Flower Bouquet Salads

This video from Sunset Magazine shows how to make beautiful and edible arrangements. I thought it would be a fun for a tea party and perhaps for kids to be excited to eat their veggies.

Little World Just Got a Bit Bigger

Yesterday morning, while getting ready for yoga class, I left the baby-gate at the foot of my staircase unlocked. Like little kittens my two housemates, ages 2.5 and 4.9, found their way up to my room. I often hear them playing downstairs but suddenly I noticed that their voices were getting louder. I looked out my door and the little one nearly had a heart attack. He honestly didn't know that there was an upstairs and that I lived there. First words out of his mouth were, "sorry".

I invited them in to check out my room and they were very respectful of my stuff, and curious as well. The best part was that the little one said and did everything the bigger one was doing. I pointed that out to the older brother and he said, "yeah, I know..." Funny how I noticed this for the first time when they were in my space as opposed to me being in theirs.

Our little visit ended when their mom called them back downstairs. Several times during the day I reflected on the look of shock on the little one's face as I came around the corner. It cracked me up each time. His tiny world just got a little bigger.

iCrack Addiction

I may have a crackberry addiction but it does not compare to the iPod addiction of my two little housemates who are 2 and 5 years old. These little guys are absolutely addicted to playing games on the iPhone. They just get how to use it instinctively. Is it a guy thing?

Living With Kids

There is a significant amount of sharing that you do when living with housemates. in all the many cities and homes I've lived in over the years very few have been with housemates. Usually it has been with significant others which has a different sharing expectation. My current living arrangement brings a whole new set of experiences considering that two of my housemates are under the age of five.

Sharing does not come easy to four and two year olds. In fact, they run the house. Adults are really just there to setup barriers or provide access to all the things that border on danger. Reaching that danger point is the ultimate triumph of little folks. I witness this scenario every day.

In our house the couch is not for sitting. No. It is a launch pad for jumping, crashing and throwing. Only after the exhaustion of total blissful destruction can the couch be considered for resting. There have been many a weekend afternoon when I've come home to a scene of total anarchy and amongst the piles of pillows sleeps a little boy who has, mid-adventure, fallen into lala land. The first few times I was not sure if it was sleep or a concussion since the boys are in positions that look like they literally just fell over mid-crash.

The two year old loves to run in circles around the house. In this old Victorian every foot fall makes the building shake. I imagine he gets quite a bit of satisfaction from the echoing noise and vibrations as he runs. It is amazing how much focus and determination he puts into the running which always ends with some kind of tearful mishap.

My part of the house is way above the wildness. I do hear and feel the jumping but it does not dominate my peaceful space. Instead I find myself wondering - when do we grow out of this passion and immediacy and become self-controlled adults. More important - how do we get some of it back?

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I am an Artist

That's what Rachel's niece told me when I was admiring her artwork. Kids rock. They say it like it is. Look at these great portraits Peyton drew of me and Matthew. She captured our spirit.