Only once in a very blue moon does true giftedness come along.

This post is about a young lady who I feel possesses skill and talent akin to that of the Great Masters, only in modern subject matter.  I know that to some that may seem a ridiculous statement to make, given that the pictures below are of Pokemon, but the Pokemon is merely an example of this girl's emerging skills.  She can draw with amazing precision the most delicate of fairies and the fiercest of dragons.  She crafted giant origami rabbits for our Easter breakfast.  (Mind you, the larger a piece of paper, the more difficult it is to control.)  She made a little fleece bunny and cat for my daughter when she was born, and managed to create adorable somethings that not only would pass government safety tests, they have SURVIVED the LOVE of a TODDLER.  In other words, the girl got SKILLS.


Somehow, the planets aligned, God heard a prayer, or SOMETHING happened to get me to attend University United Methodist Church.  (Besides marrying Tim.)  The teenagers at UUMC never cease to amaze me.  There are so very many old souls in that one little youth group that you can sense the powerful potential developing within each and every one of them.  And a pox upon those who dare to disagree.  Before church, Anna often shows me what she is working on, drawing, or otherwise creating. One morning, I spied her sewing what looked to me like rays of a sun.  Once she explained, I was even more curious.  One week later I saw it in its completion.  I am not up to date on the Pokemon population, nor can I pretend to care what happens to Ash or those annoying villains.  I can, however, recognize a well-crafted adorably ugly insect-like stuffed creature.  And this adorably ugly insect-like stuffed creature was amazingly well-crafted.  And huggable too.  And made WITHOUT A PATTERN.  No kidding.  Its name is Larvesta.  (The name kind of makes me say, "Ewww."  But her craftsmanship certainly does not.)  Check it out.

This is Anna's Larvesta.  Notice how she stitched the eyes to form a pupil.

Larvesta from an aeriel perspective.  So huggable, yet so buggy.

Side view. The "Bulbapedia" says that Larvesta is 63.5 pounds.
That's a LOT of Pokemon.

And it looks EXACTLY like the picture, slightly whorled horns and all. 

 Didn't I tell you the girl was gifted?

Craft-Yer-Own Maracas for Baby

"I got the stuff, momma."

My first tutorial!  Woo Hoo!  Pattergirl helped.  She is in major teething pain right now, so the distraction of an activity with momma is almost a necessity.  She, like most all babies, just loves the novelty of new toys, people, places, food, etc.  However, new stuff can cost quite a bit, not to mention spoil a person, so every once in awhile it is just plain good to Craft-Yer-Own.  And you can never start crafty goodness too young.

Pattergirl models our milk bottles

  First, find small containers that securely close.  If they fit well in baby's hand, they will work better and be much more fun.  We used the little plastic breast milk containers that the hospital gave us.  They were so...scientific looking.  Though on child #2, I had never seen them before.  It made me feel like I was creating a specimen rather than just some lunch for my kid.  I did use them for storage, but didn't like them and soon changed to bags.  In the dishwasher they went, and ready to be put to good use.  But, let me get off of my tangent...You might use large plastic eggs, small plastic bottles, or anything else that you find safe for your baby.  Make sure your containers are clean and super dry, because you don't want any funky funk growing inside your maracas.

Dry goods from the pantry

Next, choose what will make your noise.  I used dry goods from the pantry because we have quite a full larder and in the event one of the maracas opens, I want it to be actual food going into Pattergirl's mouth.  You choose what you have available and what you are comfortable with.

Though the milk containers close securely enough to keep even grownups out, you might want to glue your containers shut to ensure the little one doesn't inadvertently eat dried mung beans or something.  My faaaaavorite glue EVER is Weldbond.  It behaves like super glue meets white school glue.  I can even allow the children to use it without worrying about them gluing their fingers (or each other) together!



Using a funnel to pour the noisemaker stuff into your containers will make things easier.  I used the measure markings on the bottles to put the same amount of filler in each container.  It is interesting how the same amount of different fillers makes different sound.  (Woo hoo cross curricular activities!  Woo hoo science!  Woo hoo nerds!  Ok, ok...back to crafty goodness.)

 Use a thin bead of glue around the container's threads, just below the lip.  This way the glue has room to ooze up a bit without actually entering the container.  If any glue oozes down after you close the lid, wipe it away before it dries.  We don't want little ones eating up dried glue, now, do we?  Heavens, no...not until at LEAST preschool.

2 kinds of rice and mung beans

Allow the glue to dry according to the instructions on the label.  That's it!  You just made your child (or yourself) a set of toys.  Now go play!








Shake...shake...shake it...shake...shake...shake it...

Shake it like a Polaroid pik-sha!

(C'mon...I KNOW you want to sing!)