -- "b is for..."

Ceramic plaque -- "Cheerily, then, my little man. Live and laugh as boyhood can!"

I found this poem by John Greenleaf Whittier, called The Barefoot Boy, and it just really struck a chord with me. The plaque above is an excerpt from the poem:

The Barefoot Boy

By John Greenleaf Whittier


BLESSINGS on thee, little man,
Barefoot boy, with cheek of tan!
With thy turned-up pantaloons,
And thy merry whistled tunes;
With thy red lip, redder still	5
Kissed by strawberries on the hill;
With the sunshine on thy face,
Through thy torn brim’s jaunty grace;
From my heart I give thee joy,—
I was once a barefoot boy!	10
Prince thou art,—the grown-up man
Only is republican.
Let the million-dollared ride!
Barefoot, trudging at his side,
Thou hast more than he can buy	15
In the reach of ear and eye,—
Outward sunshine, inward joy:
Blessings on thee, barefoot boy!

Oh for boyhood’s painless play,
Sleep that wakes in laughing day,	20
Health that mocks the doctor’s rules,
Knowledge never learned of schools,
Of the wild bee’s morning chase,
Of the wild flower’s time and place,
Flight of fowl and habitude	25
Of the tenants of the wood;
How the tortoise bears his shell,
How the woodchuck digs his cell,
And the ground-mole sinks his well;
How the robin feeds her young,	30
How the oriole’s nest is hung;
Where the whitest lilies blow,
Where the freshest berries grow,
Where the ground-nut trails its vine,
Where the wood-grape’s clusters shine;	35
Of the black wasp’s cunning way,
Mason of his walls of clay,
And the architectural plans
Of gray hornet artisans!
For, eschewing books and tasks,	40
Nature answers all he asks;
Hand in hand with her he walks,
Face to face with her he talks,
Part and parcel of her joy,—
Blessings on the barefoot boy!	45

Oh for boyhood’s time of June,
Crowding years in one brief moon,
When all things I heard or saw,
Me, their master, waited for.
I was rich in flowers and trees,	50
Humming-birds and honey-bees;
For my sport the squirrel played,
Plied the snouted mole his spade;
For my taste the blackberry cone
Purpled over hedge and stone;	55
Laughed the brook for my delight
Through the day and through the night,—
Whispering at the garden wall,
Talked with me from fall to fall;
Mine the sand-rimmed pickerel pond,	60
Mine the walnut slopes beyond,
Mine, on bending orchard trees,
Apples of Hesperides!
Still as my horizon grew,
Larger grew my riches too;	65
All the world I saw or knew
Seemed a complex Chinese toy,
Fashioned for a barefoot boy!

Oh for festal dainties spread,
Like my bowl of milk and bread;	70
Pewter spoon and bowl of wood,
On the door-stone, gray and rude!
O’er me, like a regal tent,
Cloudy-ribbed, the sunset bent,
Purple-curtained, fringed with gold,	75
Looped in many a wind-swung fold;
While for music came the play
Of the pied frogs’ orchestra;
And, to light the noisy choir,
Lit the fly his lamp of fire.	80
I was monarch: pomp and joy
Waited on the barefoot boy!

Cheerily, then, my little man,
Live and laugh, as boyhood can!
Though the flinty slopes be hard,	85
Stubble-speared the new-mown sward,
Every morn shall lead thee through
Fresh baptisms of the dew;
Every evening from thy feet
Shall the cool wind kiss the heat:	90
All too soon these feet must hide
In the prison cells of pride,
Lose the freedom of the sod,
Like a colt’s for work be shod,
Made to tread the mills of toil,	95
Up and down in ceaseless moil:
Happy if their track be found
Never on forbidden ground;
Happy if they sink not in
Quick and treacherous sands of sin.	100
Ah! that thou couldst know thy joy,
Ere it passes, barefoot boy!

He must have been a nostalgic soul, like me. How nice it would be to shed the responsibilities and schedules of adulthood, just for a day...to be a barefoot child again, walking hand in hand with nature, eating wild berries in the sunshine, watching animals, discovering little things, doing nothing at all and everything at once...

Vintage Sewing Patterns...I am officially obsessed!

2010-05-25T22:11:00.006-04:00

Would I be a strange parent if I dressed my child in something like this?

Seriously -- would I? A dress pattern from the 1920's...I am SO tempted. And how about these little numbers?

I just love the apron like top on that first one, and in the second pattern, the little green nightgown reminds me of the one Tootie from Meet Me In St. Louis wore while singing her duet with Judy Garland. Love those fluttery sleeves! I actually bought the last one and plan on making the little dress second from the right. There is just something about that little mandarin collar and bodice shape that brings me back years and years... I know that there is probably only a small window of time left in which I can count on my little 6 year old to tolerate and enjoy wearing fashions from the past to delight her nostalgic mother. I better get to it soon or I will turn around and she will be a teenager, saying, "I hope that's not another peter pan collar you are sewing on that dress, Mother!" "One more ruffle and I will gag, Mom!" "I want to wear something MODERN to prom this year, ok?" I just hope and pray it will be nothing like this. (shudder)

Anyway! Here is my sweet little thing when she was three in one of my favorite vintage patterns. If you will pardon me, I must brag:

Besides being obnoxiously adorable at that age, she was also the best model one could have. I adored this outfit and wished I would have put her in it more often. Unfortunately, the pants were a bit too loose and rode down, and the top tended to ride up, therefore exposing too much baby belly than I was comfortable with. I also didn't like that the pattern did not solve the gap issue in the chest area, only showing a ribbon at the top for the closure. You can't see it in the illustration, but in my second picture, where she is sitting, you can tell it needs more sufficient closure. I never got around to fixing these before she grew too big for it -- right before my eyes.

Now she is a tall and lanky six year old, and hugging her is like hugging a soda straw these days.

Can you see why I'm in a hurry?

Seven Random Facts

2010-04-16T13:31:00.006-04:00

Leigh over at Marvelous Kiddo posted her Seven Random Facts about herself in a recent post, which inspired me to create my own:

1. I sold brick for two years in St. Louis. It was a love/hate relationship.

2. I am fascinated with stories and memoirs surrounding the Holocaust, especially those involving women and children. I think it all originated with Judy Blume's book, Starring Sally J. Freedman As Herself. Judy was key in exposing me to Jewish culture, and when I was 9, I thought being a Jewish girl in 1940's Florida might be more interesting than being boring old dishwater blonde me in 1980's Missouri. Anne Frank soon followed, Elie Wiesel, Viktor Frankl, and more recently, Bernhard Schlink (The Reader), and Tatiana de Rosnay (Sarah's Key).

3. I used to spill ice water on people while working in a restaurant. I never could get the hang of carrying those danged trays.

4. I met my husband in 8th grade creative writing class. I probably would have been completely mortified to learn that he would be my husband a mere 15 years in the future. I felt he stared at me too much -- it made me cranky. Thank God we both grew up into sensible adults and decided that we were completely made for one another.

5. My extended family are reenactors, and their time period is the French and Indian War. They have a grand old time, and I still miss the smell of campfire and the sound of a drum and fife corp at Morning Colors.

6. I never took pottery in school, being intimidated by glazing, kilns, technical stuff. Painting and drawing was more my thing. My serious interest in ceramics didn't come until I was 35 years old, in 2007.

7. I consider one of my greatest accomplishments to be being able to breastfeed my firstborn. He was born under extreme distress and was in the NICU for 21 days. He was diagnosed with Down syndrome soon after, and we were told he may not survive, due to severe pulmonary hypertension. He decided to hang out on Earth and see what this place was all about, and fooled everyone. Amidst all of his struggles, a nasal cannula, a feeding tube, one half-hearted lactation consult, he was able to latch on a few times in the NICU. My heart sang, and sang again a couple of months later when he finally GOT IT, thanks to a persistant LLL leader. Goodbye pump, hello 17 months of direct mommy-made nourishment that provided little rolls of chub, bright eyes, and deep slumbers...

THAT was my favorite accomplishment.

Temporary site is up!

2010-04-16T01:10:00.001-04:00

Check it out!

www.where-is-thumbkin.com

New baby plaque.

2010-03-19T12:44:00.004-04:00

I made this for a friend who wanted something special for a baby shower that she was attending. I have always always always loved that quote. It has been special to me for a long time, and makes me think of my little Benjamin.

I will be offering these personalized plaques on my etsy site shortly.

The Starfish Saver.

2010-03-19T09:13:00.005-04:00

The Starfish Saver

As I walked along the seashore
This young boy greeted me.
He was tossing stranded starfish
Back to the deep blue sea.
I said "Tell me why you bother,
Why you waste your time this way.
There's a million stranded starfish
Does it matter, anyway?"

And he said, "It matters to this one.
It deserves a chance to grow.
It matters to this one.
I can't save them all I know.
But it matters to this one,
I'll return it to the sea.
It matters to this one,
And it matters to me."

I walked into an orphanage,
A young woman greeted me.
She was adopting a little girl,
She was excited, I could see.
I said, "Tell me why you bother,
Why you waste your time this way.
She's only one of thousands,
Does it matter anyway?"

And she said, "It matters to this one.
She deserves a chance to grow.
It matters to this one.
I can't save them all I know.
But it matters to this one,
I'll help her be what she can be.
It matters to this one,
And it matters to me."

(Courtesy of Renee over at Life With My Special K's)

Ivanna is a starfish. Maybe not the biggest one. Maybe not the one with the most intense colors or straightest arms -- maybe she is hidden under a mass of other starfish wanting to get back to the ocean. But she needs us just as much as any of the other ones do. She is waiting to be rescued, just like any other child in her situation.

To us, $21 may be a pair of nice earrings. A few mocha's at Starbucks. A couple of mp3 music albums. A video game. A decorative pillow for your couch. A lipstick at the mall. Can you imagine how $21 from everyone that this post touches, how much of an impact it would make on her grant? It is my dearest wish to see little Miss Ivanna's grant fund fill up with donations from people who care about her through seeing her picture, hearing people like me advocate on her behalf, reading the stories on Reece's Rainbow. A family would be more likely to look at Ivanna twice before moving on, seeing that her grant fund would make her adoption more possible for them.

If you have already read about Ivanna through twitter, my facebook posts, etc., and was considering donating, please make the move and take part in trying to toss this little starfish into the sea. Sure, she is one of many thousands in need all over the world, and it's hard to wrap your head around the hugeness of it all sometimes. Then I think of this quote:

We can do no great things, only small things with great love.
~Mother Teresa

It's time to "up the ante"! Free ceramic magnet, anyone?

2010-03-15T12:25:00.006-04:00

Who doesn't love free handmade pottery?

I have decided to offer one free magnet from my etsy store for every $21 donated for Ivanna's adoption grant!!

Take a look at my stock, tell me what you like, and I will either send that one, or create a new one for you!

The magnets are unique and handmade little pottery tiles with a stamped impression of things like: birds for the nature lovers, typewriters and a Shakespeare bust for the writers, city buildings for the urbanites, little robots, trees, and little Russian matroyskha dolls. I will even make you your very own name magnet to showcase your little one's beautiful artwork! The tile is made of a smooth white earthenware, hand stamped and shaped, fired in a kiln, colored with underglazes, dipped in a clear shiny glaze, and fired again. A heavy duty magnet is epoxied to the back.

Where Is Thumbkin Pottery

Etsy
Buy Handmade
whereisthumbkin

Why $21? For the extra 21st chromosome that clinically defines Down syndrome. For those who are curious about what it would be like to adopt a child with DS, I found an excerpt over at Love To Know:

Understanding Down Syndrome

Down syndrome occurs in approximately one in 800 pregnancies. Fewer children are born with this condition, however. Most likely, early testing and diagnosis of the syndrome prompts many expectant couples to abort the fetus.

Down syndrome was often characterized as a "hopeless situation" in decades past, and many of these children were institutionalized soon after birth. Fortunately, that attitude has changed significantly. In fact, researchers are discovering that very often people with Down syndrome have a wide and untapped potential for understanding much more than originally believed.

Down syndrome, a form of mental retardation, occurs because of an extra chromosome. Not all children with Down syndrome experience all of the more than 50 characteristics associated with the condition. The most prevalent characteristics include poor muscle tone, short build, slanted eyes, respiratory infections, congenital heart disease, and delayed mental development. Today, the heart defects and respiratory infections that once meant certain early death to those with Down syndrome are now often corrected through surgery or treated with medication.

What to Know About Adopting a Child with Down Syndrome

Why would someone be interested in adopting a child with Down syndrome? A better question might be "Why would they not?" Those families who have opened their homes to a child with Down syndrome commonly talk about the joy the child has brought to their family. Many of these families consider the addition of a child with special needs a blessing, and they believe that the lessons they have learned from the experience far outweigh the difficulties.

Read more over at: Love To Know.

You can donate for sweet Ivanna through the "Chip In" Widget on my sidebar. It will take you to Paypal, and the money will go directly to Reece's Rainbow and into Ivanna's adoption grant. (Did you know that you don't even need a Paypal account, just a credit card? I am not speedy on realizing these things...) After donating, just email me at katie.whereisthumbkin@gmail.com and let me know what magnet you would like!

But, HURRY -- this offer will end on 3/21!!!

This is Ivanna.

2010-03-12T14:28:00.010-05:00

I am honored to be this sweet girl's "21.3.10 Warrior" for Reece's Rainbow International Down syndrome Orphan Ministry. I am blogging about her because she desperately needs a family.

Can you imagine what a family would give little Ivanna? Security, nurturing, affection, resources that her orphanage would never dream of, let alone the institution she will be facing soon. She is already four years old, and in her part of the world, that means she will soon move from the "baby house", where adoptions are possible, to a more permanent institution, where she will likely be one of many -- confined to a crib, sometimes tied, where illnesses spread like wildfire, and where children like Ivanna commonly die within the first year. If you haven't seen this MSNBC video yet, watch it now.

I have personally seen several of these children, who have been lucky enough to have been adopted, brought home with their new families, and start to thrive within months. The differences have been amazing! I still can't believe the pale, sickly, scared little beings of the past are the bright eyed, rosy cheeked, shiny haired, happy children of today. I have fallen in love with each and every one I have read about and eagerly wait for new pictures.

I have blogged about these children before. Read more about my passion for these babies HERE. I am hoping that raising awareness of her will put some much needed funds in her grant to make her more "adoptable" to those looking for a child, and to help her family bring her home.

Here is her current information taken from the Waiting Child (Most "At-Risk") page on the Reece's Rainbow website:

Ivanna (13)

Girl, Born November 26, 2005

Ivanna is already 4 years old and facing imminent institutionalization! She is a precious little girl, with medium brown hair and blue eyes. She is a happy little girl, but so desperately needs a loving family to help her be all she can be. Ivanna has an ASD (atrial septal defect). It is more significant than Alyona's, and she is not walking yet. She will definitely need to be seen by a cardiologist when she gets home, but she need a family quickly so proper attention can be provided for her heart condition.

Ivanna has very low tone and is not walking yet. She is much lower functioning than Alyona, but also one who will regress quickly and waste away to nothing if she is sent to an institution ;(((

Ivanna is one of those kids who will truly blossom in a family setting with love and encouragement!

Both Ivanna and Matthew are in the same orphanage and can be adopted together.

Ivanna REALLY needs a family, and will truly blossom once home. Please give her the chance to reach her full potential!

I have $1835in my grant fund towards the cost of my adoption!

So, look at her picture. Can you see it? Sure, her cheeks are chapped, her hair is shorn, she looks like she wasn't feeling well at all the day the picture was taken. But to me, she is the definition of beauty itself.

Now, it's her turn. Her turn to have a family who will love her, cuddle her, kiss her little knees when she falls and scrapes them, wipe her tears when she cries at night, help her put that puzzle piece in it's place, comb her beautiful hair as it grows, clap with joy for her when she reaches every milestone, and most of all: bring out the shining little girl within.

I came in a bit late to the 21.3.10 Warrior fundraiser, but I am still hoping I can give her something by asking all of you to donate to her personal adoption fund. Why not make it $21 in honor of World Down Syndrome Day? Use the Chipin widget on the sidebar or below to donate securely to Reece's Rainbow.

So, please donate, please spread the word until March 22 -- forward this to friends and family, co-workers and neighbors. She needs someone on her side. Hopefully soon it will be her forever family.

Ceramic Mushrooms!

2010-03-08T17:56:00.005-05:00

I have been wanting to take these outside for a long time and take some pictures, and today I finally had some beautiful weather!

What do you think of my recent little projects?

Apple green and black -- love it!

2010-03-08T11:26:00.005-05:00

I just love the simplicity of this design. All the pertinent info is on the back (date, age, etc) to allow the little hand and foot to take center stage, along with that awesome font.

(Sigh) I just love doing what I do...

This post is linked to:

A wee bit of sweetness.

2010-02-24T21:43:00.003-05:00

Time for change...

2010-02-23T13:41:00.004-05:00

Just thought the old blog could use a little face lift, so I prettied it up for you all in honor of the upcoming spring season. Ok, I know it's still a little ways off, but I am getting jittery for some nice spring grass and green leaves and most of all, that wonderful spring air. It never fails -- One morning in my haze of getting children ready and out to the car for the ride to school, it will suddenly be there...that smell. You know what I mean. The one that tells you that spring is just around the bend. Soon there will be eager talk of Easter break, plans for summer...just from that one little whiff. We have had some nice warm weather for a day or so, and most of our snow has melted. But I am ready to say goodbye this year to people like HIM:

He was a very nice (if dull) guest, but I wasn't sad to see him go. As the old Portuguese proverb goes: Visits always give pleasure - if not the arrival, the departure.

Bye bye, Mr. Snowman! Don't let the door hit you on the way out...

Look who has an etsy shop!

2010-01-31T23:04:00.002-05:00

C'est MOI!

Where Is Thumbkin Pottery

Etsy
Buy Handmade
whereisthumbkin

These are just a few things that I had put together to see what the whole etsy thing was all about. While I was in the middle of listing my magnets, someone from a blog wrote me a message telling me they were featuring one of my magnets in a post. See it HERE.

Bizarre, huh? I already have an order for some custom name magnets.

Very exciting days ahead....

A bit of happiness...

2010-01-11T11:02:00.004-05:00

Last month I won a gift certificate after reading about a contest over at Big Blueberry Eyes. It was a $50 gift certificate for Ebeanstalk toys, and all I had to do was email a picture of one of my children playing with a toy. I knew the exact picture I would send. It is one of my favorite pictures of Ben, mostly because he is actually WEARING his glasses instead of tossing them, and for the look of complete attentiveness and focus in his eyes.

I love this picture.

Of course it won.

I was completely thrilled, and couldn't wait to pick out a special toy, but had a difficult time deciding. Then it was time to become distracted with Christmas activities and travel, this and that, and the winning email sat in my inbox all this time...until this morning. I finally called and placed my order. I decided on Music Blocks, by Small World Toys. This looks like something the little man would really dig, and I am hoping this toy captivates him. He loves music and putting things in their correct place, so this seems to be right up his alley.

Back to the subject of glasses, have you checked out ZenniOptical.com yet? The prices are unbelievable. No, really. My friend ordered three pair of glasses for about $30 last year, and since my youngest decided to swipe mine soon after during a nap and twist them into an unrecognizable shape, I decided to try them. It takes a few weeks to get them, and you have to have your prescription and measure your own pupillary distance (not a biggie). I believe I paid about $30 for my glasses, but you can get them for as low as $8. I was nervous about not being able to try them on beforehand, but I chose a style that I thought would work well with my face and hit the "order" button. I was really pleased when mine came in, and I was really impressed with the quality and the accuracy of the prescription. I am starting to realize that I am sounding like a paid advertisement, but NOPE! (I wish.) Anyway, the point of this whole paragraph was to talk about how this site would be great for children like mine, who treat their glasses as if they were disposable anyway. I could get several pair for him for far less than I would pay for one, and if one ends up flung into in the garbage can (like his cups, toys, etc), then it wouldn't be as tragic. Now if I could only get his pupillary distance, I would be all set!

Babies.

2009-12-02T10:39:00.002-05:00

I can't wait to see this! Thanks go out to Leigh at Marvelous Kiddo (where I have been seeing so many intriguing links these days).

Are schools killing creativity?

2009-11-18T10:58:00.002-05:00

This video of a lecture by Sir Ken Robinson has affected me so much, it has been on my mind for several days now. Very thought-provoking, hilarious and insightful. Thanks go to Leigh, over at Marvelous Kiddo for sharing it.

Sneak peek...

2009-08-27T11:32:00.002-04:00

As I am typing this, I have in the kiln these very pendants that I intend to sell this weekend at the local Mother's of Multiples consignment sale that goes on every year. It will be my first event as a VENDOR.

Eeek!

I will also be doing foot and hand print ornaments there. Come by and see me and tell me how I'm doing! I will be the one with the purple and green "Where Is Thumbkin" banner who looks really calm, cool, and collected.

(wink.)

I adore these!

2009-08-20T11:14:00.003-04:00

Are these bookplates absolutely stunning or what? I found myself a new favorite etsy seller:

Oiseaux

Thanks so much to Leslie, from A Room Somewhere for posting about these!

For Daddy.

2009-08-18T09:47:00.007-04:00

I know I am months behind on this one, but I had to share what we made for Father's Day this year. First of all, I am a HUGE fan of Family Fun magazine, and I have bought many a gift subscription for family and friends. Check out their craft section and be inspired. We have made a toad house out of terra cotta pots, green and pink paint and glue, a bird feeder out of a plastic water bottle and two wooden spoons, numerous decorative cakes and cupcakes, Christmas trees out of Styrofoam cones, green felt, pins, sequins and beads, Fourth of July t-shirts and decorations, and so many more things. We love every minute of each craft, and the memories we have made doing each project is priceless. One day I will do another rave about Family Fun and post pictures of all of our projects. But this one is for Daddy.

I strung them up, clothesline style, with clothespins and a bit of string and waited for Daddy to notice. After all of our giggling and eye rolling, he finally noticed the cards and fawned over them appropriately. He even went as far as to tell us which of the styles he would wear. Unfortunately, all of them but mine. He said it was too 80's. Hmmmph.

(Mine.)

(Eleanor's)

(Ben's)

(Ian's)

All it took was some wallpaper samples (Freecycle, thank you very much! I had secured a boxful of them for dollhouse decorating purposes), some buttons, some glue, and of course, a sense of menswear styling. Ahem. So. The boys couldn't be bothered, so Eleanor and I took it upon ourselves to make theirs. This was one of my favorite projects for these reasons: I love using buttons, they turned out even better than the magazine examples, and they were so quick to make! I know I probably sound like a rep for Family Fun, but I love them THAT much.

Disclaimer: Boys are harder to photograph.

During the lull....

2009-08-12T01:33:00.005-04:00

Since our son had been diagnosed with autism, life has been a flurry of paperwork, appointments, meetings and just plain veg-out zombie time. Something's gotta give, and marketing my business was one of those things. No marketing of course means no customers, so I have been having a little break these days. I have actually been having some fun doing samples -- including a plaque for our beloved Henry-dog, plaques from my friend's teeny 4 week old, and some fun little pendants. I'm not sure what made me interested in experimenting with pendants, but I rolled out some clay, stamped some designs up with my little girl and had some fun. My nieces were in town, so they painted pendants for themselves and Eleanor did some others. They were excited to see how they turned out and I am glad they were able to take something home with them. Maybe next time we can do something bigger!

I took some shots of the kiln before and after firing. I am really loving this new clear glaze I have been using...it goes on nice and smooth and GREEN with hardly any dripping issues. I know, it is a pretty pathetic kiln load...and don't mind my bare feet, please.

Before:

After:

The fruits of our labor:

One of my favorite plaques so far. Love the new text and I may use a wire instead of a ribbon for hanging.

And my Henry-dog. I have fired this twice, hoping the little pinholes in the glaze would fire out, but it is what it is...I love it.

Nice Notes

2009-07-18T22:30:00.002-04:00

I came across this wonderful site called Operation Nice. They have these little note cards you can download and write a message to any stranger who happens to run across it. This is an example of what they encourage others to do:

You want to know what I plan to do? Go to the malls, in the women's dressing rooms -- stick one on the mirror. It will say:

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

I just remembered...

2009-07-16T21:54:00.006-04:00

Tonight as I was lying with Benjamin, trying to get him to sleep -- among all of his wiggles and leg kicks -- I let my mind wander to his babyhood. I thought about his smallness. His tiny nose. Fine, fine blonde hair. His hands. Hands. Hmmm. Something in my brain was connecting this moment of sleep struggle to his baby hands. What was it? My memory is not as sharp as it used to be, and seems to get worse as the daily wear and tear of the business of life as a very busy mommy leaves no room or time to reflect on the past. I have never been a good recorder of events, much to my dismay, since you would think a person who values nostalgia and sentimentality would be on top of things like that. A journal was given to me when he was born, and I wrote his birth story, up until a point. The part where I had to write about the period of time after we were told he would probably not survive...I quit writing. It was just too difficult. Then the whirlwind came: multiple children, therapies, school issues, toilet training, Yo Gabba Gabba, disintegrating synapses -- and there you go.

And so I was granted a memory tonight. Remembering Ben's wrinkly little baby hands, I was struck -- there it was! When he was a small baby, and we were living in a little log cabin with a red tin roof in the mountains. I put him to sleep every night and every nap with by nursing him on our bed. Sometimes he was reluctant to go to sleep and I discovered that if I rubbed that little wrinkly spot on his hand where his thumb met his forefinger, it would put him to sleep almost instantly. That little action was so soothing to him for some reason, and I always marveled at how adorable he looked in those quiet moments, eyes rolling back with sleepy surrender.

I miss those days, and I know my husband does too. We frequently talk about what an easy and sweet baby he was, the little singleton...then the others came and he grew and life became more and more chaotic. Those quiet sleepy moments alone became less frequent, especially after weaning. When we moved from our cabin to a more traditional home, he was happy to be plopped in his crib at bedtime and would jump and jump until he became sleepy enough to lay down for the night. When he moved to a bed, we had to start laying down with him to get him to sleep. In the beginning, it was hard. He wanted his freedom, and sleep wasn't part of his plan. We would have to lay with him for hours every night, redirecting, pulling him back into bed, putting a leg on top of him, which was supposed to be pretty calming because of the sensory issues he had. And then we discovered melatonin...Oh. The. Relief.

We still need to lay down with him to get him to sleep, but he usually falls asleep within about 15 minutes. Tonight was a more "active" night, so as I remembered the hand trick I used to do, I tried it again on him. I was interested to see if he would remember it. Guess what?

He loved it. Asked for it a few times before he fell into a nice deep sleep.

Ben is in among the cool crowd....

2009-07-15T17:24:00.002-04:00

Check out these awesome and artful autism posters:

The last one is my favorite and I would love a T-shirt version for Benjamin. I would love to get a poster for his room as well. They were created by the Rugh Family Workshop on Autism Spectrum Disorders. Check out their link HERE.

Here is an except from their website explaining the posters:

The Rugh Family Workshop was started by Jaime & Jeffrey Rugh for their children. Collaborating as artists with family, old friends and new friends, the workshop started making posters to promote awareness, support and compassion for individuals, families, and communities living with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The posters vary widely in range, focus and design as does the spectrum itself.

Autistic individuals are often classified with deficits in social interaction, communication and repetitive behaviors.Because one may experience only one or two of these symptoms with varying intensity or the specific behaviors may vary from person to person; Autism is a spectrum disorder.As diagnosis is as high as 1 in every 150 children, Autism cannot be ignored. We hope these posters inspire people to do their own research and become advocates for the diverse spectrum within the autistic community.

Each family and community embrace and respond to Autism in a variety of ways. We imagine our posters will best function in homes, libraries, schools and community centers. We honor and promote full acceptance of these individuals as neurological difference need not be seen as a defect but a part of human experience.
A donation will be made from each sale to GRASP, an educational and advocacy organization serving individuals on the autism spectrum.
Contact us at : rughfamilyworkshop@gmail.com

Favorite new stuff

2009-07-11T23:47:00.006-04:00

Out of all my stamps, people choose the tire swing the most. It almost seems to be my signature these days...

My first raised dotted edged plaque. It turned out really nice!

Closer detail:

And lastly, a sweet little foot.

Teacher gifts

2009-06-17T11:57:00.004-04:00

Ben gave his teachers a very challenging school year. This is the way I showed my appreciation for them and their efforts. The large plaque was for his teacher, the smaller paperweights were for his aides and various therapists.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. -- Helen Keller

2009-06-04T00:31:00.002-04:00

Last week, our beautiful boy was diagnosed with autism. It was not a surprise, but crushing none the less. He had been losing skills for a while, getting aggressive with others, flinging items constantly, withdrawing more, and is still non-verbal. He met just about every marker for autism, but I was holding onto the hope that he was going through one of his phases and that he would come out of it. It wasn't happening. We were at a complete loss, and decided to take him into the developmental ped. I was ready, but wasn't expecting the rush of emotions that followed and still follow me into this week. Down syndrome is one of those things that you just automatically embrace and accept when your child has it, because it is part of who he is. I am not sure how to feel about autism. In many ways I feel that it snuck in and took away my happy social toddler, bit by precious bit. I have moments of anger, sorrow, denial, and then I look at Ben coming to me for a hug, and realize that I may not know as much as I think I know about autism. I know there is a lot to learn, therapies to explore, specialists to see, families to network with. It will be a journey.

When it is dark enough, you can see the stars. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Shop talk -- highs and lows

2009-06-03T15:28:00.007-04:00

I will start with the good stuff.

My wonderful husband bought me a kiln for Mother's Day! I am absolutely thrilled...now I don't have to worry about breakages during transport, which has happened on one fateful trip to the studio recently. (More on that later, since I am supposed to be talking about the good stuff now) I waited two weeks to fire it up for the first time because a)I needed a part that was coming in the mail, and b)because I was -- frankly -- nervous. I knew absolutely nothing...nada...about kilns except the verrrrry basics. I saw an ad in Craigslist for a kiln that was bright, shiny and in our price range, and we went to see it. I followed the online advice on buying a used kiln, and this one seemed to pass muster, except for the fact I couldn't test it to see if the elements were working because they didn't have the correct power supply in their home. We talked ourselves in and out of the purchase for a couple of days, and then just decided to bite the bullet and go for it. The couple we bought it from were very nice, and they told us that the kiln used to be their grandmother's, who used it more as a hobby kiln once in a while. It hadn't been used in a decade, and when she died, it ended up with her granddaughter. It is in great shape, and I hope I am able to get many years use out of it. It is funny thinking about the fact that one year before we bought the kiln, this little business of mine was barely a twinkle in our eyes. What an amazing year this has been.

One reason we waited to fire up the kiln, was because we had no shelter for it, or a safe place to keep it away from the children. My wonderful husband (or WH) as I should now be calling him, erected a metal shed under our covered back porch so I could fire the kiln without worry, and have a little place all my own to hide out, errr...I mean work in. He is very proud of our little shed, and it looks much better than any beat-up display version I have seen. I bought a little magnet sign from vistaprint.com, and will stick it above the shed door, so I can look official and everything.

The other day, everything was in place. WH had installed the proper electric supply, all of my kiln furniture, shelves, cones, etc., were in their resting places, lighting in place, everything at a safe distance...the planets had aligned. I decided to do my very first firing. A glaze fire. I carefully read the instructions, and my excitement started building. I had several little footprints left from when I borrowed a friends little baby foot for sweet little color samples. I decided to just put everything I had in there that was ready, which wasn't really very many pieces, but enough to see various brilliant colors hopefully emerging from the kiln.

So...deep breath. Kiln furniture in place. Shelf in place. Stilts on ware. Not touching each other or sides? Good. Pyrometric cone placed carefully in kiln sitter supports. Open peepholes. Close lid. Open to check. Close lid. Open once more. WH wants to take pictures. Open lid. Yell at him not to take pictures of me all sweaty and harried. Close lid and shoo WH away. Glance at instructions for the 4th time. Push in kiln sitter button. Estimate time needed in case kiln sitter fails (no idea). Turn knob to set. Wait for two blinks of the red light. Move knob to 6. Cross fingers. Back away. Lock shed. Look at electric meter thingy spinning wildly and reassure WH nervously. Go to bed. Get up in middle of night to check kiln. 90 degrees inside shed...wow. Go back to bed. Get up again to check kiln. Kiln sitter has shut the kiln off -- cool! Still red hot, though. Go back to bed. Wait for the cool down. Open lid the next evening while holding breath and.....

(drumroll please) ...see the work of Salvidor Dali. I had overfired. Sniff. All of those little footprints were slumped over the stilts, completely embedded onto them, and there was not a hint of shine to them. Drat. BUT. Almost immediately I realized what had happened, and although I am not happy with myself for being so silly and using the wrong cone (I used a high- fire cone 6, instead of a low-fire cone 06.) I was relieved that the kiln seemed to work, and that it was human error instead of a kiln issue. So hooray! First firing with good results in a way. I've decided to view this experience as having a positive, educating outcome.

Before firing, looking down into the kiln:

After. (Sob)

Getting the stilts off the overfired ceramic the only way I knew how:

Now for my breakage woes. There was one day the other week where I just should not have gotten out of bed. Everything was going wrong -- the kids were nutty, the whole day was rushed and I was running late to everything, I was crabby. I had to bring some greenware to the studio for the final firing, plus I had a few large plaques that were already bisque fired and glazed and ready for the final firing. I usually have to enlist the help of WF during his long lunches, so I can run my pieces into the studio without worrying about bringing in the kids or having to park a long way away, since the studio is on a very busy main street. I usually have to carry at least a couple of large trays full of ware, so just hopping out of the car with them is ideal. That way, he goes and grabs lunch while I am dipping the glazed pieces and leaving them to be fired. On that day, during the drive to the studio, WH happened to brake pretty hard for some reason, and my trays slid and crashed into the back of the seat. We got out to check, and one of my better pieces of greenware was broken. I was crushed. I loved that particular piece, and was looking forward to seeing how it was going to turn out. I had to re-do it, and I hate making those calls. It was my first broken piece since my first orders, when another piece of greenware, a family plaque, broke in transport. Onward to the studio. I told WH that I was just going to run in, and ran around to the back of the van, opened the door, grabbed the trays, tried to shut the door by myself, and proceeded, in slow motion, to drop both trays on the ground, smashing two of the large glazed plaques all over the concrete. I just stood there, sniffling. WH got out and hugged me. OH, the agony of beautiful broken pottery!!! So many hours of work -- gone -- with one careless, hurried move.

But clay is clay, and these things happen. Accept it, girl. Where are bootstraps when you need them?

I have some wonderful news, though. I talked to my daughter's preschool director, showed her my example pieces, talked through some details, and I am proud and happy to say that she loved my work (if crying at the sight of one of my pieces counts as "love") and would like to have me do not ONE, but TWO events during the next school year! She decided to have me come and do ornaments only in October, and do hand print picture plaques like THIS one in the spring. I have been hoping for this gig for a long time and finally arranged it. I hope this is the beginning of many more events in the future for my little business.

Ian Brownlee -- #1 fan here.

2009-05-20T16:38:00.006-04:00

“Special Delivery” Ian Brownlee, acrylic on paper, 8×10, 2007

“Dying Words” Ian Brownlee, acrylic on paper, 22×30, 2007

I have found a brilliant local artist named Ian Brownlee featured on Spillspace.com. I am in love with the way he combines beautiful colors with his simple, yet elegant line drawings. They remind me of vintage children's illustrations from the 20's and 30's like these and these, and I just love this one as well.

If anyone out there knows me at all, they know that I value nostalgia, simplicity, and beauty among many other things. These works embody that completely, and I hope to one day have a couple of prints to hang in my very own little house.

Read more about him and see more of his work on this really rad blog: http://spillspace.com/2009/american-myths-ian-brownlee/

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T10:42:00.003-04:00

Amazing giveaway!

2009-05-05T09:44:00.002-04:00

A great giveaway is going on over at Skip to My Lou in conjunction with MomDot and Homeplace Structures...the biggest blog giveaway I have seen yet!

Check out this playset, valued at $3800:

The Mountain Range Swingset

For a chance to win, visit Skip to My Lou or Momdot and follow the instructions. Homeplace Structures also sell these really phenomenal playhouses that you see once in a great while in a backyard here and there...they immediately make me think of myself as a little girl and how I loved to hole myself up in private little spaces with my dolls or with my books. Even now, wouldn't you just love to have a little quiet time in one of these??

And these neat little garden frames! I was doing a little research into raised gardening, and these frames would make gardening feel more organized and contained. Not to mention really nice to look at!

But the thing that caught my eye the most were these little garden buildings. I have been looking into finding something to house my future kiln outdoors, and having a little studio space all my own like this one....

...I would be in absolute heaven. How sweet is that building??

Someday, Katie.

Sweet hands and feet

2009-04-30T18:55:00.003-04:00

I have been working on making a lot of examples lately using my own little ones. Here is a new design that involves picture holes. What do you think??

I used a wax-resist over the hand in this plaque to keep the details intact. The hand retained all of its little sweet details, down to the fingerprints. The only downside is that the ceramic over the hand is rough, like bisque, and it would absorb dirt and oils over time if handled too much. But I just love being able to see those little creases so clearly!

"Food Face" plates!

2009-04-24T23:25:00.004-04:00

Check these out!!! Wouldn't these have been fun to use as a child?

But then again, I am now a mother. Would they be too busy playing with their food to eat it?

This is one of those times where my inner child is battling strongly with my outer shroud of boring maternal logic. I am starting to hear the whining...Oh stop it, you two!

Love your husband?

2009-04-10T12:27:00.003-04:00

I do.

Crayon Rocks

2009-03-28T16:25:00.004-04:00

Aren't these gorgeous? I want them.

They are sold at www.imaginechildhood.com.

The description:

Made of a soft soy wax and tinted with mineral powders, Crayon Rocks come in vibrant colors and make beautiful textures. Designed to strengthen the tripod grip muscles, these crayons prepare fingers and hands for handwriting.

Their special shape allows small fingers to color in large, wide strokes, promoting artistic confidence.

I can just imagine my youngest and I fighting over them...

LET THE WILD RUMPUS START!!!

2009-03-25T16:06:00.007-04:00

Oh. Oh. OH!!!!!!! I am so excited!!!!!! Am I the only one tearing up here?

Here is more information.

A little art music video

2009-03-24T10:47:00.005-04:00

This a very sweet and simple video about longing for art. Fun for the kids to watch as well! Many thanks to my friend Mary for sharing the video with me!

The new twin plaque.

2009-03-10T17:52:00.002-04:00

I just love that tree stamp.

Look at what is coming to me in the mail!

2009-03-02T02:37:00.003-05:00

My good friend Lucille created this beautiful portrait of Ben for me. What talent! (Click on the picture to make it full size so you can see the details) She does some really awesome work, wouldn't you say?? You MUST check out her site:

http://www.poppiesblooming.co.uk/

She also sells some really well done Mommy cards and Calendars. She is sending me an 8x10 print, and I am so excited, I can hardly stand it! It will definitely be a showcased picture in my home. Now I have to find a big fancy frame for it. Thanks a bunch, again, Lu!

Recent fun creations

2009-02-19T12:15:00.003-05:00

These butterfly heart Valentines were fun and easy to make. I got the template HERE. I love that blog to death! So many neat ideas and crafts to do with the kiddos.

Now check out this awesome new reproduction vintage coloring book my Mother in-law bought for Ellie at Mast General Store. To die for! I adore that store, and am so glad to have one here in my town. I wanted to snatch the book away and color it all in myself! But that would be...childish.

I also bought these:

I am thinking that I would love to mount them somehow on heavier cardboard sheets over magnet strips, make stable stands, put magnet strips on the outfits and display them on my mantle or elsewhere. Maybe I should just frame them and change their outfits once in a while...or maybe they will just sit in the package on my kitchen counter for a few weeks until I finally figure out what to do with them... so many options...

Childhood for Ben

2009-02-19T11:10:00.003-05:00

Childhood for Ian

2009-02-19T10:53:00.003-05:00

Childhood for Eleanor

2009-02-18T09:22:00.003-05:00

Yes, those are socks on her head.

A sweet family plaque and more...

2009-02-16T12:29:00.005-05:00

These inventive foot ornaments were the customer's idea. I NEVER would have thought of them and I am so glad she requested the NC Tarheel design for Colton.

Do you think I did the Tarheel symbol justice?

A morning's work:

An optical illusion

2009-02-03T22:13:00.003-05:00

At first glance, what is this a picture of? Does it look like a raised foot, or an impression in the surface? My husband took some close up photos for me to possibly use on my website, and every time I see this picture (and several others) I see a raised foot. It is actually an impression, but the light tricks my eye every time. I have to look cross-eyed at it and follow the impression down into the hollows to make my eyes see the shadows inside the toes. I have had a few people ask me how I did my "raised" impressions, and I have had to explain that it was a trick of the eye, and that it was indeed an impression into the clay. I guess I can't use this picture.

What do you see?

Please say NO to the CPSIA and save small businesses.

2009-01-29T09:51:00.003-05:00

As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.

Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.

The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.

To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.
Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.

To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.

To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.

For more, please read this blogger's very comprehensive and thoughtful post: Sarah Jane Studios

If I were European...

2009-01-22T08:37:00.004-05:00

I would buy one of these:

Or maybe if I was a wealthy-ish American living in a bike-friendly, FLAT town. Unfortunately, none of those apply to me at this time. Do you know how much one of those suckers cost???

I have been slightly obsessed this morning, looking at these awesome bikes. Check out these links:

Bobike
Nihola bike
Bakfiets

And LOOK at this one! (made by Nihola)

Made just for parents of children with special needs who use wheelchairs! I LOVE seeing stuff like this out there... Can you imagine how much fun that would be for the kiddo, riding a bike with his mom or dad, feeling the breeze?

Here is a sweet video I found on a blog of two children napping in a Bakfiets (and one in the back!) while daddy bicycles through the countryside. (Not that I recommend video taping and bicycling at the same time!)

On the subject of being European, I decided to envision what that would be like, so I browsed around the net a little. Interesting.

I would DEFINITELY dress like this:

...or maybe even this (complete with strange snarl and decorated pooch):

And I would have hubby dress like this:

Think we would fit in on the streets of Milan? Pehaps if we added a couple of matching fanny packs and some white tennis shoes...Hmmm.

New stuff...including a dog print!

2009-01-20T16:25:00.003-05:00

I would have loved to have been HERE:

2009-01-20T12:35:00.000-05:00

This was created for a T-mobile commercial which was filmed at 11am on Thursday 15th January 2009 at Liverpool Street station, London. Notice how they just seem to multiply...

It has quieted...

2009-01-06T13:11:00.003-05:00

The Christmas Chaos, that is. Since starting the new business last year, there were some things that were thrown to the wayside in the madness and rush of getting the orders completed in time for the holidays. One of those things was (guiltily clearing my throat here)...getting presents out to family members in other states. YEESH. I sent a few things out via online purchases, but the majority of my family did not receive a package in the mail from me this year. Sorry guys! I promise that I haven't forgotten about you. In fact, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the quiet after the storm, and dedicate myself to making handmade gifts for most everyone. I have some great ideas that don't involve pottery or clay or handprints. In fact, a needle and thread and my sewing machine will be put to good use in the next few weeks. It will be a nice break to create in a different medium.

I recently bought THIS book on Amazon, and I can't wait to start some projects! Hmmm, I wonder what I will be making first? ;)

Have a Very Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T13:11:00.002-05:00

Some recent orders

2008-12-16T10:11:00.005-05:00

It is actually a bit sad to see each one of my pieces go to their owners. They have been in my possession for so long. Weeks. From rolling out the clay, to getting the impression with the aid of some sweet little hands and feet, stamping, cutting out, drying, moving carefully from place to place, making sure they are safe in their little spots on my shelving...crossing my fingers as they are lowered into the kiln, praying for beautiful colors and pristine glazes. We have spent a lot of time together, those pieces and I.

As I wrap up each piece and present it to mom, grandma, or dad, I feel a little twinge and remember that I still have the pictures. Sniff.

Just thought I would share...

2008-12-08T15:53:00.003-05:00

There is a blogger that I discovered through an online Down syndrome support forum who is doing a really nice giveaway, and I thought I would share her with you all. She just started a business doing some beautiful artist renditions of photographs, and she also sells some really cute mommy cards (something that I never really thought about before but think it is a GREAT idea, and personalized calendars.

Her site is called Poppies Blooming and a portion of her sales will be going to Reece's Rainbow, the organization that I recently blogged about HERE. If I don't win her giveaway, one of these days, I will have to have her do an artists rendition of this picture of Benjamin. My all-time favorite:

OR....maybe THIS one.

He is just growing up too fast.

New pictures!

2008-12-03T18:03:00.005-05:00

I LOVE this one. One of my crowning glories:

Christmas is here:

I was experimenting with some wax resist here to leave the final details intact...but I don't really like the orange glaze on this one.

This one was at my husband's office and he was sweet enough to take a quick pic for me. It is a pretty popular design...maybe because it is so darn CUTE? I like the natural hand color on this one.

OUCH!! My first and only casualty -- and it was a big one, too.

I would love to share something with you.

2008-11-19T13:45:00.005-05:00

One of these little men is Benjamin. Which one??? When I saw Danil's little picture, who is on the top, my heart skipped. He looked JUST like Ben! The eyebrows, the nose, even his expression...it was like taking a trip to the past. To Ben's babyhood, which I miss so so much.

Now for his story, and many others like him.

See that little button with the two little boys on my sidebar? Adorable, aren't they? If you have ever clicked on it while reading my blog, you know that they were two little sweethearts from Eastern Europe, who have Down syndrome, awaiting the possibility of adoption in their "baby house" or orphanage for children up to five years old. These two little boys were very lucky -- a family in the US found them and brought them home before they turned five. Children who turn five are sent to state-run institutions to live out the rest of their years, and at that time, they are considered "unadoptable". Which means those children are lost to the sparse, crowded, under stimulated, and many times filthy conditions of those institutions. There was a recent documentary on MSNBC about the fate of children with special needs in mental institutions in Serbia. It just rips your heart out to see these children in these beds, so stiff from inactivity, that their limbs are practically "frozen" in place. With the assistance of therapies, affection, and play, these children could have run happy, healthy lives. I just want to bring them ALL home. Danil, most of all.

But we can't at this point in our lives. But, what I CAN do, and what you can do, is to sponsor one of these children in order to make things a little easier for the adoptive families who are searching for a child. Reece's Rainbow is an International Down Syndrome Orphan Ministry that helps match children with adoptive parents and sets up interest-bearing grant funds for them. You can donate to a particular child or family, and they will have that money in thier specific grant fund to aid with the costs of his/her adoption.

Every Christmas season, Reece's Rainbow sends a personalized ornament with a picture of the child you sponsored for a donation of $35 or more. Please consider one of these children to sponsor. You will make a difference.

Some beautiful faces:

And I PROMISE -- if someone from my area brings Danil (or really ANY of them) home to be a part of their family, he will forever have an Aunt Katie to shower him with hugs, kisses, and wild playdates with my children.

Deal?

(My friend Meredith, through her blog, Cornish Adoption Journey is giving away a book called UP CLOSE: A MOTHER'S VIEW , by Fiona Yaron-Field. I would love to win this book, but if I don't I am definitely putting it on my Christmas list. Check it out.)

Some new pieces

2008-11-11T16:02:00.003-05:00

Here is what I have been doing these days:

This is a batch that is ready for the final glaze firing:

Everything is looking good...

And lastly, Eleanor's Halloween outfit took some doing. She was Molly the clown doll from the Big Comfy Couch. I sewed her dress, had a terrible time with the zipper, and I couldn't find a black yarn wig for anything, so I was going to dye a red one black, but I couldn't even find a red one. What did I expect on the week before Halloween? Finally, I found some instructions online that didn't involve a billion hours or a gallon of glue, and this is what we came up with:

Note the very reluctant teddy bear. I could not get a decent shot of Ben, my little soldier, for anything (back of head, etc.) so you will just have to enjoy his cuteness like so:

He's got those jack o-lantern teeth now, so that goes along with Halloween, right?

Craziness

2008-11-10T17:33:00.002-05:00

Due to a frenzied schedule, last month's posting challenge was not completed...BUT I promise to continue the pictures of a growing Ben until he is current. Right now, I had to pop in here and let you know that I hope to post updates soon, because there is so much to post about, but life just keeps me on the hamster wheel, so to speak. We are working on organizing our lives and becoming free from a lot of the burdens we bear due to being severely disorganized lately. Since starting the new business, little annoyances seem to have intensified and gone a bit insane on us -- like LAUNDRY, for instance -- getting enough sleep, eating well, making sure we spend more quality time with the children vs. managing them, etc. I guess focus becomes fractured until all the kinks are worked out. I do see a light at the end of the tunnel, and things will be running smoothly hopefully soon. I am dusting off my Day Planner and using that instead of jotting down important info on post-it notes, backs of old preschool calendars, school menus, and trying to burn it in my hazy memory. Suffice it to say we have been going through some growing pains!

I am happy to say my work is greatly improving and I am learning techniques through trial and error, and learning how to work more efficiently. I have been getting some orders through Eleanor's teacher, who is kind enough to spread the word, and hand out my new rack cards (which I need to order more of), and friends of friends who become my friends are ordering. It is nice to be busy with orders and feel creative and excited about the future.

I will post pictures of my latest works soon.

Day 21...My little protege

2008-10-21T20:05:00.004-04:00

I am a proud momma.

Day 20...Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

2008-10-20T01:49:00.001-04:00

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Day 19 and...get ready for a visual treat!

2008-10-20T00:32:00.005-04:00

I linked to this blog before when I was trying to win one of her fabulous giveaways, and this time, she really outdid herself with this one. She is giving away this dress:

Mom, would Eleanor not look absolutely stunning at a reenactment as a little Marie Antoinette? Cross your fingers for me...

Other matters:
I am gearing up for a big kiln load this week with about 20 pieces for a final firing and maybe about 15 for the bisque firing. This will be my biggest load yet, and I will be having a sleepless night or two while the kiln is firing, hoping all goes well. These pieces are my first "for pay" pieces, and they look mighty fine if I do say so myself. The glaze firing is the final step, and anything could happen...from another piece exploding in the kiln and ruining other pieces, to glaze dripping onto other pieces...yikes. I am still using the local paint your own pottery studio's kiln, but one day I hope to get my own someday. But we have to move first so I will have a place for it! Someone convince my husband, please?

We had a very nice weekend, by the way. Yesterday we were able to go to a local Arts and Crafts festival, and saw local artist's work -- many of them potters. In fact, one nice lady was demonstrating to children, and helping them make their own little bowls on her pottery wheel. Eleanor had a ball. She really impressed me with her focus and she really paid attention to what the lady was teaching her to do with her hands on the clay. She even gets to pick up her bowl after it is fired and glazed -- for free! That was a great experience.

We also went to "Boo in the Zoo" at the Greenville Zoo in South Carolina. We didn't realize that there was even an event going on until we saw the masses of children in their costumes lining up at the gate. So, I whipped out my trusty eyeliner pencil, and gave each of the kids black noses and whiskers and called them all kitty cats. Voila!

Today we took an autumn drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the leaves were absolutely stunning. I LOVE this time of year. We ended up in Barnardsville after a road blockage stopped our tour on the Parkway, and it couldn't have been a better detour. We happened upon an old school with a great fenced in playground and let the kids run wild. David and I even played and swung and giggled on the playground equipment, since no one was looking, and I wondered to him if we would still be doing this kind of stuff when we were 40.

We guessed so, since it is only 4 years away. Maybe 40 will be the new 10?

This will be me and David one day:

Except they have better clothes sense than us.

Now, to continue the post-a-day challenge for Down syndrome awareness month (which I am not really great at lately), here is another one of my favorite pictures of Ben. Here he is with his Nana:

What a face...

Day 17 and 18

2008-10-18T22:08:00.000-04:00

Day 16

2008-10-16T20:56:00.003-04:00

I am slightly annoyed with my back right now. I strained a muscle trying to heave my youngest up on our bed, and it has really been cramping my style. Not to mention making me a crab. I can't sit for a long period of time, so glazing my work tonight is out. I have a LOT to do (thankfully!) but it doesn't look like it is in the cards for me tonight. I am really crossing my fingers that I will be able to finish up this weekend so I can put things in the kiln for the final firing next week.

Ben was sent home from school today because he threw himself on the floor crying -- not his normal behavior. I knew something was wrong, so I took him to the ped. Yep -- ear infection and red throat. He was in a lot of pain today -- it was tough to see him like that, like he was almost panicked. Poor Eleanor received the brunt of his frustration and I had the chunk of her hair to prove it. But after he was given doses of Motrin and antibiotic, he was calmer and gave me a sweet surprise.

I was flat on my back on the couch, trying to relieve my backache, and suddenly I feel this big, quick smooch on my cheek. I look up, expecting to see Eleanor (Little Miss Hugs and Kisses herself), but it was Ben, and he had this big grin on his face as he walked away. Again, NOT typical for my Benjamin, who receives lots of kisses, but only returns them VERY occasionally upon request.

In fact, he surprised me a lot today. The poor guy hates going to the pediatrician, because they always seem to want to do something awful to him. Last time it was trying to clean out his bloody ear with a syringe of water, which almost sent him through the roof. That was terrible. Today, before the doctor even got into the room, he kept handing me my purse, taking me to the door, as if to say -- "Let's get outta here!!!" Then after the visit, which was pretty traumatic for him, he gave me his shoe and put my hand on his foot, as if to say, "Put this on so we can LEAVE!" The reason these things are so odd, is because he never used to communicate like this. It seems like he finally figured out a way to let me know what he wants, and while that way may not work in the "real world" forever, it is like gold to us. Before it was nothing. The shoe thing is funny because he never wants me to put ON his shoes -- always take them off. I guess he was pretty desperate! I love it when he shows his stuff.

Here he is when he used to tolerate his glasses during an episode of Barney. A little ways into the show, I would usually find them thrown off his face into a corner of the room. Back on they would go. 10 minutes later...fling!

I officially declare myself a slacker at this challenge! Days 10, 11,12,13, 14 and 15.

2008-10-14T17:40:00.007-04:00

Please pardon the lapse! I have been having a nutty week, including:

our local Buddy Walk
Kidmania
sore throats
runny noses
clay work
date night
piles of laundry
dust bunnies
and all the rest of the blah blah blah's that no one needs to hear about!

ANYWAY.

I went to Target today. I thought I would tell you all that I fell in love there today. Unfortunately, our love can never be. It will forever be an unrequited love that I will wistfully look back upon and shed a glistening tear over the heartbreak of it all. You see, I am more of a laid back type of girl, feet firmly planted on the ground. I need stability, security, yet room for freedom -- to be myself and breathe. Unfortunately, the object of my affection can never, EVER offer me these things that I hold most dear. But....there is something that I just cannot deny. A seduction so powerful, so...against my sensible nature. Yet, I came back to see, just once more time...to test the limits one more time....and then at last: to say goodbye.

Yes, my reader(s?). A SHOE.

A pretty little red high heeled shoe with ruffles and bows. I am actually almost embarrassed to type those words. Let me paint you a picture. Size 11+ foot. Bunions. 5'10. Birkenstock clogs. Clutzy. That's me. But those things caught my eyeballs and I couldn't help but to try them on. Those little pleats and the peep toe reminded me of those racy old pinup posters from the 1950's, and since I love vintage, I thought I would have myself a little lark, try them on and totter around until my toes screamed (which would have normally been after 2 minutes). I actually wore these for more than 5 minutes because they were so darned cute on my big feet. I know I couldn't have walked in them for a long distance, and I felt taller than Goliath, but I couldn't stop looking in the little shoe mirror...

I heaved a big sigh when I put them back in the shoe box and walked away.

Then I walked down the next aisle. Found me some imitation Uggs (as in UG-ly). When I put those on, I felt cozy. Oh well. Cha-ching.

And now, my friends....here is a series of six pictures of my Benjamin to make up for the lack of posting for the past six days.

THIS PICTURE: One of my ALLTIME favorites! You see that face? He was just learning to stand up on his own. He would throw his whole body up into a straight legged stand in one triumphant move, balance on his little heels, and plop back down on his rear, over and over and over...He was SO proud!

We went to NYC Times Square to see his Buddy Walk picture on the Panasonic Big Screen in 2004 for the NYC Buddy Walk Campaign. What a great trip!

This was taken on his on second birthday. Note the outfit? Click HERE for instant deja vu. Same outfit.

I would love to hear some feedback from anyone who comes across my site (MOM, ERIN, ALISSA). Tell me your favorite picture and why. Or even your favorite pair of shoes.

Day nine.

2008-10-09T07:38:00.005-04:00

We are mentioned in a wonderful local blog! Check us out HERE at the Hendersonville Epicurian.

We have developed this wicked mocha habit over the past couple years. After trying most of the coffee shops in our area, we have decided that Black Bear Coffee makes the best mochas, and they have the best atmosphere/setting. They are located on Main Street, Hendersonville, which is one of the best main drags I have encountered, other than of course, my beloved hometown's St. Charles Main Street. Hendersonville's Main has many nice restaurants, galleries, festivals, etc, and is just a great place to go for a holding-hands-date at dusk, peeking in the gallery windows, grabbing a bite at Hannah Flanigan's or Umi, or if you want to get really fancy, Flight. It's also great for a stroll with the kiddos, who love getting ice cream at Kilwin's and pressing noses to the glass at the toy store Dancing Bear Toys, or getting an old fashioned soda at Mike's on Main. Black Bear is a frequent stopping point for us, and we can never resist the urge to go have a little sit down on one of thier cozy couches, hot mocha in hand. Too bad they don't have a drive thru, but as my husband says, that is good, because we would probably become very poor from spending so much money on $4.00 coffees. They are awfully good, though.

Unfortunately, another one of our favorites, Flat Rock Coffee, does have a drive-thru, and our car seems to automatically steer itself into the drive whenever we are on the road nearby. If you get the right girl, the coffee seriously rivals Black Bear. Even if you don't get the right one, they still outshine the other coffee shops in the area.

We're planning to get disciplined soon and cut down our mocha trips dramatically, since it is getting expensive, and the caffeine and calorie content is not all that great for us. But until we decide when that fateful day will be, I will be looking forward to enjoying my next hot mocha beside my sweetie.

In fact, here is my sweetie with little Ben on a cold Christmas-tree hunting day.

He was SUCH a happy baby and loved being carried around in that carrier.

Day eight.

2008-10-08T23:23:00.003-04:00

I just love all these pictures.

Ben first got glasses when he was eight months old, and he wore them really nicely for about 5 minutes. Then he started figuring out how to pull them off. These frames are indestructible, made by Solo Bambini. He is actually in their photo gallery. He is the third from the right on the top row. What a cutie.

Day seven...The 80's ruled!

2008-10-06T22:19:00.004-04:00

I stopped by the local Goodwill today after dropping off my daughter and ran across a bin of old cassette tapes. Someone must have had quite a collection of 80's music, and it really brought back memories of me sitting on my bed in my black, white and grey room, listening to all this music, writing down the lyrics on lined notebook paper so I could sing along. I sifted through tape after tape of the music I used to own. .50 a pop? Sign me up! I bought four tapes: Genesis, Howard Jones, The Eurythmics, and Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians (which is I guess the 90's technically). Now, I must admit that I have been shamefully supressing my adoration of Genesis since high school, knowing that my friends would make serious fun of me. After all, how could they compare with Depeche Mode, The Cure, U2, INXS, Suicidal Tendencies, etc? Phil Collins was just too -- cute perhaps? But I knew every lyric and was strangely attracted to the little curl on his large forehead. My husband still makes fun of me, but I am now mature enough to celebrate my individuality and declare that I am a big fan. One of my favorite tracks, Home By the Sea:

I will say that my adoration of them waned in the 90's. Invisible Touch just wasn't doing it for me. But I still probably would have married Phil back then. I mean, look at that face!

Sorry, hon.

Speaking of cute faces, here's another one of Ben for you for Down syndrome Awareness Month:

BY THE WAY!!!! There is a great giveaway going on at The Lemonade Stand. They are giving away this AWESOME sling. Ian is still a pretty clingy little boy, and when he is not clingy, he is running! I would love to be able to strap him on my hip and still be hands free. Check it out!

Day six.

2008-10-06T01:34:00.000-04:00

Day...um, five.

2008-10-06T00:56:00.003-04:00

I will just pretend that it isn't after midnight and post like it was an hour ago. Sorry folks. This post a day thing was tough this weekend for some reason...

I just love revisiting Ben's old baby pictures. This one was a favorite because of the bright cheerful colors, the cute little hat, and the quizzical expression on his round little face. You can also see the head tilt that he has had since birth -- and still has. We are pretty sure it was a birth injury, since he was pretty floppy and unresponsive when they pulled him out. We have a picture that I will not permit anyone to see because it looks so horrible: hubby snapped a pic of him at birth as he was being pulled out (by his head), and his neck is completely stretched out -- it looks completely wrong, painful and unnatural. Something HAD to have ripped in that little neck of his. He now has a pretty dramatic head tilt, and we have tried different things to help it. A little brace ("tot collar"), kinesio tape, massage, stretching -- nothing. He has been to orthopedic specialists, but no one has suggested surgery. When he was two, one specialist said he would grow out of it as he walked upright more, but he is seven and as tilted as ever. We are pretty sure he is having pretty severe headaches and wonder if his neck issue is a factor.

OH my gosh...Day four.

2008-10-05T07:43:00.002-04:00

I meant to post yesterday. I really really did! I usually post after all the kiddos have hit the sack, but I stayed up so extremely late the night before, working on my pottery orders, that as I was rocking the youngest to sleep (who has hit another "I don't like my crib" phase) that I zonked out in the chair as well. And slept all night there, with Ian on my chest. Woke up this morning at 7:15, and man, am I stiff! I guess as they say, your body has a way of forcing you to rest even when you don't feel like it. Guess I needed it, but I woke up to a kitchen table full of little foot ornaments waiting to be finished.

I had my first "event" on Friday! There were three moms from my playgroup, and they were kind enough to let me practice on them and figure out the kinks. I definitely need to streamline things, and that includes purchasing special containers to keep the clay moist so I can pre-roll slabs of clay to bring. All in all, there were 11 ornaments, a large plaque, and I am going back to do two more plaques. The containers that I need to purchase will also allow me to wait up to a week to work on the impressions. As it was this time, I had to stamp and cut everything out that night, which made for a pretty late night. I have a few edges to finish and dates to inscribe, but then they will be ready for the first firing.

Since I missed posting yesterday, I will post twice. Here is one of my all-time favorite pictures of Ben. He looks so shocked about something...I love his poochy belly under his sweet little shirt.

Day three.

2008-10-03T00:05:00.003-04:00

I just found this cute little music video today that I thought you would like. It's by El Perro del Mar:

Ben was 8 weeks old in this picture, we were in Wisconsin at the family cabin, and he had just figured out the whole breastfeeding thing, much to his mommy's great relief.

Day two.

2008-10-02T23:19:00.004-04:00

The next picture of Ben is a bit of a heart breaker whenever I see it. My fear and confusion was written all over my face. I was fresh out of an emergency c-section, Ben was still fighting for his little life, and I was trying to comprehend what the future held for us. I wish I could jump into the picture and tell her that everything was going to be ok, that Ben would make it, he would be the greatest joy you have ever known, and that your future was bright and happy. But first I had to grieve. I am thankful that my grief was short-lived, and his care and safety consumed me and surpassed my fears of his diagnosis. Ben was my sweet baby, who happened to also have Down syndrome.

Since I made my own rule of one picture a day, I think I am going to take the liberty of breaking that rule on the very first day! WOO HOO! I thought I should post a picture of Ben after came out of the NICU (21 day long stay) and came home. This picture was taken a couple of weeks after coming home. It was August, and it was hot -- look at his scrawny little legs!

Down syndrome Awareness Month

2008-10-01T22:48:00.004-04:00

October is Down syndrome Awareness Month, and a fellow blogger decided to start a "Post A Day" challenge to raise awareness for our children with special needs. SO, for the whole month of October, I am going to try my hardest to post one post a day, and it may or may not be about Benjamin or Down syndrome, but it will be something that may give a little insight to a newcomer to our world what it is like to live a daily life when you have a child with DS. We all have challenges to face, just like any other parent, we all have joys, just like any other parent, we all have interests outside of Down syndrome -- jobs, dreams, gripes, creative outlets, etc. This is a way to demonstrate to the world that people who have children with special needs are just like everyone else. Life goes on, and life is good! You may have noticed my new little green link-y thingy over to the right. That is a way you can check out other blogs of people who have children with Down syndrome. Don't be shy!

I had the idea that it might be neat to post a picture a day of Ben, ranging in age from birth to present, which is the grand old age of seven years.

My first post this month includes a very special picture of Ben:

Here he is called "baby one". We were so amazed by his little spine -- how you could almost see each little bone. Seeing something that amazing inside your own body is a trip, for sure. We had no idea he had DS at this point. He measured small here, and they moved the date according to his size. It was my 20 week ultrasound, but he measured at 16.5 weeks. We believe that his birth would have been much easier had they diagnosed him in utero. I just look at that picture and can't believe how much our lives have changed since then. Seeing his baby/hospital pictures makes me want to crawl into his bed and listen to his strong little beating heart.

But then if I woke him up, he would probably start giggling and I wouldn't be able to get him back to sleep. So, I will just sit here being sentimental and snuggle him in the morning!

Aren't they sweet?

2008-09-30T22:24:00.005-04:00

(Click on the pictures to enlarge)

This one I thought I would post anyway -- it is a mess-up (he scrunched his little fingers at the last minute) but I wanted to experiment with a stronger color of glaze. The pumpkin-y color looks really nice and glossy, especially against that stone, but I don't know how popular it will be since it isn't a traditional color.

Unfortunately, one of my favorites, "Elijah", didn't glaze well, so no picture. It came out much too streaky, so I won't be using that glaze again for a full color plaque. Live and learn. All in all, I am really pleased with how these turned out and I am really enjoying doing them. I am going to try my hand at some more throwing tomorrow, and hopefully I can produce some nice bowls, similar to the ones I did in class. I would love to create some child-sized dishes with some kind of nursery or vintage looking designs.

Thanks for checking out my latest!