more homemade mini waldorf little people

I made quite a few more of the mini waldorf little people for Ruth, and she now has a crowd of about 7 to take with her everywhere. Her friends seemed interested in having some for themselves, so I took a little extra time to make some to share around.

Lucia got hers delivered in an embroidered bag I fashioned from an old t-shirt and some spare beads and other scraps I had lying around.

I’m insanely proud of it.

What with all the snow, I’d been wanting to make a homemade bird feeder too. This one is made from an old milk jug, some paper clips, and a pair of dowels I had stashed away. We’ll see if the birds can find it; it’s been about two weeks, and no sign of life at the feeder, but a few days of sprinkling seeds around nearby should change that.

homemade mini waldorf little people

I made more of these little people for Ruth, from a free sewing pattern I found online. She really loves them. I bought a whole bin of supplies for $35, and could probably make at least 20 more. It’s time-consuming, but I love that Ruth asks me to “make dolls,” all the time.

Ruth, Tidal Wave

When it comes to how tidy the house is, I’m definitely a lot more laid back now than I was about six months ago.
That’s not saying much, though.
Living in a one-bedroom apartment means that if anything is out of place, it is an intrusion. Anything unnecessary, unused, or uncared for sticks out like a sore thumb. When things aren’t put away, I feel as though a parallel messy universe exists in my brain; things must be tidy in order for me to think straight!
However, I’m slowly but surely creating a mental filter for toys. Ruth’s toys, I tell myself, are not my mess, because they are generated by her business. Ruth’s business is that of play and discovery, and my businesses is that of photography, and running the home. They both generate different sorts of messes: mine on my hard drive and in the kitchen, hers, well, nearly everywhere else.
So each morning, Ruth’s business creates a minefield all around the apartment (except the kitchen and bathroom, which I quarantine with baby gates and feel should be treated as Different Adult Spaces in which Necessary Vital Things must occur and so Children’s Messes Should Not Be In There. The bedroom? Trashed. The living room? Destroyed.
Every night, after Ruth goes to bed, I gather up all the toys, and put them all into a large laundry basket I have in the living room. I barely bother to sort them nowadays, reserving that as a once-in-awhile kind of activity. It usually happens when I realize that Ruth can’t put her puzzles together because all the pieces have sunk back to the bottom of the basket where she can’t reach.
Cute Ikea toy organizers where things are labeled? Please, I’m saving that for grade school when she can actually read or recognize a picture label.
It is nice to think that in less than a decade, I will be able to communicate to my child that it is important to clean up after one’s self. We’ll see how that goes.

There and Back Again

Tomorrow, I start teaching photography at Park Camps. It’s a day camp, and the session I teach will last for three weeks. While I’m teaching, I have to leave Ruth behind.

Toys Toys Toys

A series of photos whereby you discover Ruthie’s favorite activities and toys…