Jonah Lisa Land

Slaying Dragons

All the nasty writing deadlines are dead at my feet!  

It was a rough few weeks but we've finished a new script to spec out (definition: write for free then try to sell), a treatment (definition: a 10-15 page outline for a movie idea written in prose form) for a big Hollywood production company that is interested in hiring us to write the script, did my Unplugged Sunday post for the month, finished reading a friend's manuscript (definition: unpublished novel), and wrote webcopy (definition: the written words on a site) for another friend's etsy shop.  

And now everything is out (definition: out in the world for potential acceptance or rejection), which makes for a free, but nervous, weekend.  

Such is the life of a writer.  Best to keep busy as we wait for news.  It's the perfect time to start on a new idea!

Captain Underpants

He wasn't really playing Captain Underpants in this photo but I had to post it.  I do so love a small boy in boxers and a cape.  

Unfortunately, right after I snapped this picture, he whipped out his "laser gun of fun" and proceeded to pretend to shoot me with his penis, which prompted a very serious conversation about appropriate behavior. Not that I really mind that kind of thing, but he is starting Kindergarten soon and I don't want to get a call the very first week.

Avisiting We Go

Jemima and I recently spent a Sunday afternoon delivering our overabundance of lettuce to unsuspecting neighbors.  Read about it today on Unplugged Sunday.

Writing Deadline

"I love deadlines.  

I especially love the whooshing sound they make

 as they go flying by."

-Douglas Adams.

Just wanted to stop by and tell you I'm sorry it's been a slow week in Jonah Lisa Land.  I've had a convergence of writing deadlines so the blog got the short end of the stick.  Deadlines are all about time-management and I didn't do a great job of it this week.  Next week it's all back to normal.  And in the meantime check out a few blogs you might not know about...

Chez Beeper Bebe

Checkout Girl

Noodlehead

Conversations with a 2 year old :: 3

Jemima:  Huckle Cat hab two arms.  And Sally Cat hab two arms.  But Lowly Worm hab no arms.  He ony hab one widdle foot.  Dat sad.

Conversations with a 5 year old :: 5

I went outside to round the kids up for a shower last night to find Mima naked, in a perfect downward dog in the driveway.

Me:  Jemima! What are you doing!

Mima:  I doing yogurt!

Huck:  She means yoga, Mom.  

Me:  Thanks for the translation.

Huck:  Hey, did you know that Yoga was named after a bear?

Wall Pockets from Handmade Home

Utilitarian sewing projects are by far my favorite kind.  It's why I love the stuff created by Amanda Soule and Heather Bruggeman.  Maybe one day I'll get into sewing clothes, but for now I get so much more enjoyment out of making things like these wall pockets.  

I think this was the firstHandmade Home project I knew I had to make.  I actually finished it this past winter it's just taken me a while to take some pictures.  

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find a good used wool blanket at our thrift store so I bought an inexpensive one from an Army Surplus store.  This one is a replica of a union soldier's blanket from the civil war.  I also got the grey (with yellow stripe) confederate soldier's blanket to make one of these for Jemima once she's out of her toddler bed.  I'll use the remnants as wool batting in small projects.

Huck's gotten a ton of use out of it.  The various pockets are where he stores his current favorite chapter books, his flashlight, bookmarks, special treasures, a handheld telescope, the dinosaur flashcards he never tires of looking at, his Magic Treehouse Passport, and there's always a magic wand (chopsticks) or two tucked in there as well.  

It's all within reach.  I really recommend this projects.  Fun and easy to make and incredibly useful to kids with lots of bits and pieces to keep track of.

Conversations with a 2 year old :: 2

Jemima came inside from playing with a big frown on her little face.

Me:  What's wrong, Jemima?

Mima:  I sad.

Me:  Why are you sad?

Mima:  It so sunny outside.  It burn my feelings.

It took me quite a while but I figured out what she meant. Turns out the pavement felt very hot and was buring her feet.  

Ah, the brilliance of a two year old mind.

Cheap & Easy :: Tangram Set

Is anyone else tired of seeing this tablecloth? 

Tangrams are an ancient Chinese puzzle game using the 7 geometric pieces that make up a standard square to form thousands of different designs.  Tangram puzzles can be simple (like the ones pictures above) to very difficult where only the silhouette of the design is shown and you have to figure out how to use the 7 tans to "solve the problem." 

A 7-piece Tangram set cut from craft foam and a ring of puzzles in a little zippered fabric bag is my current "go to" gift for the young school-aged set.

This is the tangram template I used for the set above (you can print a small or large version) and this site has lots of printable tangram puzzle patterns.  I printed out several of the 4 to a page puzzles, cut them out and had them laminated 2 per side.  Then I punched a hole and put them on a ring.  

You can also find a variety of tangram puzzle books online or at the libarary.  I really love this ABC Tangram Book.

Huck really enjoys working on these.  They're perfect for playing with in restaurants and waiting rooms so our set lives in the car, but we also keep a small wooden set on the kitchen table that Huck often plays with at lunchtime.  

Conversations with a 5 year old :: 4

This needs no explanation.  It is just pure Huckaliciousness.

Huck:  Mom, do you have the biggest brain in the world?

Me:  No.

Huck:  Who does? 

Me:  I don't know.  Someone incredibly smart.  Probably a scientist or something.

Huck:  Maybe God.  

Me:   Yeah, maybe.  But I don't think God has a brain like you and me.

Huck:  Riiiight.  Because God is everything. 

(pause)

Huck:  So, who is Lady Gaga?