tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943Tue, 29 May 2012 05:14:13 +0000educationpiratesillness1000 octopusesredhigh school musicaltiredthinking - a dangerous habitbooksBlogHerorganizationBlog Exchangetechiepreschoolother artrantingpreggotravelinefficiencyfamilypop culturehouseymunchy munchpianothe little dudesealife + plush cutenessdanceworkneighborsme me mecarsfriendsvanityharry potterthe micro dudelegoSV Moms BlogFull Mommypartiesholidayeconomysewing + craftsgivingparentingmartial artsschoolindiana joneshome decor and organizationSwingDaddyapparel and accessorieshousingethnicitykiddo gearStar Warsemergency + environmentbloggingflashbacksPerfect Posthttp://www.empress-m.com/noreply@blogger.com (Lady M)Blogger1750125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-8077491717703700082Mon, 28 May 2012 06:59:00 +00002012-05-28T03:36:15.346-07:00the micro dude Just before Christmas, we went to an exhibit of holiday lights and international decorations.  Truthfully, it was kind of a mishmash, but there were some nice things to see.  Since it was getting dark, I set a meeting point in case anyone got lost.  We picked the tallest "temple," since it could be seen from anywhere, but since it was round, we had to pick another landmark to know what http://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/meet-you-at-statue.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-3749551980443869986Fri, 25 May 2012 04:59:00 +00002012-05-24T22:24:01.346-07:00the micro dudesealife + plush cuteness1000 octopuses The best friends are there to support you when you really need a nap. . . . And in totally unrelated news, this is what happens when you give a small boy some old Mardi Gras beads and he asks you to "make some tie-knots in them."  He delightedly shows you handcuffs!  Just like Joseph wore in the Coat of Many Colors story when imprisoned by Potiphar. http://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/best-friends.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-8935336324021263123Thu, 24 May 2012 05:59:00 +00002012-05-23T23:29:20.341-07:00apparel and accessoriessewing + crafts We made a pilgrimage to Maker Faire.  What is Maker Faire?  It's kind of hard to explain - you really need to see it.  It's a place that cherishes the the idea that everyone can be and should be creative and imaginative. Shortly after we entered the fairgrounds, a robot danced by, followed by a Dalek. Then we saw this lady riding quite a remarkable bicycle. Quad-cycle? She had a nicehttp://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/lunatics-on-parade.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-3514293620474308894Wed, 23 May 2012 03:59:00 +00002012-05-22T21:07:51.893-07:00schoolthe little dude Last week was Q-ster's turn for an Open House at school.  We admired the "royal portraits" that each child painted. There was also a display of "quilt square" designs.  Q-ster's is the one in the middle with the colored diamonds for Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw, with an "H" in the middle for Hogwarts.  Harry Potter FTW! The best part was playground time, as usual. http://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/art-and-antics.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-1641588975020167706Tue, 22 May 2012 06:46:00 +00002012-05-21T23:46:55.430-07:00sealife + plush cutenessholiday My Mother's Day gift from SwingDaddy and the boys arrived today.  A giant blue plush jellyfish to join our octopus!  We had a lovely, huggable evening.  Since we've been calling the octopus a "he," we've decided that the jellyfish is a "she." Thus, our sealife follow the gender color conventions from the 19th century, when blue was a girl's color (associated with the Virgin Mary) and pink washttp://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/what-every-mother-wants.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-6575781375575649698Mon, 21 May 2012 04:59:00 +00002012-05-20T21:59:51.757-07:00dancethe little dudeA precious, precious moment from last month - April 4, to be exact . The first waltz with my boy! Q-ster was (re)reading about the Yule Ball in Harry Potter and asked about the waltz that Harry learns.  He asked a couple of times, so SwingDaddy taught him the steps for a box waltz, and he asked me to dance.  We had a very nice little waltz! It almost made me cry.  This was a moment I looked http://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/first-waltz.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-149380416535626159Fri, 18 May 2012 06:59:00 +00002012-05-18T03:17:42.533-07:00 My overseas colleagues celebrated their independence day, which is seriously flag-bedecked.  The photo above is the street leading to the palace.  The photo below shows the children's parade, which includes almost all the schools in the capital city. It's popular for people to wear the costume of their region.  I made several co-workers to promise to send photos of their families, and http://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/national-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-6224702163366704215Thu, 17 May 2012 06:59:00 +00002012-05-20T18:33:37.160-07:00dancefamilyI think we've hit a key point in our family - when all four of us can go to the theater together and sit through a show without whining to leave! That includes the parents too. We took Q-ster and Buster to see a local youth production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, one of my favorite musical theater shows.  Glorious score by Andrew Lloyd Webber and clever, clever lyrics by Tim http://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/joseph-and-amazing-technicolor.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-6633221303354631633Wed, 16 May 2012 06:19:00 +00002012-05-16T02:10:14.485-07:00the micro dudepreschool We finally had a chance to talk to the preschool teachers about the mysterious construction paper telescopes that Buster brings home from class every day.  Apparently, the whole class was massively into the fad at the beginning of the year, and there are still two or three children, Buster included, who still want to make a new one every day.  They've taught him to use the tape dispenser, so http://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/more-on-telescopes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-816743250961236596Tue, 15 May 2012 04:59:00 +00002012-05-14T22:58:52.130-07:00the micro dudepreschool  It’s that time of the year – school open houses!   Buster proudly shows his alphabet book.     Caterpillars busily eating their leaves.     The micro dude starts an archeological dig.      The lessons of cooperation!  The kids managed a pretty impressive sandpile. http://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/now-i-know-my-abcs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-3423224409921409378Mon, 14 May 2012 06:59:00 +00002012-05-14T11:35:19.795-07:00legofamilyholiday Morning snuggles, the best part of any weekend. Q-ster made quite the amazing card, with a little essay about me and paper flowers with promises written on the back ("I will clean my room," etc.)  Apparently, my favorite thing to eat is chicken and he is "glad to be my child."  He also thinks I look nice in dresses, which is lovely to hear.  Buster beaded a bracelet on pipecleaner and http://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/mamas-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-1790206408489404379Fri, 11 May 2012 06:59:00 +00002012-05-11T00:39:26.265-07:00kiddo gearI wore Stride Rite shoes as a kid, and the boys have been wearing Stride Rite shoes since they could walk.  They made sturdy, comfortable shoes that lasted until they were outgrown.  Even more perfectly, they made a line of Star Wars themed shoes, and the boys wore blue Captain Rex shoes for an entire year.  They got a little battered, but as expected of their quality, they lasted until outgrown.http://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/what-happened-to-stride-rite.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-7996523632767934006Thu, 10 May 2012 06:59:00 +00002012-05-10T01:46:27.281-07:00travelmunchy munch In my travels, I have totally fallen in love with this cute yogurt.  Yes, cute food does taste better.  I wrote a whole yogurt post about how the little foldable spoon and separate muesli compartment are just perfect. Now, I am determined to recreate this, but with more environmentally sustainable packaging.  Family sized vanilla yogurt and granola.  I've started http://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/in-which-i-arrange-my-own-cute-yogurt.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-8561060124740637131Wed, 09 May 2012 03:59:00 +00002012-05-08T21:38:09.099-07:00travelfamilyapparel and accessories We headed up to San Francisco over the weekend to check out a celebration of the country that I'm always going to visit and for which I'm getting a little tired of finding a way to not write out the (searchable) name.  Hmmm, will have to think about that going forward.  Anyway, the folks west of Sweden.    We got to see a traditional Viking tent, complete with spear and shields. A http://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/other-festivities-in-red-white-and-blue.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-1989028746015785313Tue, 08 May 2012 06:59:00 +00002012-05-08T10:48:34.775-07:00schoolhome decor and organizationthe little dude Q-ster has been published for the first time!  His teacher said that he had finished this classwork a little early, so she suggested he write an article for the school paper.  She was busy supervising the rest of the class, so he did it on his own, and walked it over to the school office.  Here it is: On April 26, my class went on a field trip to S- Park. We learned about different animals http://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/first-publication.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-7475256254846383148Mon, 07 May 2012 06:59:00 +00002012-05-07T10:09:29.183-07:00legothe micro dudemartial artsthe little dudeharry potterA friend once asked how I could come up with enough topics for a blog, and I said that I had the opposite problem.  There are way too many topics, and I never write as much as I'd like to capture, especially about the big things.  I'm much better at capturing the little things. So here in quick sequence, is an attempt to catch up with the last week. Q-ster tested for his "green belt senior" http://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/belts-wands-bounties-oh-my.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-8912379359672795517Fri, 04 May 2012 06:59:00 +00002012-05-04T00:04:28.906-07:00travelapparel and accessories When I was overseas last month, I actually made it to the National Museum 35 minutes before closing. It was just enough time to see the "Royal Journeys" exhibit, which was a gift from the government to the King and Queen for their 75th birthdays.  The display included the royal carriage, photographs, medals, lots of kingly uniforms, and of course, the part I cared most about, gowns. The http://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/tiniest-waist-ever.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-6535612454046224639Thu, 03 May 2012 03:59:00 +00002012-05-02T21:31:53.435-07:00travel Norwegians raised their voices in unison on Thursday (last week) to get under the skin of admitted mass killer Anders Behring Breivik.  An estimated 40,000 people turned out in central Oslo's Youngstorget square to sing "Children of the Rainbow," a Norwegian version of "My Rainbow Race," written by American folk singer Pete Seeger.  During his trial for the killings of 77 people last http://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/song-and-roses-sadness-and-strength.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-2561720504572489443Wed, 02 May 2012 06:59:00 +00002012-05-02T02:04:26.146-07:00travel While SwingDaddy was in Kyoto, he noticed that the buses had these icons by the door. The stroller and wheelchair icons make sense.  The bus is accessible to wheeled conveyances.  What about the bear?  Does the bus system welcome bears?  Is it a bear at all? Thanks to Blogger L at Homesick Home, who lives in Japan, we have an answer to the mystery!  It is apparently a polar bear, so the http://www.empress-m.com/2012/05/bus-bear.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-8857702717257439355Tue, 01 May 2012 03:59:00 +00002012-04-30T21:43:21.490-07:00familymunchy munch Keeping in with the Japanese theme this week, we went to the local Cherry Blossom Festival this weekend, where we admire the taiko drummers every year.  This time, the boys were also very interested in the martial arts demonstrations. Among the more ethnic food, there was also a booth where you could flavor your own shaved ice.  Start with this: Add this: And enjoy! A bit of http://www.empress-m.com/2012/04/taiko-on-ice.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-6298944089823077820Mon, 30 Apr 2012 06:59:00 +00002012-04-30T11:11:00.544-07:00travelpop culturefamily SwingDaddy and I have always loved the movie My Neighbor Totoro, the animated fantasy film by Hayao Miyazaki, ever since a friend introduced it to us in VHS form in the mid 90's.  We haven't watched it in years, but since SwingDaddy just spent a few days in Japan and brought home a small stuffed Catbus, we sat down to our first official Family Movie Night this weekend and had a blast. http://www.empress-m.com/2012/04/our-friendly-totoro.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-5885155442444813820Fri, 27 Apr 2012 06:59:00 +00002012-04-27T02:12:24.525-07:00the micro dudesealife + plush cuteness1000 octopusesThe micro dude's plush octopus went missing for 24 hours this week and we were truly perplexed.  I mean, it's not like losing my octopus, which is so large that it would be like misplacing a Volkswagon Beetle in the house, but it's still a sizable creature. Buster finally found it himself, tucked underneath some curtains in the living room.  He was really happy.  And so were we. http://www.empress-m.com/2012/04/octopus-found.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-1923111401239298963Thu, 26 Apr 2012 06:59:00 +00002012-04-26T02:28:26.073-07:00kiddo gearI wrote about the challenges of avoiding chemically coated children's pajamas a couple of months ago, and after reading this article, I think I'm going to keep up the fight. ...many health experts who caution that the added chemicals likely pose a greater health risk than any flames they might fend off. Common flame retardants have been linked with learning disorders, reduced fertility and http://www.empress-m.com/2012/04/toxic-flame-retardants.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-8399609776468001974Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:59:00 +00002012-04-25T07:07:11.117-07:00the little dudeharry potter  Q-ster is pretty much constantly re-reading Harry Potter these days.  Here's his rendition of Hogwarts.  (Hey, Madame A - we're finally using that craft paper for artsy purposes!) And the ship from Durmstrang, the Bulgarian wizarding school. http://www.empress-m.com/2012/04/harry-at-hogwarts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23490943.post-9028823499931403976Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:59:00 +00002012-04-23T22:36:43.776-07:00legomartial artssewing + crafts I've been fielding requests for the Ninjago Sword of Fire for a while now, to go with the Nunchucks of Lightning and the Shurikens of Ice.  Yes, I've already been informed that we still need the Scythe of Quakes, but that needs to wait until I've finished the Quidditch robes for Q-ster.  I started that project over the weekend, but realized that it probably would have been faster http://www.empress-m.com/2012/04/armory-in-action.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lady M)1