JUST US TWO

 

We woke and remembered there were no bread or eggs in the house. I had an idea, something we hadn't done before. A special breakfast date, just her and I. We quickly dressed, hopped in the car and drove the short trip to nearby Croydon. There is our favourite little strip of shops and cafés, all nestled in a row on Queen St. (You will often find us here on Saturdays!)

We sat at a little table in Queen Street Café. We shared scrambled eggs and bacon on gluten free toast. I ordered Everly her first (soy) babycino. She loved the little flecks of chocolate on top, but was a little unsure about the rest of the foam. She stirred it with the spoon but left it relatively untouched. Maybe next time. Coffee for Mama in a bright yellow cup.

Everly loves to watch. She watches people talk, laugh, eat, drink. She points to them, then looks back at me, grinning. Every little nuance is a delight to this observant girl. I have to remind her not to point or stare too much.

When we'd finished breakfast, we walked around the corner to Croydon playground. It sits right along the train line, where trains come every few minutes. We hear the bell Ding-ding-ding! as the boom gate lowers to stop the traffic, signalling a train is on its way. The children run to the fence to watch the train pull up. We all wave and sometimes the driver pulls the horn - Choo choo! 

Everly's favourite part of the playground is the slide, but most of the time she is simply content wandering around, sometimes squatting to inspect flowers and leaves. Often she watches the other children - she listens to them talk, watches them play. Sometimes she'll wander up to a group of Mums and stand there, staring up at them, listening intently to their chatter. After a while I have to go over and redirect her to something else, a little embarrassed that I appear to have the only child in the whole playground who doesn't like to play on the equipment! My Everly, she is different. But, oh, I love her so!

We had a brilliant morning together, just us two. I know Everly wouldn't have realised the significance, but I wanted to take some photos and write down my thoughts from the day so I can remember it always.

PLAYDOUGH FUN

A little tub of pink homemade playdough came home with us in a party bag. The next day we were both grumpy and tired, after a rough night with little sleep, and I was frantically thinking, "How am I going to get through today?!". Then I remembered - the playdough! Out came a chopping board and some cookie cutters, I plonked Everly at the kitchen table, still in her pyjamas, and left her to it. She played with the playdough non-stop for three hours. (Helloooo, time to catch up on my favourite blogs!)

Everly broke it into little pieces of 'food', stirred them in the container using a crayon, blowing on them to cool them down (I am amazed at her level of imagination at this age!) She placed little pieces into teacups and stirred them with a spoon. It continued to provide hours of fun over the next two days, too. We cut out flower shapes and pushed them onto popsicle sticks. We made a layered birthday cake, Everly poked in the 'candles' and we sang "Bird-day".

Until it dried out and we had to surrender it to the bin. This week's task - make a batch of playdough using this or this recipe. (I vividly remember watching my Mum cook the playdough in a big pot on the stove, but I've always wanted to try the no-cook version.) Apparently it lasts longer if you store it in the fridge?

Do you have a favourite recipe for play dough?

IN THE GARDEN

Little E is her happiest when in the garden. She loves to dig around in the pot plants, make dirt soup with her spoon and saucepan, carry around papers and egg cartons from the recycling box, and chase Billy around the yard.

It once was the place we escaped to when we were both frustrated and needed some air, but it's quickly become a regular morning and afternoon activity. The Waldorf/Steiner way of living makes so much sense to me now -- the in-breath and the out-breath, a gentle rhythm to the day. In and out, in and out. Our days go much more smoothly when I incorporate two chunks of free play outside. When it's raining, and we're cooped up in the house, we both clearly suffer from it. Next winter I will be buying myself and Everly a spray jacket and some gumboots - so we can both drink in the wild air every day, rain or shine.

These photos were taken last week in the early evening light when she woke from her big afternoon sleep, still dressed in her nice clothes from a morning playdate with a friend. She was having so much fun, I didn't want to disturb her. (Enjoy this moment, clothes can always be washed...) My gorgeous girl with her intense, frowning, 'I'm concentrating' face (just like her Mama), her long sweeping fringe, and those curls! (Excuse the yucky runny nose, she was teething.) 

the magic basket

Everly's toy collection is fairly minimal - a wooden rainbow, a wooden stacking ring, some soft dolls and stuffed animals, a few balls in various sizes, and a couple of wooden musical instruments (xylophone, maracas).

I'm super glad we haven't gone overboard with toys for her, as she tends to gravitate to anything but -- my iPhone, the TV remote, the laptop, and my bedside table (jewellery, cups of water, tissues and iPhone charger - aka the motherload) - something I'm sure all babies do. She also has her own cupboard in the kitchen with some tupperware, a wooden spoon and a few other odds and ends. These are the toys she loves the most -- everyday, simple items around our home.

So when I noticed Everly becoming bored with her current toy collection, I decided to create something new for her to play with. Taking inspiration from this Mum and this article, I went searching around the house, bought a few kitchen utensils from a $2 shop, scrounged around in some oppies, and popped it all in a basket.

Behold, the Magic Basket!

The idea is to bring it out once a day (when Everly's had a nap, is fed and happy) and simply place it in front of her. Then I sit back. She has total control over discovering what's inside and choosing what to play with (sometimes it's the whole basket's contents, some days only a couple of items). I don't show her how to 'use' anything, and I don't help unless she clearly asks (and even when she does get frustrated, I wait a little while as she often figures it out for herself in time).

The very first time I offered her the basket, she moved metal bracelets and jar lids back and forth between two containers for an hour. Not once did she ask for help or for me to sit with her (what usually happens). She looked up once or twice to catch my eye and smile at me - she was having so much fun! Everly has a short attention span and has never coped well with independent play, so this was a huge thing for her! (and for me! Ummm, helloooo Instagram and blog reading time!)

After only a week or two playing with this, Everly is now showing signs of boredom with its contents, so tomorrow I will add a few new items - a lemon, a large avocado stone, some squares of fabric and an old scarf.

If you'd like to try this out yourself, this is what is currently in our Magic Basket:

metal tin lids
wooden spoons of various shapes and sizes
metal whisk
small cane basket with lid
small cardboard box with lid
ribbon
pastry brush with natural fibres
metal scoop
glass jars of various sizes
pine cone
pebbles
shells
natural loofah
napkin ring
metal bracelets of different thicknesses
painted wooden bracelet
mirror
egg trays
wooden dolly pegs
cardboard tubes from alfoil/cling wrap
toilet rolls
old leather wallet
egg ring
small teak compartment tray

There are a few more suggestions in this article.

The concept of heuristic play has been a huge eye-opener for me, and a joy to watch. I'd love to know if you have your own type of 'treasure basket', or if you have any other ideas for imaginative play.