Its been NICE around here! 80s yesterday, 70s today. So, spring fever had me opening all the windows and setting out a springy table display.
Easter is about a month away, I might have jumped the gun a bit by setting out all of the bunnies and eggs.
But it was fun to do and Sugarwings seems to appreciate it all. I try to provide a little something she is allowed to touch and play with to apease her and keep her out of the rest of my stuff. A typical conversation around here starts with me saying, "Now, is that Grammy's stuff or your stuff?" and often there is a little bit of bickering over the fine points of just what she can touch and what she can't. But we hug it out and make it work. ( I really watch too much TV, those were Entourage and Runway catch phrases)
Our family says just pack up all the junk till the baby is older. Oh no, I just can't. I love my stuff, it is what makes my home, MY home. Plus, don't you think that toddlers need to learn? And really, none of it is exactly priceless. I decorate with garage sale goods and have pennies invested, not thousands of dollars.
If a kid can't learn to enjoy her home without messing it up and breaking things, how can you expect to take her out in public, anyway? And I do believe that a child's soul is nurtured by living in a home that is lovely and that people love living in.
Which might be a little bit of a self important sentence after showing you pictures of bunnies and of chicks in party hats!
Those little birdies make me happy!!!!
I think it is lovely that you keep YOUR house the way you want it while providing Sugarwings with her own ‘touchables’.
I guess it is that time to start thinking about Easter. I’ll have to dust off all my Easter goodies.
Hugs ~ Kerryanne
Is that what they call acid green(in the bunny ears)? Good for you, that you keep your stuff out to enjoy. Good for you that you are teaching Sugarwings that there are things she can’t touch and things that she can. She WILL thank you later -that not only are you teaching her beauty, your teaching her how to respect your stuff , her stuff and then others stuff. Happy happies to you.
I love your Easter things. They are so pretty. And congratulations on 500 posts! That is something. I cannot imagine, but what fun it will be to get there. I’ve read back many of your posts, but not 500. I’ve got my work cut out for me!! It will be so enjoyable – like a good book!!
Karla, You are so right that kids need to learn at home what is theirs to touch and what isn’t. This a way people won’t cringe when they see a little child coming to their home or place of business. I kept all my “stuff” out when my kids were small(many years ago and they learned to respect other people’s treasures in their home. Of course If sugarwings looked at me with those beautiful eyes, I would have a hard time telling her no. I like your Easter goodies, and I have started putting out some too.
Have a great weekend.
Jean in virginia
I left out my nice things when my daughter was a toddler, even though my friends with kids told me I would have to put it all up, until she was older.
I let her touch and look at things with me and that seemed to satisfy her curiosity. Plus she had her own treasures, too. Her room was her castle.
~elaine~
I love your yard sale Easter investments!
Bunnies and chicks in party hats are wonderful and I think you are absolutely right! My grandma and nana both had incredibly beautiful things — lalique, limoges, herend, you get the picture. Nana put her things away when we visited. Grandma didn’t. Nana may have had an easier time when we visited, but we didn’t learn what great taste she had til we were much older. ‘Course it could be she put things away cuz my mom/her daughter tended to break things! From grandma we learned to look and not touch and appreciate the pretty things. Silverwings is lucky to learn to care for things and to make art too!
~Marilee
I am sooo glad you have had some nice weather! I am getting my spring decor out this weekend too. I agree with you on teaching the little ones to respect your prettys. I leave all my stuff out and the daycare littles have learned what they can and can’t touch. I really think they learn to follow guidelines early if you teach them with love and respect. Your little chick with the purple hat is adorable! I think I will need to add hats to some of my chicks!!
Blessings- LillySue
Here it is up and down, sunny one moment, the other moment dreary and dull and cold wheather. But I think I am going to check my Easter stuff too. A little reluctant though, as last year I blowed out a lot of eggs, sticked paper on them and safed them. According to my cousin (who threw them away) They smelled like rotten eggs after 6 weeks. At that time my eggs were lying in a box on the attic. Perhaps I only have to follow my nose to find the box with Easter goodies, which is handy, always look at the bright side.
I totally agree on you regarding the combination of a todler and beautiful stuff around. When my kids were small I collected 50-ties service. On lower shelves I had some fun early plastics, probably pic nick stuff. They could play with that too. On higher shelves though not totally out of reach china and other ware. Things I really felt I couldn’t live without were out of reach, because accidents do happen. My kids never broke anything elsewhere or did rough with other peoples stuff. But I do believe in talking to kids and teaching kids too. Say what you want and tell them what you don’t want and if they behave not nice tell them to stop. I often hear kids yelling in the supermarket and moaning that they insist on having this or that and no one says that they have to stop. On the contrary they just get what they want.
Ha I feel like supernanny, have a nice Saturday!
I have always believed in not putting away the pretties and teaching my children that they had their own things and mom had hers. It was scary at first and nothing too expensive got broken. You are getting me in the mood to pull out my Easter things.
Love those party chicks! You’re navigating the toddler granddaughter/grandmother has a beautiful house divide fantastically in my opinion!
Oh it is about time to decorate for easter! I was the same way we never put anything away. We only had 1 baby gate up and that was to prevent her from falling down the stairs. I just always taught her to look with her eyes and not her hands. If she did want to touch something to ask first. Now whenever we go shopping she is so careful and listens. I’ll never forget the people at the antique mall in parkville used to cringe when I would come in with Bethany when she was about 2. They couldn’t believe how good she was and just looked. You are doing a great job with sugarwings! I think too many parents now days just want to put stuff away than rather deal with it and teach their kids. Wow long winded this morning! Have a great weekend Karla 🙂
Thanks for the reminder to get busy pulling out the Easter decorations. Peeps & Bunnies here we go!
It’s so nice to meet you. I enjoyed my visit very much.
~ ~ Ahrisha~ ~
I agree 100%. Surroundings definitely impact a child’s mood as much as it does ours. And, there are far, FAR too many people in the world who haven’t been taught when and when NOT to touch.
I never put anything up when my kids were little either. I thought it was better to teach them to look with their eyes and not with their hands so that when I took them out I didn’t have to worry as much. I did the same thing as you — a collection just for them that they could touch and enjoy, which didn’t always work perfectly but in the long run I still think it’s the best approach. Now about those chicks in the party hats…tooooooo cute!!!!
Hugs,
Dena
Well all I can say is — I LOVE IT _ when
“CHICKS ” come out to play — too too -adorable !! _ kathy -ga
LOVE this post Karla!!!! I am all about Easter, lol! Love those bunnies too! My house is overflowing with Easter sweetness right now, lol!
It was in the 60’s here in Michigan yesterday! The boys and I were out all day!
Love ya,
Amy
Love Love Love all the bunnies, you have no idea : )
Kathy
Love the partying chicks, and that paper mache bunny in particular. If you have any good ideas on repairing old paper mache, let me know – I have two old bunnies that are a little banged up even for my taste.
what a cute spring post Karla…you have the cutest little things…i love your party animals…and the little bunny with the fluffy tail…i never put anything away or out of reach when my boys were small and they never bothered anything…now, OTHER peoples kids…that was another story…
Love your chicks coming out to play Karla!! You crack me up with your TV quotes 🙂
Love the chicks in the party hats, Karla! Bring on Easter and springtime!! Here! Here!
As for today’s chiiilllllddddrreeennn…… I wholeheartedly agree with what you are doing. I raised my daughter that way and she has wonderful manners and I don’t remember her destroying anything. On the other hand, I think there is a mindset now-a-days that children are allowed to do anything they want, when they want because everything is made for them, put aside for them, dictated BY them and so on, in the name of “good self-esteem” of course. Sugarwings will be quite the little lady, growing up with puppies, art and many lovely things to look at – AND – she will have learned how to handle these things which will bring about WONDERFUL self-esteem!! I’m now taking off my library lady glasses and shutting my mouth. Happy pre-Easter!!
Kathy in Chicago
I agree with you! I was a teenager when my neices and nephews were little ones and my mom and dad left all their treasures out. They also had things for them to touch and play with and the others were a no-no. They learned and my great nephews are learning…it teaches them to respect others things. Love the easter goodies!
karen…
Everything looks so fun! Great Spring Display. I love having my stuff out but the coffee table usually has to be picked up right now. I have 3 grand- babies 2 1 year old and 1 9 month old. I have been so blessed. I love it!
Hugs, Diane
Can’t believe Easter is only a month away! How did that happen???? I have never moved anything and believe me I have lots of pretties too. I can take my Princess anywhere and know that she will be good and respect other peoples belongings and appreciate them. She loves to change her room around and rearrange her many pretties! Rachaelxo
Love the spring chicks! I can’t wait until it gets that warm around here! jen
I’ve been getting out all my spring things, too — Not that it’s that nice, but it’ll be easier to look at and not fret about with only one arm to work with! Isn’t spring flinging fun?
Love the chickies in party hats! Everything looks so inviting!
Hugs 🙂
Irma