Process not product, process not product

That is my new mantra. Process not product. 

I consider myself to be a very artsy person. I think that I am pretty creative and my final products are pretty sweet. I am also a perfectionist. 

As of late I have been trying to be a better teacher. More patient, explaining things better (nope, repeating things louder and slower doesn't always do the trick), and most difficult of all, focusing more on the process. 

In order to do this I have enlisted the help of my favorite seven year old (such a willing and trusting soul). I've proposed a few special products for the two of us to work on, the projects are very detail orientated, take a fair amount of time and if not careful can blow up spectacularly. 

About a month ago while in the midst of making books for Christmas presents I thought it might be fun for my favorite seven year old to make one as well. She loves to write and is becoming quite the reader. 

I explained each section of the project as we got to it and then was completely hands off. She asked several questions and I explained to the best of my ability (only once using "Do you trust me" as an answer) and she was off again, a book sewing machine. 

When she choose the colors for the spine of the book and the cover they did not match at all. The pages were not sewn straight, the text block was a bit crooked but she was sooooo proud of herself. So proud that she shot out of bed during story time to place the book somewhere that her parents would have to trip over just to make sure they saw it. 

Today we spent the day at Como Zoo. She loves to use my camera when I have it out so I thought that it would be perfect to give her the camera for the day and let her take pictures of whatever she wanted. She had a blast! In about an hour and a half she had taken 75 pictures. I found myself trying to discourage her from taking some of the pictures, but managed to stop myself pretty quick. It is digital after all. 

After she shot to her heart's content we headed to a local coffee shop and downloaded all of her images and she chose the ones that she wanted to get printed. After that we went to an art store to buy mat board. 

She then laid out the pictures how she thought they would look best, we cut the mat board and mounted all of her pictures. She drew the lines and did most of the cutting so things were not perfect, but again she was so proud of herself. 

During each of these projects I would catch myself wanting to snatch what she was working on because she wasn't doing it "right." The colors didn't match, the lines weren't straight, the holes weren't perfectly inline. But she didn't care, she was having a blast. 

I got lost in the woods, hell, I didn't even know there were trees when I have tried to teach before. I'm not saying that I am perfect, but I am learning to focus on the learning, there is time for technique later.

Well, she's in charge...

If I didn't have my cats or the kids that I nanny I would have a whole lot to write about. So on that note here is another precious story about my favorite five year old and favorite seven year old. 

It is a common phrase said just about every time I am with my favorite kiddo as the parents walk out the door, "Remember Ryanne is in charge." And "Well, I'm not your mom" is said by me at least three times an evening in response to one of the kiddos protests. 

So one evening my favorite five year old asked if he could do something. Honestly I cannot remember what it was but it truly seemed harmless. 

 He comes running into the kitchen to grab something and my favorite seven year old say "But mommy and mama don't let you do that." 

My favorite five year old looks at me and without missing a beat looks at his sister and says

 "well, mommy and mama left her in charge."

Parents and Technology

Okay, so parents seriously should not be allowed to use modern technology if they cannot figure out how to use it. 

Tonight was the crowning glory of the technology experiences with my mother. Recently I upgraded to the iPhone which left me with a iPod Touch that needed a home. When I mentioned this to my mom she jumped on it. So I gave her my iPod Touch. 

My mother, who in general, is pretty computer savvy totally lost it with this new toy. I take partial responsibility for this as I was suppose to bring it home over Thanksgiving to give her a crash course and forgot it so the in person, crash course didn't happen. 

So, after overnighting it to Mom and Pam the "Parents and Technology" games began. After several phone calls and trouble shooting over the phone the crowing event happened this evening. 

I called my mom tonight to rag on her for the lack of baby pictures of me (seriously infant to 10 years old in 15 pics! Come on, I was an only child for 6 years!) and she was like "Oh I have a question about the iPod."

"Last Friday I was at the dentist and wanted to listen to Harry Potter. I put the headphones on but still couldn't hear it. I tried to turn in up but I couldn't figure out how. I went into the settings, and did this and did that and I couldn't figure it out. It really pissed me off" 

I asked her to get the iPod and hold it in her hands and turn it a quarter turn to the right so that the skinny side was facing her. And asked her to locate the skinny silver button that is about and inch long. Viola! There is your volume button. 

My mom couldn't believe it, she thought it was a place to put in a memory card or something. At this point I couldn't take it anymore and dissolved in fits of laughter. 

Seriously, parents and technology.

The Devil Kitty Incarnate part 2

Two words, accompanied by 2 photos:

Yesterday:

Today:

    

Today I built the kitties something to satisfy their crazy need to climb. Well, to satisfy one kitty's crazy need. 

Last night I went to Ikea with a friend to find something to entertain the kitties with. I didn't want to do traditional cat furniture, because lets face it, it is big and ugly and 80s carpeted. 

Ikea yielded some good inspiration and a Lack shelf. When I got home last night I pulled out the pieces to figure out the best way to configure something that would entail lots of jumping and eventually (haven't worked this part out yet) actual climbing.

This morning I spent a an hour wandering Home Depot gathering the appropriate hardware (and frustrating employees, you know sometimes you just need to be in my head, then this whole conversation would make sense). 

After several hours, a repainted wall, a box of screws and a dismantled Ikea shelf we now have a kitty catwalk. 

Libby checking out the new digs:

Learning the ropes:

The view from below, or above depending on your species:

The Devil Kitty Incarnate

So, as all of you know I have two cats. One is sweet and adorable and quite and really, the best kitty in the world. And then there is Gabe. 

Four days ago I stepped on the little guy's head with my brand new, really heavy hiking boots. The kitty retreated and of course, being a good mom, I panicked. Did I give him a concussion, crack his skull? So I dutifully tended to the not so normal acting Gabe. 

Well, yesterday he was just fine and felt the need to make up for lost time and became the kitty devil incarnate. He is again running laps around the apartment, getting into EVERYTHING, even things that were safe prior to his episode, today I could not deal with it so he had a nice long time out. 

So, hopefully to solve some of this I headed to Ikea. He needs a cat tree that he can climb to his hearts content (given that he broke his current climbing tower this morning). 

So, stay tuned for pictures of the kitty cat creation that will prevent Gabe from becoming homeless. 

Just incase you needed proof: