Mouse House

Starboy has been talking about dollhouses and has had an interest in them—even adding some to his wish book. He's really into mice lately; they drive the cars and trucks, and they also offer gifts and nice things while he sleeps, somehow. ("The mice must have left that for me!")

I think this is a combination of reading about Mistress Mouse from the Richard Scarry books, as well as the team of lovely mice that are featured regularly in the Junkyard Tales he loves listening to.

Well, Starboy asked me to make a mouse house for him out of felt. Apparently the gorgeous wooden castle his grandparents gave him for Christmas is a bit too roomy for the mice. Poor mice, and their first world problems. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

So I did some research and found some beautiful, beautiful natural dollhouse choices online. Pinterest and Etsy are such time sucks: Warning! Warning! My collection of tiny house inspiration is here.

I would love to make him a sturdy house like this, but I don't really have the time to haul out the power tools, and anyway I. HATE. SANDING., so we added it to his wishlist for Grandpop. The levels can separate into individual units. It's also familiar: Miss Molly uses a house like this in some of her storytelling. Seems so easy to make, if you're handy with a jigsaw, and have access.

This one by Melissa and Doug I've been looking at for a long time. It's only about $40 for the set and super cute—Mary Jane has one. It's a bit bulky to store but low profile as far as most childrens' toys go. But, it would make a great garage (or barn) when opened. And it's very portable. I love this dollhouse. If I had remembered this during the initial stages of the search, I probably would have just bought him this one, rather than spending half a day making the felt one we ended up with. But I'm not upset with the way things turned out.

I really wanted something woodsy for him, to keep his imagination expanding. Like the drawings of Elsa Beskow, Beatrix Potter and Thornton Burgess. And portable, so he could move it around, or take it with him somewhere.

This one is so charming, but spendy. And I'm not sure how long he'll retain the sweetness to appreciate it, what with school coming up and all of those new television-fed friends to give him ideas. I'm looking for shapes that would be versatile: Could also be a garage, a barn, and so on.

Here's another great house from Etsy: when the child outgrows it, it can hold books. Genius. You could make a whole city and organize your kid for middle school at the same time. Which offers another reminder: Any ole bookshelf could be a dollhouse, too. You don't have to build things from scratch to be crafty.

This pattern via Pinterest is cute for felt, but not as interactive as I was looking for. It's more of a lidded box than a playhouse.

And I considered the design of our previous gnome homes, made from tissue boxes. Which were a huge (and quick and cheap) success. Shoeboxes....gift boxes....etc. Wasn't part of my mojo that day.

But this was the one that really caught my eye for inspiration: Simple, open-ended, natural, and possibly easy to create. I can't afford the $199 price tag that Etsy seller Shroompers charges, but after investing four or five hours in the one I made, I can understand the hefty price—especially with lovely wool felt and stuffing.

What I ended up with is a riff on the previous gnome house and Shroomper's woodland hut. With a few marked improvements. In my humble opinion.

I loved the round windows and doors that we used on our first gnome houses, and the greenery on the roof and base of Shroomper's house. Both offer a more natural, woodland feel; a break from city life. I stuffed my two layers of felt, like Shroompers did, but I used only cotton quilt batting, not wool fluff. So the effect was very plain and flat. To offset that, I did some free-quilting to create "leaves" and "grass" on the roof and base/ground. 

The ground is one pieces, and the roof is three separate pieces tacked together into one piece.

The felt walls were made by sandwiching some plastic canvas between two pieces of felt. I made my own sketch as a pattern, keeping in mind the size of the creatures who would live there (gnomes, mice, Schleich and Safari Ltd. animals). The two walls were stitched together on the two ends, so when you push them together like a coin purse, the house opens up with living space. But it folds flat for storage.

This also is why I ended up not sewing the roof onto the house. Not only does it make it easier for play, but it's also much easier to store when it can be separated. This is a big deal in Los Angeles, especially in an old house like ours with only two closets.

I tried to embellish the house and the roof like Shroompers did, to give it dimension: varying greens to give depth in the leaves, patterning and shrubs on the walls...but it all looked super hokey so the pieces are in my scrap bin. I plan to hand embroider some of the openings to offer definition, but there hasn't been time so far.

 I forgot to leave room on the roof for the chimney, and then Starboy flipped out that there was no fireplace. So the mice have a chiminea that will work indoors or out. True California living. The flames are all stitched together in one blob.

Basically it's four semi-tear-dropped shape felt pieces sewn into a tube, then a square piece added to the bottom to make it a "vase."

The stools are wooden drawer knobs painted to look like mushrooms. There's a mushroom table that's actually a little treasure box.

This mouse is "Dao's mouse;" you can find the pattern here. We have two of them, and they go missing all the time. Pesky mice.

I have a collection of peg people on Pinterest that has a lot of ideas here and other felt toys and mice here.

So, the castle now officially has some peasant farmland outside the gates...or maybe it's the Royals' retreat. That probably will depend on the story of the day.

Reading Roundup 2013.05.06

Hope you are enjoying your Screen Free Week! (Hey, what are you doing here?)

Dear Less-Than-Perfect Mom, Huffington Post (Apr. 30, 2013)


Playgrounds with Natural Elements Offer More Benefits for Children than Traditional Parks, Inhabitots
(Apr. 26, 2013)

The Play Date Gun Debate, NY Times (Apr. 29, 2013)
Talking about guns with other parents

Willie Nelson Turns 80: One Person Carrying a Message can Change the World, April 29, 2013
Singing: Angel Flying too Close to the Ground (H/T Don Winslow)
Democracy Now!

Grading Writing: The art and science — and why computers can't do it, Washington Post Answer Sheet (May 2, 2013)

The High Cost of Low Teacher Salaries, NY Times, (Apr. 30, 2013)

How I became a hipster, NY Times (May 1, 2013)
Very funny story about being hip in Brooklyn.

Reading tent

 I'm just smitten with all of the ideas for play tents that are going around. I made one last fall for Starboy's fairy party (then forgot to photograph it), with the purpose of bringing it inside for reading. But there's a dresser and a mountain of outgrown clothes in that back corner, that I haven't been able to resolve. Long story for another day.

 But Starboy requested a "fort coming down from the ceiling," and I've been under the weather for a few days so he's been feeling a little neglected. So: The fort goes in front of the dresser and the mountain of outgrown clothes. And the Beatrix Potter festival begins.

Butterfly fairies flutter around inside. You know you want a tent like this.

Our own Spaceman Spiff

The jetpak propulsion tank design was Starboy's, offered in specific detail, with a few materials modifications from Mommy. It may or may not resemble the model given to us by meerkats. We'll never reveal those international trade secrets.

 The tank apparently is water-powered. And diesel.

 The propeller, which must be at the top, not the bottom, is what makes it go.

 He's a meerkat astronaut. As if you didn't know.

Starboy-the-meerkat-astronaut was genuinely disappointed when his jetpak would not fly him over the house. "Why isn't it going?!"

He demanded "real buttons" as a means of solution and troubleshooting. We have an old remote for this purpose (Techman's helicopter that goes with it is broken), but Starboy insisted that this obviously dysfunctional device was what was causing the flight issue. I suggested a change of venue.

The meerkat astronaut put on his protective speed suit (which, curiously, was not made of space-age felt as previously described, but did meet the color qualifications described in the interview) and we installed an additional jetpak tank on his space vehicle.

Despite living a stone's throw from JPL, we honestly don't talk about space much at home, with the exception of the Space Shuttle, but even then, not in great detail. Not for any reason. Just hasn't really come up. During a visit to our storage locker, I mistakenly offered Starboy some Tintin books to look at on his own, forgetting about the stereotypes, racism, guns and other big-kid stuff that's the backbone of the series (ca. 1954). Ugh. We quietly disappeared them after an abridged reading, which had resulted in Starboy tearing around the house shouting "blistering blue barnacles!" like a maniac, at bedtime.

This must be his source of inspiration. I wonder if he'll remember the story when he sees it again....in sixth grade.

Look out, John Glenn. You're going to have to read books on the side, to keep up.

Reading Roundup 2013.03.29

Light online reading this week.

For financial literacy, it's never too early, Atlanta Journal and Constitution (March 25, 2013)

Is there danger in play, or more in its absence? Not Just Cute (March 20, 2013)
A really interesting read about play, why it's important, and also how its substitutes are damaging.

Owl wings

Starboy has Owl as his totem. The owl chose him—one came to visit the day he was born, and hooted outside his window for days. He comes back to visit periodically. Owl represents very powerful medicine, and we feel lucky that it was Owl who chose Starboy.

Reading Roundup

Can you see that I'm catching up on some old reading this week? I love Teacher Tom. He gives me a lot to think about.

New recess format at (Pittsburgh) Elementary allows students to play video games, WPXI.com (Sept. 4, 2012). "School district officials said the students are inside playing Wii only one or two days per week...The superintendent...told Channel 11 News that the new format is designed to keep children out of trouble and injury-free." Seriously?!?! OMG I might have to look into homeschooling after all. Meanwhile, these kindergarteners are outside all morning, even in the rain and snow. 

Buyer Beware, Teacher Tom (Apr. 29, 2012). Teacher Tom discusses the privatization of education, and how one company could monopolize the entire education of a child. He calls this a violation of child labor laws, since the corporation profits, a goal that supercedes the education of the child.

Rediscovered research says early school starting age 'harms children', Nursery World (May 16, 2012)

Once the marketing has rubbed off, Teacher Tom (May 24, 2012)

Teacher Tom Greatest Hits, Teacher Tom (May 26, 2012)

Five Dangerous things you should let your children do, Ted Talks (via Teacher Tom)
"When we round every corner and eliminate every sharp object, every pokey bit in the world, then the first time that kids come in contact with anything sharp or not made of round plastic they'll hurt themselves with it."

UK statement on play by the Play Safety Forum and the Health and Safety Executive (July 2012)

From the mind of a toddler

I swear Starboy's not OCD. But I love finding these results of intense study.

Imagination Car Details

For you crafty types who don't happen to have an old wooden pet kennel lying around, here are the dimensions of our imagination car. Roughly. I didn't build it, so you're on your own for a pattern, but I would think if you're handy you could figure one out with these photos. I would round up, rather than round down, for all measurements.

Click on the photos to embiggen.

 As you can see, the inside is one large space that extends under the seat.

 I would like to add two long, sturdy boards to go across the back that kids could sit or climb on.

 The side has a lip that looks like it used to allow for a window-cover. Starboy puts cars on the ledge. I don't know what those screws are about; I guess that is either an old repair or scrapwood originally was used. The screws stick out on the inside and present a scratching hazard, so if you can avoid this element of construction, it would be a good idea.

Yes, somehow preschoolers can fit through that hole. Sort of.

If you get some bright idea to hinge the seat, make sure you cut out below it so little fingers don't get squashed. But I don't recommend it; without being able to lift the car from the front end (because the seat would flip up), it would be really annoying to try to move around.

 I can't advise on the detail here, except to say that the sides are two pieces butted together, that is, there is a straight horizontal seam in the middle. Which means the bottom piece could be the negative space, or the scrap, from cutting the top piece, but trimmed shorter.

Imagination Car

Techman thinks it was a pet kennel turned upside-down, with a seat added. 

I scored big at a westside garage sale this summer (the fancy part of town). When you discover the sale is run by an old-school elementary teacher cleaning out her classroom, it's your lucky day.

I really agonized over the wheel-less wagon, because of the size. It's a great size, it's just that our place doesn't have much space, and we have to choose carefully. I'm very careful, but I make way more choices than Techman would make! He thinks we need less clutter, and I think we only need more closets (which brings to mind this story about discount shopping, that should be a cautionary tale to all partners. But I digress.).

Luckily the voice inside my head wouldn't let me walk home without this thing. This imagination car is solid wood, recently painted, and only set me back three bucks. It's a bargain at twice the price.

Originally, Starboy said it was a boat. (Perhaps it needs to be repainted pea-green.)

But once he realized he could drive Daddy, he took him to the United States. 

I'm so excited about this; I think it's a genius invention and everyone should have one.

I also got a marble run for Aunt Troi's house, a box of K'nex for Grandma's, an old-fashioned wooden top, some classic books with great illos, and more—all for $8. I wish Starboy had a chance to get this teacher in school—she had all the great open-ended stuff.

Reading Roundup

I've been catching up on my reading. Here are a few things I found interesting.


Education Gap Grows Between Rich and Poor, Studies Show
by Sabrina Tavernise, New York Times, Feb. 9, 2012


Tutoring Surges With Fight for Middle School Spots
by Anna M. Phillips, New York Times, Apr. 15, 2012
The gifted kids start doing so well on the tests that they have to re-tool the tests. What a great way for a kid to spend a Saturday: Bubbling in!


Treadmills in the Classroom improve concentration
The Launch Education Blog, Apr. 29, 2011
A special education school installs treadmills and exercise bikes in the math classroom. Stunning results. But what's really stunning, in my opinion, is public education's eagerness to do away with recess.


From Creeping to Leaping the Kindergarten Year—A Montessori Parent's Perspective
by Sarah Richards, MariaMontessori.com, Apr. 26, 2012
A mom explains why she chose Montessori school for her daughter, over public school methods.

Future Schools
educationnext.org
Oh geez, a first grader spending 90 minutes in a computer lab! It's like a factory! In the propaganda, it needs to be photographed black-and-white and jerky, like the movie Metropolis.

And...."customized education" looks like....a call center? If this is what Starboy was facing then I actually would have to seriously consider homeschooling, or a private school. It's bad enough that adults have entire days like this, but students?!


Quality Homework—A Smart Idea
by Annie Murphy Paul, New York Times, Sept. 10, 2011

Palm Springs Children's Museum

 I have to give a shout-out for the Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert, in Palm Springs. We just made our second visit, during one of our many PS family events this year, and Starboy had a ball.

First: It's air conditioned. This is a big selling point, especially during the off-season (read: summer).

 But also, everything is hands on. It's all about play, and a lot of the play offers math and science opportunities, like pizza making, or playing with magnets.

Catching Up -- Yosemite

It's been a little busy around here over the last few weeks, lots of family, family, family. And housecleaning. I'll spend the week with highlights to catch you up.

We spent some time in Yosemite, one of the most beautiful places on earth. We love camping and playing there, despite what a pain in the neck it is to pack the bearboxes.

Getting ready to go

 Happy Isles bike ride

Regular napping still a challenge even with extreme play. At least we have the Burley.

 Exploring with old friends

We had a few rainy days but overall the weather was great. I'm a big proponent of buying and wearing the right gear — it's cheap insurance against a miserable (or dangerous) trip.

 Wildlife

Stamping our journal with a special stamp and the date in the visitor's center.

 Water watching

 Rock throwing into the "Rabbit River" (rapid river)

Look, Mommy, I'm a big kid.

 Boy play.

I know. Gender neutral activity, don't stereotype, blah blah. But boys throwing rocks is just... BOY.