BACK TO SCHOOL: LAST HURRAH DAY

Dear Olive,

This week we got this sweet surprise in the mail from lovely Mabel:

Which launched us into a "last hurrah day" before school started.  The kids got to pick what we did.  This of course involved... Puppies:

 

A ball pit

Go Karts

 

 and a swimming pool.

The s'mores gift inspired us to roast dogs and mallows in our pjs.

And we read our bedtime stories by the outdoor fireplace.

It may be back to the grind on Monday, but we sure sent summer out with a bang!

PARCEL POST: BUSY BAG CLOTHESLINE

Dear Olive,

As I mentioned here, a few years ago I made some special busy bags that I brought out only when I fed the baby or when I needed the toddler to play independently.  I'd put on Pandora and tell him, "play for two songs and then it will be your time after."  Since you're in the transition way, I'm sending you our busy bags to use with Violet.  Here is mailing number two:

View Master Busy Bag: 

Get an old View Master at a garage sale... put that situation in a bag.

 

Clothesline Busy Bag:

Cut up some felt into clothing shapes (they especially like underware).  Add some clothespins and ribbon for the clothesline. 

 

Enjoy the solitude.

PARCEL POST: JEANS ROAD AND STRING WALL BUSY BAGS

Dear Olive,

When baby #2 came along, one of the things that made me anxious about parenting was what to do with my toddler while my baby was nursing.  If experience had been any predictor, I knew that the older kid would smell blood in the water when I most needed him to self-entertain.

In anticipation of the carnage, I made several "busy bags" to be secreted away until they were most needed.  As the kids have gotten older, we still pull out these independent activity pouches during an important phone call or in the company of guests.  I also take them out for long car visits or doctors office trips.  They only took a few minutes to make each one, and have been a life saver over the years.

In the next few months, I'm going to start mailing you some of our busy bags to borrow.  Just in case you want to make your own, here are the contents:

The jeans road bag is one of my favorites.  I just cut up an old pair of jeans into road, including crossings and curves, painted some yellow lines and added in a few matchbox cars.  

The string wall art is a great fine motor task for pincer grasp.  Cut up bungee cord and Ikea brush holders rounded this one up easily.  

Ella was entertained by this for at least one phone call and 4 work emails.

I wish you scream free mommy-tasking this month!

PARCEL POST: MONTH TWO, SOMEDAY

Dear Olive,

The first book that you ever bought Gabriel was Someday, by Alison McGee.  I read it over and over to him as an infant.  I cried every time.  It's funny how having a baby makes your life feel so full circle.  This book still reminds me of that each time I read it.  Enjoy your care package for Johnny's month #2!

PARCEL POST: One Month, GOODNIGHT MOON

Dear Olive,

The bundle is here!  And he is perfection.  I can't wait to come and breathe in his newborn scent.  Now that you are a mother of two, I have a sad fact to relate to you:  You will never complete the 2nd baby book.  Instead, I have a recommendation.  Write milestones and a quick note in their favorite book for the month... the one that you seem to read over and over so much that you remember all the words.  Then save the tattered loved books for their kids.

I've decided to chronicle my kids' book faves by sending the same book to Johnny at each stage.  First up, a universal winner.  Goodnight Moon!  You should get it in a few days.  Enjoy!  And kiss my godson for me!

Love you!

Laurel

EASIEST CHEAPEST BEST UNIVERSAL GIFT ON EARTH

Dear Olive,

I was a very fortunate child.  With lots of grandparents, aunts, and uncles to dote over my brother and me, birthdays and Christmases were very blessed.  Yet, there are so few gifts that I actually remember.  One of the gifts that I recall after all of these years was not the fanciest or most expensive.  Perhaps though, it was the most ingenious.  For my sixth birthday, my very cool uncle sent me a crepe paper ball.

As you unroll the ball, a small toy would pop out.  Each layer unearthed another tiny gift.  It wasn't the value of the toys, but the process of opening surprises over and over again that captured me.  Years later, I still remember this as a favorite gift.

When my lovely friend Mabel hosted her son's birthday a few weeks ago, I endeavored to create a crepe ball of my own.

I started by purchasing a mega roll of crepe paper and small token items that were either flat or small enough to wrap around.

I added items as I wrapped the ball like yarn, changing the color of the crepe throughout.

Finally, I tucked the last space of crepe into a wrapped space and secured the ball with a large bow.

I have big plans to repeat this gift for several occasions.  I plan to purchase gifts related to the interests of each individual.  For example:

CHRISTMAS PARCEL POST

Dear Olive,

I have proudly hacked a high end Christmas card into our very own.  I made this in Photoshop.  Here is the file in case you wish to someday steal it.  Being a dataphile, this correspondence fits me to a T.  Yours will arrive next week along with your Christmas gifties.