with these hands

There is something beautiful about working with your hands...

and creating something out of nothing...

Moving Up in the Dojo

KIHOP... NECK CHOP... KNIFE HAND... BLOCK... KICK... DOUBLE PUNCH...
AND THEN... BREAK BOARD... SPARE... THROW COMBINATIONS...
... "I'LL GIVE YOU PASS!"... GREEN BELT, BLUE TIP EARNED.
CONGRATULATIONS CHI, MOMMY'S SO PROUD.

It's our anniversary, Chi

My baby girl is NINE. There's now no denying that she is really a preteen -- growing up (and into herself) before my eyes.

I think every mom views this change in a series of spurts, but in the cob webs of recollection, it's remembered as a "blink of an eye" transformation. My baby isn't one...

She's her own person now. She functions within her own carefully guarded world independently and I am but a bystander gawking at her life. Is this what it means to live vicariously throught a child? I selfishly celebrate her triumphs, and there have been many this past year.

Ever desiring to be an artist, Chi has located her long since discarded sketchbooks. When thrown a curveball at school [and I admit that I don't follow baseball, so this metaphor...] she held her bat at ready and hit a homerun. "I have to apply for art club this year," she told me. And she presented a quickly sketched 'application portfolio' self portrait. Though discouraged when I bluntly told her she needed a stronger effort on her piece, she turned out a masterpiece. We actually worked side by side using a photo of her as a model for the portrait. And, as I'd already known, she realized she was a sight artist. She's pursued her art with more fervour now than ever before. She's one of only twenty selected for the now-exclusive art club.

She also managed to earn herself a brick at our elementary school - - making the legacy of us permanent (because my own mark with stylizing the mascot in a yearbook cover contest has long since faded). And though she has struggled with the intensified expectations and work load of fourth grade study, she is an A-B Honor Roll Student. My one regret here is that her teacher fears me (she actually told me this!) as the evil demanding mother who e-mailed her that "a C is average and she will not be." Yes, I set the standards high, and Chi has met them.

In Tae Kwon Do - a sport she has firmly disliked since month three of our 24-month contract - she is ready to test for her blue tip. She's already a green belt and was only expected to make it to blue by the time our contract expires in July. I'm impressed, because the rigor and demand of her Master is beyond that the average adult would tolerate and she accepts his heavily-accented torment with a strength I envy.

Frankly, I think my baby girl is amazing. She continues to thrive in every situation. She is a charming young lady with a sensitive heart and an empathy towards others that I find rare. If ever I wonder what God's plan is, I know He's got a good one. How else would He have matched me to her just when I needed her most? You see, she is my strength and my comfort.

It's our anniversary as a family - - her ninth birthday and my celebration of the greatest gift given to me.

Silly Clowns

Life is sometimes just a little too serious... So every once in a while, we like to take a break from the sombre mood and enjoy a little clowning around. He's got jokes, she's got jokes. And Mama? Well, she's laughing at her two little clowns and feeling the atmosphere lighten to a much more bearable setting. It's amazing what a little silly can do.

Shared with My3B Sweet Shot Tuesday and Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday. Last image uses KK's "Phoebe" texture as well as "Ugg Love" (twice: once full color and once sepia toned and flipped) and a bit of Pure Photoshop's "Pure Haze" action set.

Chi: Warrior Princess

In 2008, she decided that faeries were cool - - Autumn faeries, that is. So we spent way too much on a set of wings, a glimmering crown, and a flowing skirt. She quickly tired of correcting candy givers of what she was,and was terribly cold in the thin garment (despite being shielded by a totally clashing turtle neck and sweat pants).

Halloween 2009 was the year of the foiled fairy tale. She was Little Red Riding Hood, but she was toothed and dangerous. Clenching down on would-be wolves with her vampire teeth, she was no innocent little lass on the way to Oma's house.

By 2010, Chi had decided that the Renaissance women had it right: flowing gowns with rich layers of fabrics in satin and lace were ideal for cold nights. She selected a Juliet gown and was a beautiful royal for the occassion.

This year, however, Chi is no sweet princess. With her spunk, her effervescent personality, and her newfound confidence, she needed a costume that made her strength known.

An impetuous trip to the local dollar store turned up treasures just perfect for our purpose. A breast plate, metal gloves, and a hatchet conjured instant visions of a warrior. We bought the supplies right then. Add a leather-esque skirting (made by Oma because though Mommy can cut, she cannot sew) and an actress, and you've got Chi: Warrior Princess

We didn't finish the costume in time for a full photo shoot like last year, but we found a neighbor's unkempt bush to be a good make shift background for Chi's World's Next Top Model session. We quickly tossled her hair and completed the look with black boots and leggings.

She channeled her fierce and posed. And she told me later, as we selected her favorite images from our shoot, that she "needs" someone to chase after her begging for an autograph for her to feel she's reached the zenith of her life. Now I don't think she's decided to be an actress or a model, but maybe the spotlight is calling her to that career.

Shared with Sweet Shot Tuesday!

'Free & Easy x's 2' eDition

[caption id="attachment_1281" align="aligncenter" width="395" caption="The challenge: use two of KK textures with any image"][/caption]


The kids are getting ready to take school photos. I always try to get them nicely groomed before they sit for the quickie picture, but haven't purchased fall photos in several years. I figure that when they're both famous, it's the yearbook pictures that everyone flocks to for display. And we all know that the one time my kid looks a little more unkempt than an active kid ought is the time the photo will be viral. So even though I have no intention of buying anything, I make extra effort to have the kids ready for a close-up. Chi has already picked out a portrait she wants to give out to her friends and we've had the photo turned into wallets at my favorite printer. Ya doesn't share photos yet, but his Daddy wanted pictures for the family, so I picked out a nice portrait we'd done for that.

These pictures, however, were just for fun. Chi was channeling her Star Wars diva and Ya was sporting his first mama-did-it do, and "Iro" (aka frohawk). Ya's photo was processed with "ugg love" and "start" and Chi's with "the ladder."

Scavenger Hunt Sunday: space & 'scapes

Totally skipped last week's hunt -- so many things going on and so little motivation to make it happen. For shame my morose mood.
Landscape

The Color Wheel: Complementary/Triadic Color (Exploring with a Camera prompt)
Kat's second installment of color talks about finding aesthetically pleasing combinations in our world. She shared the following three visuals:
I've been having a bit of fun enjoying the lush colors of the season and decided to share a few of my "natural" finds.
[caption id="attachment_2524" align="aligncenter" width="700" caption="complementary"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_2523" align="aligncenter" width="700" caption="triadic"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_2522" align="aligncenter" width="700" caption="triad variation"][/caption]
Black and White (Paper Heart Camera prompt)

An abandoned post office served as a great industrial backdrop for my little diva's boot shoot. Yes, she insisted on documenting her first "real choice" in shoe-wardrobe. And yes, she really would've rather had the pair with the two and a half inch heel and the furry folded cuff. And yes, those are those dreaded leggings that she so despises but that were required should she wear a skirt like the one she picked out.

Oh, and just to prove that she does, sometimes, simply return to the kid of 8y9m she is most often when the camera is not focused on her, here's baby girl simply being.
Food
I probably should've ventured into the restaurant to capture this display... but it was late and dark and I really didn't think the Maître d would've appreciated me intruding on dinner service just for a picture. I do sort of like the grainy quality of the image, though.
Blank Space
I admit that I have no idea what "blank space" is supposed to mean here... so I'm taking creative liberty.
I love the way my eyes rest in the dark spaces of the flower's seeds and how it is a solitary, lonely bloom surrounded by empty space.

And this one? Well, wouldn't you give him all the space he needs (before spraying him to oblivion with a long range poison, of course)?

Mama's {sweet} 4th Grade Diva

Sweet Shot Tuesday:
[caption id="attachment_1281" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Texture Tuesday's theme is LOVE... and do I ever love this little lass. (Edited with two layers of KK's 'Fall In')"][/caption]

She told me today that she's single:
her relationship fell victim to wandering eyes and cheating heart.
She's not upset.
Young attraction - but not love.
It lasted ages in elementary romance realms.
She insists it was his cute, round face that made him appealing.
The girl he was caught flirting with?
Not interested.
And she, apparently, is not the lying type.
So boyfriend (who is still dreamy) was dropped like a call.
Unphased, baby girl is moving forward.
She's only in Fourth Grade, afterall.
No need to be tied down.
[And hey, Mama's a single gal, too.
So it can't be all bad.]
Her focus? On school. On her art. On herself.
As it should be.
There'll be plenty of other boys vyying for attention.
And she, my diva, will be wise enough to choose well.
She's too valuable a treasure, too great a prize.
There are years of life ahead.
This break up is just one experience to toss into the folder,
and file away.

Also shared with Communal Global.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday: Remember

Bokeh

With all the rain we've had lately, there is no shortage of fungus among us...

Statues

I was thinking I'd play with this theme a bit - - show a stationary person looking quite "statuesque." But on a trip to Alexandria recently, I saw this head dressed Indian statue standing in front of a smoke shop. Something about it was equally offensive and intriguing. The stoic Native American depicted in a stereotypical style meant to be a carved work of art was posted in the doorway in what I'd hardly deem good taste. And yet...

Flying High


Process of Elimination:Exploring with Camera
Chi, like her Oma, has a thing for hats... so no one was surprised when she stole one of Oma's to wear on a walk today. She's at that age - - that in between youth and young adult stage when her personality is firming and her privacy is paramount. She's developed her own style. She sneaks away consumed in her intimate, personal thoughts. And while she adores the closeness of family, she cherishes her freedom to be alone.

These days I'm torn about writing about her. She's old enough to tell me what cannot be shared and young enough to feel sharp pangs of jealousy when the focus shifts too far away from her. It's easy to write about Ya. And Chi? Well, I'm starting to think she has a right to tell her own story.

Remember: Paper Heart Camera prompt
Today is the anniversary of Nine Eleven. Ten years ago I was sitting in Ike's car. My weekend bag was thrown on the back seat and I was excited to live it up in Lake Tahoe at a science conference. At 22 years old, I believed in the absolute safety of US soil. No one could touch us - - and I had a long family history of servicemen who'd vowed to protect us at all cost.

When the announcer interrupted the song I was happily bouncing to as I belted out off key lyrics and lamented the terrible California drivers, I thought we'd fallen victim to some War of the Worlds radio hoax. I wracked my brain to recall what buildings they were talking about. The Twin Towers - those two silver slivers that touched the sky - were burning. Something had struck them. A bomb? No, a plane. Make that two planes. They were crumbling. Collapsing upon themselves and sending up great billowing clouds of debris. A fog covered the City That Never Sleeps. And people were in panic. I couldn't allow myself to believe what I'd heard. I mumbled incoherently. I insisted I'd go teach my class and head out to cover the conference as planned.

Ike dropped me off at Burger King and wished me a good weekend. I walked into the building where people seemed to operate in a surreal sort of trance. Time had stopped. Though people were placing orders, as did I, no one was talking. There was none of the usual cacophony of public eateries. Every television was on, and from the five or so sets we - the patrons - watched in horror the replay of the Tower's demise. Strangers though we were, we sat huddled in arbitrary groupings oblivious of socioeconomics, heritage, and age. Tears. Uncontrollable sobs. Hugs from anonymous neighbors.

On the T.V., the images appeared in flickers, an endless slideshow. Or was it live footage? My mind fought to process. The Pentagon. Burning. Firemen. People. Smoke. Falling. Jumping. Blue skies now gray. Police. A ticker tape of close captioning.

I have to call my parents. I have to call my family in New York. Who works in the city? Are my parents, brother safe so close to DC? Is San Francisco a target? I dialed numbers on my cell. Dial tone. Beep. Beep. Beep. Busy. Please wait while the subscriber you called is located... I dialed again. The phone line dead. No service...

I remember praying. I remember fear. I remember wonder. I remember innocence. I remember sorrow. I remember strength. I remember brotherhood. I remember unity. I remember vows. I remember healing.

We will never forget.

REVIEW: "improved" Moon Dough activity set

I was sent a sample Moon Dough Push N' Pop Breakfast play set to try out. This set, one of several "new and improved" kits, features a new dough formula created in response to user feedback. The creators tout it as the "Magical Molding Dough." It is.

I remember the original Moon Dough. Chi got a nice play set from Oma. The dough crumbled easily. She lost interest in trying to work with it because everything she created was so fragile. And I got tired of vacuuming up wayward pieces of the dough that was supposed to last.

Considering our history with Moon Dough, I was interested to see if the product really had improved. I'm always looking for entertaining activities for the kids that don't require my hovering interference. Molding products that promise not to damage my home while my children create are welcome anytime. When the Moon Dough Push N' Pop Breakfast arrived, the kids tore open the box. Product specifications indicate it is intended for ages three and up, but I thought I'd let Chi (age eight) test out the set before getting baby brother involved in the creative fun.

It feels a bit like foam when you touch it. Arriving in two blocks - one pink and one yellow - the dough was ready for play after a few seconds of kneading between Chi's hands.

The kit came with a laminated cardboard place mat that we used to protect our table while Chi worked. It's decorated with a plate and silverware for added authenticity for the completed dough sculpting. Never fear, though, the dough doesn't appear to stick to glass or wood table tops, or to the tile floor. Thank goodness for that!

The three pop molds were easy to work with. Simply flatten the dough, press down on the mold, and release. The shaped dough separates with ease from the mold and is ready for the plate.

The twist mold wasn't as easy to work with.

It's designed for the user to simply fill with dough and then twist to free each molded piece. Unfortunately, the pieces don't quite pop out and prying them out distorted their shapes. Could be user error, but Chi was at it for some time with similar results.

Chi busied herself crafting breakfast options for more than a half hour. She used every mold.

At one point, I think she found prepping the dough for each new molding to be a good stress reliever.

Finally, she decided to set up breakfast for her pal, "Eenie."

Pros:
Odorless. Frankly, I don't need another scent in my household - even if it's purposely added for effect.

No residue left on hands! Unlike a lot of other molding clays and doughs, Moon Dough's color did not transfer. It also did not leave a residue on my modeler's hands.

The Moon Dough kit we tried out retails for $9.99. That's pretty reasonable considering that the dough is reusable and the pop and twist mold are well-crafted in sturdy, thick plastic.

The Moon Dough is hypoallergenic. It's not an issue in our house, but knowing that the creators avoided using allergy-producing agents - including wheat - shows that they are concerned about my children's safety.

The dough doesn't dry out. And Chi had to prove this by leaving it out of the plastic zipper lock bag it came in for several days. The Moon Dough was just as malleable after days of exposure to air and moisture as it was the first day of play fresh out of the packaging.

The three pop molds offer variety. Chi created at least three mega breakfasts from the choices and added toppings with the twist mold. She asked for mini silverware to serve her friend his breakfast.

Cons:
Chi was a little disappointed in the color selection, as to really make a breakfast for her stuffed animal friend, she hoped to have authentic colored pancakes, toast, waffles, butter, strawberries, and jam jar. It was hard for her to imagine the meal when the bread products blended in with the toppings.

One thing that bothered me was that the dough easily acquires fingerprints and nail marks with even the slightest handling (but I'm a bit neurotic about unattainable perfection, I suppose). Honestly, though, if this is a play thing meant to be molded, destructed, and molded again, do I really want it to be so firm as to resist markings?

The set I received, as well as other Moon Dough offerings, are available from Toys "R" Us, Target, Walmart, Kmart, Amazon.com, A.C. Moore, Michaels and eToys.

I checked out the product website, http://www.moondough.com, where there are tips for clean up and "in the event that this occurs" directions.

Clicking around, I followed a link to the Umagine(TM) page, where this is posted:
"Umagine puts children at the center of creative play through cutting edge INNOVATIVE brands that incorporate exciting play experiences, provide them with strong self-esteem, stimulate and unlock boundless IMAGINATION, coupled with a strong emphasis on maintaining the highest of QUALITY, and the highest level of FUN and excitement!"

Not a bad goal of a company, if you ask me.