Big Boy: Busy Boy

I need to start a list of notions I have that maybe Big Boy might like:

Athletics
Swimming lessons (to keep BB from drowning)
Wing Chun

Activities
Harvesting Crops (courtesy of Michael!) - a handy-dandy map here

Camp (more pay dirt from Michael)

Circus Camp
Toy Camp

Travel: Paris

Magasins:
Achête Avibon!
La Case de cousin Paul - light balls (bring an empty valise!), courtesy of Oh Happy Day!
Repetto shoes, courtesy of Paris Breakfasts
La Droguerie - Oh Happy Day! tells us why.

Lists:
8 Hours of Paris Shopping with Jordan Ferney of Oh Happy Day!
Jordan Ferney's kid-centric list
A kid centric list at Frog Mom
Jordan Ferney's Paris Picnic Guide
Sprizee's links to lists
Kiss My Spatula lists 10 reasons to go in the winter.


Manger:
Le Boulanger des Invalides Jocteur, courtesy of Paris Breakfasts
Luxirare at Les Cocottes de Christian Constant - she recommends it for lunch.
Luxirare's Park Hyatt breakfast
Luxirare's L'Atelier Robuchon dinner


With Big Boy (many plucked from Oh Happy Day! who goes into greater detail):
Gusto Italia veggie pizza.
Seine Boat Tour, starting at Ile St. Louis.
Puppet shows at Jardin de Luxembourg and Champ de Mars (Oh Happy Day recommends Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons).
Sailboats at les jardins de Luxembourg and Tuileries.
Parc Floral - good children's park furniture.
The Cité des Enfants - children's museum.
Le Centquatre - for the bug carousel.

Grown-ups Only(?)
Paris By Mouth Food Tour, courtesy of Paris Breakfasts
YSL Studio Tour, courtesy of Paris Breakfasts

Travel: Vancouver

Grub:

CREATIVE CURRIES, courtesy of The New York Times
Mark Bittman, a food columnist and blogger for The Times, once called Vij’s “among the finest Indian restaurants in the world.” It’s certainly among the more expensive. For a cheaper thrill, pop in next door to its colorful sister, Vij’s Rangoli (1488 West 11th Avenue; 604-736-5711; vijsrangoli.ca), which looks like a takeout diner. Memorable combinations include a goat meat and jackfruit curry with a coconut cabbage salad (15.50 Canadian dollars).

We might be taking Big Boy to Vancouver.

Highlights at Travel for Kids.
Find Family Fun has a huge, hot-linked list.
Granville Island - they have a Kids Market and an Adventure Zone.
Kid Space at Science World
Vancouver Aquarium - and you can "encounter" some of the residents for a fee

The suites at 910 Beach have in suite washers/dryers!

Toy Rentals
Wee Travel equipment rentals

Travel: Santa Rosa

Pacific Coast Air Museum
2230 Becker Blvd.
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
707-575-7900

Things I Would Like/Ought To Do

Get comfortable with the manual setting of my camera
Polish up my French
Spinning ... on spindle or wheel
Travel more but not for work ... to Africa/Asia/Europe.
Wing Chun! ... but sometimes Krav Maga.

Wing Chun might be more" woman-friendly" (i.e., not so dependent on assumed body strengths ... from what I have read, it was developed by a woman to address these very concerns).

RETIRED (and, in some cases, what was I thinking?):
More effective Baby Signing (For the Record: I do it all the time ... my audience seems receptive but not participatory).

Connect Four

It is all Making It Lovely's fault: a dreamy photo of Connect Four, being played by her darling daughter, and mention that the pieces are pink and brown!
Now, what is not to like about Connect Four? And how to resist one that is as pretty as this one? I am even willing to overlook the JC packaging.
My rationale is that it will make an excellent fine motor skills development tool for Big Boy. As for the pink, well, he can use the brown discs.

19.x.11 UPDATE: CB2 is carrying a beautiful version of this in Monkey pod wood and rubberwood. Sold!
Image by CB2.

Big Boy: Clubhouse

Mossy's Under the Stairs Clubhouse - So much better than Harry Potter's (courtesy of Making It Lovely)

Apparel: Interesting Big Boy Clothes

Zara Kids - I wish that they extended their baby sizes up... the boys stuff is not as cute.
Tea Collection
Olive Juice
Black Kite - great prints on their wovens

DIY: Exploration Bottle

I first saw one of these up close at the vacation house we stayed at recently. It seemed to be geared towards grown up but even Big Boy was curious about it. Then recently, I saw a lot of online buzz about The Crafty Nest's nicely executed DIY versions.

SHOPPING LIST:
Empty bottle - Vanessa uses a Voss bottle in her tutorial and I think she nailed it aesthetically. I had a terrible time sourcing the plastic version of the bottles locally but finally found some at the local Bristol Farms.
Tchotkes - anything non perishable and interesting that you can fit through the neck of the bottle. My button jar is a bit bare but I hit the motherlode online at the Sausalito Ferry Co. Other sources could include Etsy and Tiny Things Are Cute.
Filler - the tutorial uses popcorn but I am toying with using rice or orzo.
Glue

I will post photos once it is complete!

Chalkboards

Outdoor chalkboards at Ohdeedoh and Angry Chicken - could this work on a balcony too? Hmmm.

Wallcandy Arts Mini Chalkboards - I have had these for a while for we grown ups and they're great! Just recently, I did a second, lower installation for Big Boy. It's been a hit.

Eton Suit

Big Boy needs an Eton Suit to wear at his Godmother's wedding.

What is an Eton Suit?

From 1820[24] until 1967, boys under the height of 5'4" were required to wear the 'Eton suit', which replaced the tailcoat with the cropped 'Eton jacket' (known colloquially as a "bum-freezer") and included an 'Eton collar', a large, stiff-starched, white collar. The Eton suit was copied by other schools and has remained in use in some, particularly choir schools. From the Wikipedia entry.

Blue Linen Suit at The Best Dressed Child.
Navy Blue Velvet Suit at The Best Dressed Child.
Navy Blue Navy Blue Pique Suit at The Best Dressed Child.
Black Leather Oxford shoes at The Best Dressed Child.
Patent Leather Oxfords at Dapper Lads.

Big Boy: Tunic

Because I have so much free time ... Made by Rae's awesome Charlie Tunic. I made the 2T, which fit for all of about five minutes. A size 3T is underway.

Rae used this tencel/linen blend from The Material Girls for the body and this fantastic print from Cosmo Cricket for the trim.


09/23/11 UPDATE: We caught Rae's eye! Yay!

05/31/11 UPDATE: Rae's released the pattern!
03/15/11 UPDATE: She's working on a pattern! ¡¡YAY!!

Travel: Seattle

Sights:
Observation Deck of the Columbia Tower - best, free overlook of Seattle ( with Starbcks at hand) courtesy of Not Martha
Food:

Eats:
High 5 Pie

Big Boy:
Frantic Foodie's staycation with kids

Decor: Kast van een Huis Cabinets

Image from Tulp Kids
Meant for children's clothing storage but wouldn't you like to store all manner of your grownup stuff in these?

Big Boy: Travel

What to bring for distraction.

Eye Like Sticker Books

Dover Little Activity Books like Little Airport Sticker Activity Book

DIY Magnetic Play Set at Chez Beeper Bebe

Big Boy: Second Birthday Ideas

Baked doughnuts instead of cake? (Inspired by Always With Butter's Doughnut-Topped Cupcakes)

bObles Frode the Fish Tumbling Animal at Huset

Sitting Bull Bean Bag Chair

Colour Frames Blocks - Maybe these should be shelved till his third birthday?

Balance Bike - Grandparents bought it!

Big Boy: Steve Jenkins

Eric Carle eat your heart out.
These are some really beautiful collages.


Video by Steve Jenkins.

Actual Size has some lovely illustrations.
I cannot wait to share these with Big Boy!

Steve Jenkins Website

Big Boy: Stash Bag

Fjällräven Kånken Mini (of course) - I might need one of these, actually.

Punkin Pattern's really great looking Messenger Bag with grommets!

Sew Grown's Scavenger Bag Tutorial

Big Boy: Marble Runs

These are probably "too old" for Big Boy now (i.e., too many small parts). But here is what is available.

A nice roundup at HubPages

Cuboro - Swiss, modular, beautiful, and expensive (but there is even a trampoline add-on!).

Old Fashioned Toys - check out the Archimedes model!

Haba has a ball run

Just Think Toys makes a tub version called Waterblocks

DIY Run at MOMMade

Big Boy: Naef Bauhaus Bauspiel Blocks

Image from Fawn & Forest.

In the configuration pictured, even DH might covet these lovely blocks designed by Alma Siedhoff-Buscher (1924).
Available from Fawn & Forest.