puppetmaker: (Caroline Snow Spidy)
puppetmaker ([personal profile] puppetmaker) wrote2011-01-19 10:33 pm

LJ Idol Season 7 Week 10 Icarus

I can remember at a rather early age reading the story of Daedalus and Icarus. It was in D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths which had just beautiful illustrations. One that stayed in my head was the image of Icarus falling towards the Earth as his father desperately reached out to try to catch him. I felt so sorry for Daedalus who’s only crime was being a good and clever craftsman.

Years later and I find myself a mother of a very bright and clever little girl who is full of questions about the world around her and wants to do so much. She has watched me sculpt and sew. She has watched me make puppets. I have made dresses for her dolls and stuffed animals. I have repaired broken toys and gotten vomit out of beloved llamas. She thinks I can do anything if I just want to do it.

As she has been getting older, she is figuring out how to do things for herself. Sometimes she over reaches and I have to come in and help but she has some idea of the limitations that her age brings. She is determined to learn how to sew on the big sewing machine. We have a small one that has a great guard for young fingers, but she chafes at the limitations of what kind of cloth she can put through it and how few stitches she has to choose from. She wants to be able to do what Mommy does. Right now I can hold her off from it because her foot doesn’t reach the pedal to run the machine but as she gets taller, that is going to go away.

Recently she and her father wrote a book together. They plotted it and figured out how the story was going to go and then Peter went away and wrote the book. He has been reading it to her a couple of chapters at a time. She asks intelligent questions about the story why he changed this or that. He explains to her why he did what he did and she nods and they go back to reading. I hope some day that this book sees print not only because it is such a good story, but it is also a labor of love between a father and his daughter who already is showing signs of great storytelling abilities.

Since she was little, she has been good with animals. We taught her at a very early age that tails were not for pulling and you had to let the animal come to you on its terms. She has learned to ask owners if she can pet their dogs and accepts “no” for an answer because she understands not all animals like children. I can remember when we were at Animal Kingdom at Disney World. Caroline was maybe 5 but probably younger. Peter and Ariel had gone on a ride that Caroline could not go on because of her height. So I took her to see the tigers. The tigers were sleeping on a grassy hill. I took Caroline around so she could get a better look at them. I swear two of the tigers looked right at us because they got up and came over to where we were. Caroline had her hand on the glass and the tigers came up to where she was and rolled in the dirt in front of her. She giggled and watched them for a bit and then turned to me to pick her up. I picked her up and the tigers looked at us again then sprinted to the back of their enclosure. One of the things she wants to do in life is to be come a large cat veterinarian. She want to help save all the species of large cats that are left on this planet and I think, if she puts her mind to it, she will do it.

I can only protect her for so long. She was mine for the first 4 years of her life. Now the world and all that is in it is out there for her to explore. I have taught her how to deal with life and life’s problems. I has taught her to be nice to people and to respect everyone even the mean people. I have taught her so much to try to help her cope with this madcap thing we call life. I have made her wings and now I must let her fly but I hope that she heeds my teachings and warnings and doesn’t fly too close to the sun.


For the Visually Impaired. This is a picture of Caroline taken at the Center for Puppetry Arts on December 26th, 2010. She is holding up the Reindeer she made in the puppet making workshop. She is standing in front of a picture from "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" which has had two holes cut into it so children and adults can make their heads the heads of the elves.

[identity profile] n-decisive.livejournal.com 2011-01-20 03:47 am (UTC)(link)
That was lovely, and I hope it gets published, too. :)

One of my grandfathers got me the same D'Aulaire's book when I was 9 or 10, I think? My love for it is huge and grand, spreading like a sky full of stars, and I have it still. It is a wonderful book for any child to have on hand for dreaming, wondering, and even learning.

Now that I think about it, we may have discussed this at some point in the past. My memory is spotty these days...

[identity profile] puppetmaker40.livejournal.com 2011-01-20 04:08 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't think we have. I really need to buy a copy for Caroline to read since she is old enough now to do so.

I hope that it gets published as well.

[identity profile] beldar.livejournal.com 2011-01-20 04:46 am (UTC)(link)
Co-authoring a potential best-seller at her age -- that's quite a set of wings!

With her active mind and her creative parents, I'd guess she's going to go far with her talents.

[identity profile] puppetmaker40.livejournal.com 2011-01-20 04:09 pm (UTC)(link)
We try to encourage her. She is quite proud of her strong imagination and loves sharing her stories with others.

She did luck out in the creative gene department and seems to be putting it to good use.

[identity profile] creature-girl08.livejournal.com 2011-01-20 04:53 am (UTC)(link)
To me Caroline is going to go a long way in life. You guys have done a good job of giving her ways to love life and be challenged..

This was an excellent peice.

[identity profile] puppetmaker40.livejournal.com 2011-01-20 04:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you. We try to be good parents and strike a balance for her.

This one was from the heart which I think is my better work.

[identity profile] basric.livejournal.com 2011-01-20 07:25 am (UTC)(link)
A lovely entry.

[identity profile] puppetmaker40.livejournal.com 2011-01-20 04:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you. It was interesting to write.

[identity profile] wyliekat.livejournal.com 2011-01-20 02:53 pm (UTC)(link)
What a great homage to parenthood and the children we raise.

[identity profile] puppetmaker40.livejournal.com 2011-01-20 04:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you.

We try to do right by them and hope we made the correct decisions so that they will succeed.

[identity profile] m-malcontent.livejournal.com 2011-01-20 04:02 pm (UTC)(link)
What a feel-good entry. Thanks for sharing this window to her world.

[identity profile] puppetmaker40.livejournal.com 2011-01-20 04:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you.

She keeps me busy in a good way.

[identity profile] imafarmgirl.livejournal.com 2011-01-20 04:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Great entry, one of your best this season. I think she sounds like such a special little girl.

[identity profile] puppetmaker40.livejournal.com 2011-01-20 04:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you.

Peter calls her the miracle child considering all that had to happen before she could be here.

[identity profile] puppetmaker40.livejournal.com 2011-01-20 11:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you.

It is amazing to me what the prompts bring out in my head.

[identity profile] sweeny-todd.livejournal.com 2011-01-21 07:58 am (UTC)(link)
very sweet!

[identity profile] myrna-bird.livejournal.com 2011-01-21 07:17 pm (UTC)(link)
I love this story and especially the last sentence.

[identity profile] lawchicky.livejournal.com 2011-01-23 02:09 am (UTC)(link)
What a great entry about parenting :) Caroline is a lucky girl to have such loving parents.

[identity profile] majesticarky.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 06:17 am (UTC)(link)
Aw so cute! I love reading stories about your daughter. It sounds like she's following in your footsteps as well as developing her own identity at the same time.

[identity profile] dreamchaser.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 07:34 pm (UTC)(link)
It sounds like Caroline is going to be a success no matter what she does in life :)

As well, I added you to my friends list here - I have enjoyed your posts here!

[identity profile] worldofcharlie.livejournal.com 2011-01-25 11:59 pm (UTC)(link)
this is such a nice entry...

I hope she gets it published...