Art Mama Says

Sand Paper Castles - Little Kid Art Project

2013-06-18T00:25:00.003-04:00

Life has been quite busy lately so I haven't been posting projects as regularly as we have been making them. One project that we did were sand paper castles. The project was a great success so I made sure to snap a few pics. About a week later I saw this Kiwi Crate post... I guess great minds think alike.

Theme: Summer, The Beach, Sand Castles

Book Ideas: A Beach Tail by Karen Lynn Williams, Hamsters to the Rescue by Ellen Stoll Walsh, The Sand Castle Contest by Robert Munsch (older kids)

Materials:
Heavy Grit Sandpaper (1 sheet should be enough for 4 - 6 kids)
Background Picture (we found this stock pic) or plain paper works too
Glue Stick
Adults and Big Kids get to use Scissors

Prep: If using one, print picture to use as background. Cut sandpaper into simple geometric shapes in a variety of sizes no greater than 3". Be sure to create a few semi-circles for bridges and narrow rectangles for towers.

Activity: Each kid gets a background, a glue stick and several castle pieces. Design your own castle! Does it have a draw bridge? A moat? Towers with high spires? Maybe there is more than one on your beach. Let your inner architect play!

Notes/Tips: Bigger kids can cut their own pieces. This can easily be a scrapbook page project used along with photos from your own day at the beach.

Paper Pig Puppet - Little Kid Project

2013-06-03T09:08:00.001-04:00

Paper Pig Puppet

Age: 18 Months - 5 Years (younger ones need more supervision)

Time: 10 min (+ Prep)

Theme: Pigs

Books: Pigs to the Rescue by John Himmelman, Happy Pig Day by Mo Willems

Materials:
Pink Construction Paper
Extra Small Paper Bag (beverage size)
Crayons
Glue Sticks
Adults get to use Scissors

Prep: From the pink paper cut 2 triangle ears and an oval for a snout. For the hooves cut 4 rectangles about 1” x 2” then add a small notch at the end of each. For the tail use a circle about 1-1/2” cut into a spiral.

Activity: Each child gets a small bag, 2 ears, 4 hooves, a snout and a tail and a glue stick for putting it all together. Once assembled, trade the glue stick for crayons. Add eyes, nostrils, spots, clothes, mud, anything you like. Then it is time for a pig party!

Notes/Tips: Older kids can practice their scissor skills by cutting the pig pieces out themselves. Beverage size paper bags are just the right size for little hands, but you can use lunch size bags too, just make the pig pieces bigger.

Parsnip Morning Muffins

2013-05-25T14:40:00.000-04:00

Still have some parsnips hanging around in your fridge from your winter CSA share? I found an unusual recipe in a seed catalog from Baker Creek (http://www.rareseeds.com/) that is just the thing. Of course, I had to give it my own spin. I hope that you enjoy!

Parsnip Morning Muffins

Makes 1 dozen

1 > 1-1/2c Raw Parsnip finely grated

3/4c Coconut Milk

1/2c Oil (can be coconut oil but not required)

1/4c Apple Sauce (can be replaced by more oil)

1 Egg

1/2c Sugar or Honey (omit applesauce if using honey)

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Orange Zest

2c Flour (I used a mix of white and wheat)

1/2c Grated Coconut (optional)

Preheat oven to 400

Mix up all the wet stuff then fold in the dry ingredients. Spoon into lined or greased muffin tins.

Bake about 25 minutes.

These smell great warm but taste far better after they have cooled completely.

Watercolor Seek & Find

2013-05-11T14:09:00.000-04:00

The Figlet has been enjoying hide-and-seek more than ever lately, so the last time we got out the water colors we made a little game of it.

I used a white crayon to draw hearts all around the paper before I gave it to her for painting. She was delighted every time she found one!

I Love You Little Bit Purple

2013-03-09T16:51:00.000-05:00

"I love you little bit purple!" she tells me with her head tucked under my chin and arms wrapped as far around as she can reach.

I do not know how or why she decided that colors would be the means by which she measures love. It has been that way almost since she learned to recognize them by name. Who am I to argue? It is not as though I have a better system to offer. No matter how wide I open my arms, how high I reach, how many kisses I dispense, I could never accurately describe or measure my love for her. Color seems as good of a way as any to quantify.

"I love you little bit orange." I tell her in return. "Yeah" she mumbles into my chest "and a whole lot green."

Kid Led Science with a Balloon

2013-02-16T19:09:00.000-05:00

It started with a red balloon. We went out to dinner for Valentine's and the Figlet, being all cute and stuff, received it from the waiter (I think she won him over when he spotted her sampling the Rainbow Roll).

To spite her insistence on holding it herself and the tantrum that ensued when a loop was put in the string, the balloon made it safely home via the train. From a mom perspective that was surprising in itself, but what followed was the truly amazing part. It was nothing short of... Science!

First she tied the balloon string around her bag to see if it would fly. It didn't. Concluding that it must be too heavy, she dumped the contents onto the floor and tried again. Still too heavy. So she proceeded to test:

All the 'people' that were in her bag

(who might want to go to the moon)

A small wooden ornament

Which flew!

Her and I on a chair

(She said I was too heavy)

Her juice

When Daddy came home she demonstrated

by testing his juice

Her toothpaste

Then the wooden ornament again

Because it is so cool when it works!

How to Make a Secret Message Card

2013-02-08T21:13:00.000-05:00

I was going to make these with the school age kids I work with today, but a snow storm got in the way. I was really excited that they were going to be able to use this process for Valentines cards. Unfortunately the next time we meet will be after the holiday. Sigh...

The idea is to use Alphabet Noodles to create cards that contain secret messages that can be revealed by rubbing over the area with a crayon. The card itself is like any basic hand made card, but the message is spelled out in pasta then hidden under an extra layer of paper. The lighter weight the 'cover' paper the more clearly the message shows when you create the rubbing, so be sure to use 20# (copy paper weight) or lighter.

A test rubbing made with heavier paper

Letter to a Home Town - The Seemingly Endless Journey of Potty Training

2013-02-08T15:39:00.002-05:00

Our sleep anywhere girl...

It is never going to end! I am almost sure of it: Potty training is an everlasting process and I am destined to have a key role in keeping that little bottom clean for all of eternity. I know it isn’t true, but gads, it sure does feel that way. We have been actively potty training for more than half of the Figlet’s short life!

The duration is, in many ways, our own fault. The interest was there early, so we jumped at the opportunity. We set the potty up in back corner of the kitchen (the room central to it all). We had a few no pants days. Much to our surprise, it worked. It wasn’t 100% but she started using the potty pretty regularly. It was cause for celebration! We danced. We sang. We composed odes to the long forgotten diapers of yore. But then the weather got cold. Pants became more essential. She had trouble getting them down. More importantly, Figlet got bored and digressed. She wasn’t as ready as we’d hoped.

Sometimes I think that those guys that wear their pants down around their thighs are mocking me. They know how much bare bottom I have seen. Somehow they sense it. They know how happy I would be to never again have to deal with anyone rushing with pants round knees, leaving a dribble trail en route to the potty. They sense my fleeting hope of it ever ending and threaten to drop trou just to rub it in.

When warm weather arrived, her interest began to rekindle. The dusty potty in the kitchen corner saw increasingly regular use. The diaper count dwindled to half what it had once been, remaining essential only for overnights and outings. The potty traveled with us when we went away for a few days but was largely ignored. Using the potty was a home thing, which was progress. But then it wasn’t. It was just a stand still.

When it comes to potty training, my present self laughs at the self of the recent past. You thought THAT was going to be the last case of diapers you’d buy?! You thought that pull ups would be anything more than poorly fitting diapers that are a pain to get on? You thought that calling training pants ‘fancy pants’ it would be incentive to keep them dry? You thought that you’d be done with this by now? Bwah, ha, ha! You have been through this before! You should have known that the Figlet would dash such dreams into a puddle on the floor - repeatedly!

I do know that potty training won’t last forever. The Figlet is making progress again. At home and on short outings ‘fancy pants’ are the rule. Accidents happen. When they do, I give our washing machine a little hug, the then remind myself the potty training golden rule: It will be over before her college applications are due.

I hope that this letter has found you and yours in good spirits and good health. Until I write again…

Hummus made from Orange Lentils (That Insist on Being Called Red)

2013-02-02T23:05:00.002-05:00

Why are they called Red Lentils? They are obviously Orange!

I got tahini in my Christmas stocking but seeing as Santa didn't bring any chick peas I hadn't made hummus yet. Today I came across a recipe for red lentil hummus on www.chow.com and decided to try it out. Of course I can't leave any recipe as is, so below is my version. I must say, it came out quite good!

Hummus made from Orange Lentils (That Insist on Being Called Red)

1c Red Lentils
2c Water
2 Cloves Garlic
4T Tahini
4T Olive Oil
1/4c Lemon Juice
Dash Red Pepper Flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste
(I used sea salt and a fresh ground pepper mix)

Bring water and lentils to a boil then reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes or until lentils can be easily mashed. Drain any excess water that remains (there won’t be much). Allow the lentils to cool a bit. Peal and crush garlic. Add them to lentils along with the tahini, olive oil and lemon juice. Stir vigorously with a fork or a wire whisk until the mixture is creamy. Add red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Can be served at room temperature or refrigerated for later use.

Hummus is UGLY But Soooo Yummy!

Blast Off Rockets - Toddler Art Project

2013-01-31T20:38:00.000-05:00

Blast Off Rockets

Age: 18 Months - 5 Years or older (younger ones need more supervision)

Time: 15 min (+ Prep)

Theme: Rockets, Space, Imaginative play

Books: On the Launch Pad: A Counting Book About Rockets by Nancy Atterbury, Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

Materials:

Card Stock Weight Paper
Colored Cellophane (We used red but any color will do)
Glue Sticks
Small pictures of faces (I found them in old magazines and used a 1” round punch to cut them out)
Adults get to use Scissors or Exacto Knife and a Ruler

Prep: Cut the four primary pieces of the rocket out of card stock. Our rockets consisted of a 3” x 5” rectangle for the body, the side ‘wings’ are a 3” x 4” rectangle cut into 2 triangles, and the point was half of a 4” square, but you can cut them to whatever scale you like. Cut 3-5 strips of colored cellophane to be the jet, and several faces (human or animal) to act as passengers.

Activity: Each child gets a set of pieces: 1 large rectangle, 1 large triangle, 2 smaller triangles and colored cellophane. Using a glue stick, assemble the rocket (adding the jet last so it doesn’t take off before they are ready). Choose some passengers and add them onto the body of the rocket. Time to Blast Off!

Notes/Tips: Putting the 'passengers' out on a large paper plate will help them from ending up everywhere. Choosing passengers after the rocket is assembled will also give the glue a few moments to dry before playing. If you don't have any colored cellophane, party streamers make a fine jet too. Don’t forget to talk about the shapes - its a preliminary math skill.

Working on cutting skills with the scraps.

Simple Science for Toddlers: Magnets

2013-01-26T16:20:00.000-05:00

I have seen this science activity in a number of places.

This week we finally got around to trying it ourselves.

First we picked out some pipe cleaners.

Then we cut them into pieces about 1" long

& put them into our bottle.

Then using a magnet we made our

fuzzy caterpillars crawl!

This activity didn't hold the Figlet's attention as long as I thought it would (she's 34 months) so I was pleasantly surprised when she got it out to show her Daddy when he arrived home. Since then she has played with it again & again! Science is fun!

Love Ewe Sheep

2013-01-20T20:30:00.002-05:00

I came across a picture of these Love Ewe Sheep we made last year (before I started blogging) and thought it might inspire some Valentines cards.

To make them I cut out blocky "n" shapes for legs and faces shaped like a peanuts with floppy ears out of black construction paper. I also cut out a bunch of different sized hearts from red construction paper. The big sheep body is a crumpled coffee filter, and the smaller one is a crumpled oval of tissue paper. The kids glued all the pieces together on a background color of their choice.

One detail I do recall from making them was that it didn't matter if the legs were glued down first or not because little ones rarely glue edge tight anyway.

Garbage Truck = Snow Plow?! In NYC it does!

2013-01-15T23:49:00.000-05:00

Image borrowed from this web site that has lots of neat info about garbage trucks

Did you know that in New York City we don't have many big snowplows? When we get a snow storm, they suspend garbage pick up and put plow blades on the front of the garbage trucks!

Armed with that bit of trivia and inspired by this 3D Snowplow Craft from Reading Confetti, I came up with this activity to share with the little ones at story time.

We started with a coloring page of a city garbage truck. I used this one but I printed it, trimmed the blah blah blah info off the bottom then made copies for the kids.

We used our glue sticks to attach the TP tube plow blade and cotton ball snow. (The little ones really enjoyed pulling the cotton apart.) Then we traded in our glue sticks for crayons and colored them in.

Things That You Can Paint With - Creative Discovery Toddler Style

2013-01-10T22:24:00.000-05:00

Painting has been the Figlet's art activity of choice lately.
To keep things interesting, she has been testing out the
marks she can make with all kinds of things....

Feathers

Sponge, Onion Bag, Marbles & Beads

Fingers & Fake Flowers

Spool, TP Tube, Brushes

Foam Sticker Stamps

Brushes & Burlap

There is such joy in discovery!

"When my daughter was about seven years old, she asked me one day what I did at work. I told her I worked at the college - that my job was to teach people how to draw. She stared at me, incredulous, and said, "You mean they forget?" Howard Ikemoto

Thank You Streamers - Kid Craft

2013-01-06T21:25:00.000-05:00

Thank You Streamers

A fun mail-able alternative to traditional thank you cards

Age: 18 Months and up (younger ones need more supervision)

Time: 10 - 20 min (+ Prep)

Theme: Saying Thank You, Sending Mail

Materials:

Copy Paper
Crepe Paper Streamers
Glue Stick(s)
String
Crayons or Markers
Reinforcement Labels (little donut shaped stickers used to reinforce pages in ring binders)
Adults and big kids get to use Scissors and a Hole Punch

Prep: For children who are not yet handy with scissors, precut 5 – 10 shapes (hearts, word bubbles, diamonds, whatever you like) out of copy paper. I found roughly 2” to be a good size. Cut a 24” strip of streamer.

Activity: Each child gets pre-cut shapes, or paper to make their own and markers or crayons to decorate them. Encourage them to write things that they are thankful for, such as a gift they received or an activity they did with the person they are making it for. Put away the Crayons and marker and get out the glue stick. Glue the shapes down the length of the streamer. Place a reinforcement label at the top then punch the hole through it. Add a string for hanging.

Notes/Tips: If you don’t have the labels (or even if you do), you can fold and glue the top of the streamer into a double layer to strengthen it.

Have fun embellishing! I have done this with two different age groups since the winter holiday break. The little ones added stickers and the older ones added snowflakes.

Banners fold flattest (best for mailing) back and forth accordion style

If doing this project with toddlers or pre-school kids I suggest reading Thank You Bear by Greg Foley too!

Super Easy Oreo Mint Bark

2012-12-22T00:34:00.000-05:00

My kids call it "That Mint Oreo Stuff" but it most resembles a bark candy...

You can call it whatever you like. I call it gone!

Super Easy Oreo Mint Bark

Makes about 50 Pieces

2 Bags Vanilla Candy Wafers Separated (different colors)

2 Sleeves/Rows Oreos
1/8 t Mint Extract

Prepare a cookie sheet by covering with parchment paper or heavy duty aluminum foil.

Place Oreos in a gallon zip-lock bag and crush them.

Melt wafers according to direction (microwave or double boiler) – keeping colors/bags separate.

Stir mint extract into color that will be your base.

Carefully spread mint chocolate over the prepared cookie sheet.

Cover with crushed Oreos, pressing them lightly into the base layer.

Drizzle/spread the other batch of melted wafers over the top.

Refrigerate until hard then ‘crack’ into bite size pieces.

Can be kept in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 6 weeks (but only if well hidden in the back).

Why....

2012-12-20T12:25:00.000-05:00

I don’t want to talk about it. Can’t I just write about Christmas? Or the end of the world? I had some really witty lines about being out of time and the holiday to-do lists that the zombies would find. I don’t want to talk about it, but I know that I have to… This week writing about anything other than the Sandy Hook Massacre would be disrespectful.

Right now everyone knows. On Friday December 14th, 2012 Adam Lanza shot and killed his mother then drove to an elementary school and took 26 more lives, most of them less than 8 years old. What everyone doesn’t know is why. The last life he took was his own. We can’t even ask him.

It is instinct in times like this to hold our children more tightly and remind them that they are loved. We stop, listen and interact with them on a level a bit deeper than we did the day before. We soften the message with hugs and kisses, but what we are telling them is that if they were gone tomorrow, the hole left behind would be unimaginable.

My children include a two year old deep in the stage of “Why?” She asks the question incessantly. “Why?” is daddy going to work. “Why?” can’t she have another cookie. “Why?” does she have to let the kitten go when she is holding her upside down by paw and tail. Each explanation is met with a follow up question; another round of “why?”

This week I have realized how much she reflects us in the face of tragedy. “Why did he do it?” “Why didn’t someone see the signs?” “Why did he have access to so much weaponry?” “Why hasn’t he/we/them/us/they/you/she/me done something to prevent things like this?” Each attempt at an answer brings forward another round of “why?”

We try our best to answer the questions. “Why?” is so simple yet to answer it honestly the explanation must be complex; sometimes so complex we cannot fully comprehend. We grab for any explanation that makes sense. How do you comprehend the incomprehensible?

My daughter’s incessant questioning only ceases when she reaches an answer that suits her. Here too she a reflection of us. We settle on explanations that fit our world view: gun control, mental health care, school security, parenting, religion, video games, the list goes on. No matter how woefully incomplete our personal explanations may be, we hold tight to them. Action can only happen when we have an explanation and we need to take action now.

I hope that we can and will take meaningful action to prevent anything like this happening again, but in order to do so we must come to some agreement on the causes. I don’t know the answer, but I do know that if we stop the conversation with an authoritarian “Because” we will never get there. We must stop, listen and interact with each other on a level a bit deeper than we did the day before this tragedy. To do anything other would be disrespectful.

I hope that this letter has found you and yours in good spirits and good health. Until I write again…

Decorating Gift Bags with DIY Foam Stamps

2012-12-08T01:26:00.002-05:00

Decorating Gift Bags with DIY Foam Stamps

I love this project because it is great for a wide range of ages. The samples shown were done by the elementary school kids I work with.

We used:

Paper bags (mine had handles but not required)

Foam sheets (any color - scraps are fine)

Chipboard (aka cereal box cardboard)

Paint

Paintbrushes

Glue sticks

Scissors

How we made the stamps:

Cut out foam shapes

Most everyone used a lot of little pieces to make their image

Glued them to the chipboard to make a design

Some kids tried to make words. This is harder than it looks because the words and the letters have to be backwards!

How we printed the bags:

We used paint brushes to put paint onto the foam so we could use different colors at the same time

Pressed them onto our bags, then lifted carefully

Did it again and again

Let them dry

Printed the other side

If we do it again we will:

Have lots of big paper to print matching wrapping paper

Have feathers and glitter and buttons and other fun stuff to add after they are dry

Plan different designs together & share our stamps

The Pigeon Wants to be a Puppet - Toddler Art Project

2012-12-03T20:46:00.000-05:00

The Pigeon Wants to be a Puppet

Age: 18 Months - 5 Years (younger ones need more supervision)

Time: 10 min (+ Prep)

Theme: Mo Willem’s Character Pigeon

Books: Don’t Let the Pigeon Driver the Bus, Pigeon Wants a Puppy, or any Mo Willem’s book starring Pigeon

Materials:

Construction Paper (Light blue, Orange, Black & White)
Craft (popsicle) sticks
Glue Sticks
Adults get to use Scissors

Prep: Cut out Pigeon heads from the light blue paper, a nickel sized white circle and a dime sized black circle for the eye, a ‘W’ shape for the beak and a small rectangle for the collar (see picture). By folding a full sheet in quarters like an M you should be able to make 8 heads per sheet. Cut with the fold at the top.

Activity: Each child gets a craft stick, a head, eye pieces, beak, collar and a glue stick. To assemble, put glue all over the ‘inside’ of his head then fold over the stick. Glue on the big circle then the little one for the eye, then add the beak and the collar. Hide the hot dogs and the keys – you have your own pigeon!

Notes/Tips: Ask older kids what they think the pigeon should or should not be able to do and why. Encourage them to act it out with their Pigeon.

Having the pieces twofold so they wrap around the stick isn’t essential, but it makes them more durable for play.

Morning Glory Seeds

2012-12-02T18:01:00.000-05:00

To spite poor conditions and neglect, from mid summer into fall our back fence is graced with pink, blue and purple morning glories. It is December now. The last blossoms are gone. Hanging from the vines are paper thin orbs backed by crisp stars; gracefully wrapped packages of potential waiting for spring. Sleeping beauties...

December Tis the Season to Send, Send, Send!

2012-11-25T13:56:00.000-05:00

This year I've had a personal goal of sending out at least two pieces of snail mail a week. Letter writing is a art that is rapidly falling to the wayside and this is my own humble effort to keep the tradition alive. Most of what I send hasn't been letters at all. I've sent mostly cards and art made by the kids or myself. Still I have fallen behind on my goal. Thankfully the holiday offer fabulous momentum to send, send, send!

Here is a sneak peak at what will be going out in December:

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

Grandma's Cider Pie

2012-11-24T19:30:00.000-05:00

Cider pie is one of my favorite fall treats. It was one of the pies that my Grandmother would make in the fall when we had fresh cider. It was such a staple of my childhood that when I reached adulthood I was surprised at how few people had tasted or even heard of it. It is very easy to make - and if you substitute margarine for butter in the crust, it can even be vegan.

My cousin posted our Grandmother's recipe HERE. I change it up a little by using less sugar (a scant cup) and adding a dash of powdered ginger. If you are one of those people who is super impatient about stirring (guilty), you can cheat and add the cornstarch mixed with a half cup of cold cider into the rest of the ingredients as they simmer, constantly stirring as it thickens and clears. You can also fancy it up by adding a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Enjoy!

Pizza Party - Toddler Art Project

2012-11-20T13:33:00.000-05:00

Pizza Party – Toddler Art Project

Age: 18 Months - 5 Years (younger ones need more supervision)

Time: 10 min (+ Prep)

Theme: Pizza

Books: Pizza at Sally’s by Monica Wellington, Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig

Materials:

Brown Construction paper (heavy weight works best)
Assorted scraps and colors of construction paper & tissue paper
Yarn scraps, fabric scraps, foam bits, packing peanuts, sequins, buttons, etc
Small paper plates (optional - for ‘serving’)
Glue
Adults (& some kids) get to use Scissors

Prep: Cut pizza crusts from brown construction paper. I cut three triangular slices per sheet, but you can also make Sicilian style rectangles, or personal pan circles. Prepare toppings such as red and orange tissue scrap sauce, yarn cheese, green pepper paper slices, packing peanut sausage, etc.

Activity: Each child gets a ‘crust’, glue, a paper plate and an assortment of toppings. Make a custom slice! You can suggest that sauce and cheese be the first two toppings, but there is no wrong way to top a pizza. Serve paper pizza on paper plates.

Notes/Tips: You can use a hole punch to ‘pit’ black olive circles and onion rings shape themselves when card stock is cut in a thin spiral. When choosing toppings avoid potential choking hazards such as buttons for little ones. This activity can be made longer by making it a pizza shop game where children make and serve slices to order.

What Sandy Left Behind

2012-11-04T03:47:00.001-05:00

After the Hurricane

Surreal. I am not sure if there is a better word to describe it.

A week ago we were preparing for a hurricane. It was a halfhearted effort as we danced back and forth across the line between preparedness and hype. For as long as I have lived here severe weather events could be described by words like: inconvenient, uncomfortable, or an adventure (like sleeping in the back yard as a kid was an adventure). The danger aspect of storms was isolated and short lived (unless someone acted stupid – and there are always a few who do). It wasn’t that New Yorkers didn’t think it could happen here, as my Companion pointed out; it is just that it never had…

Then, under the light of the full moon, in came Sandy with the tide…

Even after the worst storms things are back to a relative normal here in a few days… Call it denial, willful ignorance, arrogance: call it whatever you want but most people here really expected Sandy to be the same - Even after it hit… Even after the lights went out… Even when they woke the next day and looked around… Even after they saw the pictures on TV… But here it is almost a week later and things aren’t back to normal… Normal will sooner be redefined…

We – my family and I - are blessed to be in a place that has been relatively unaffected. It has been inconvenient, uncomfortable, a bit of an adventure but nothing perilous. But the other three sides of our block and a lot of other patches in our neighborhood are still without power. A mile south of us, flooded basements are being gutted in hopes of minimizing mold and contamination. Beyond that is the Queens war zone sans enemy; Broad Channel, Rockaway, Far Rockaway, Breezy Point… Top it off those areas can only be reached, coming or going, by car. Even if you have one, and less here do than don’t, gas is getting harder to come by…

New Yorkers do not take kindly to being called victims. Let me let you in on a secret – no-one does! The title of “Victim” implies powerless, helpless, weak. Even when voiced by the best intentioned, it creates a sense of ‘us’ and ‘them’. “Victim” is an impediment. It gives the power to the helper. In the face of a task so daunting, we need to feel empowered. Call your neighbors neighbors. Call your friends friends. Heck – you can call a stranger a stranger who you can see needs a hand. Help is easier to give than to ask for. The word “Victim” can make it harder…

Right now, as I write this, there are a lot of people who need a hand. Many have never had to ask for help beyond their immediate family before. Few have ever faced a situation like they are facing now. Some are behaving poorly in the face of adversity. Most are behaving honorably. Even those like my family, who were effected minimally by the storm itself, are facing residual and unexpected challenges. We are all moving forward towards the new normal.

No one is quite sure what it is going to feel like - but we are sure that life hasn’t gotten back to it yet. Normal doesn’t feel so surreal.

Six Ways to Respond

Send a care package or an envelope with $20 in it to a random address at the edge of an impacted zone. Ask the addressee to use or deliver to a family in need. Trust that stranger to do what is right.

Support a small business or Etsy vendor in an effected area by ordering holiday gifts from them.

Foster a pet for a displaced family.

When people are tired, upset, lost, angry, cold, confused, etc, acknowledge that no-one is at their best when they feel that way and don’t take it personally.

When you are tired, upset, lost, angry, cold, confused, etc try not to take it out on others.

Send thank-you letters to first responders.

Everything is Dangerous - Letter to a Home Town

2012-09-27T23:03:00.000-04:00

Way Back in the 70's

Everything is Dangerous These Days

“US Doctors Say Trampolines are a Danger toKids” Ummm ok. I have to wonder: Is there some new risk with trampolines that makes this newsworthy? Have strange trampolines started stalking our kids, following them home from school, offering them candy? Do doctors in Canada feel the same way? If more parents taught their kids the Five Little Monkeys song would fewer heads be bumped? Is anything considered safe these days?

Wow. I suddenly feel old. I am on the verge of one of those ‘Back in my day’ rants where the crazy old lady goes on about how when we were kids our parents let us roam like wild chickens, trusting that our pea sized brains would lead us back to roost at night. If I am not careful I will follow that up with a tale of how there was no crime and everyone was happy and fit and how it would still be that way if it wasn’t for the fact that Scooby Doo and those meddling kids quit going to church.

It is true that back my day I didn’t have a trampoline. I wasn’t allowed to jump on the beds either. (Strangely enough, I don’t remember being warned about hurting myself, just about breaking the bed.) When it came to finding means of potentially injury I was left to my own devices. I did things like tie a rope between two tree tops and try to scale across. I tested the thickness of ice by kicking through it. I was confident that bales of hay and stunt landing pads were interchangeable. I was a free range kid to the extreme and I survived for the most part unscathed. (As a parent I look back and wonder how).

Ideally our kids get the benefit of learning from our mistakes. In turn they get to make a whole new set of their own, thereby advancing into adulthood twice as mature and well adjusted as we did. (But wait… That would mean admitting to all that dumb stuff we did and they might tell our parents. Never mind.)

Left to their own device, the dumb stuff kids do has real world consequences, most of which are not a matter of life or death. Doing things and experiencing the consequences teaches how to navigate through fears and illustrates the difference between real and perceived risk. Fear has a lot of sway in the choices we make all through life, so this is a good skill to have.

Now my caveat: survival to spite youthful ignorance regarding the true danger of a given action is not good reason to let your own kids do the same dumb stuff. Kids, do not kick through ice to test its thickness. Trust me. Walking home in winter boots filled with water is no fun and I am glad I was close to the bank. Also, bales of hay are a close approximation to a stunt landing pad, but stuntmen have a lot of training (and an ambulance on site).

I hope that this letter has found you and yours in good spirits and good health. Until I write again…