Thursday, August 13, 2009
Shipwreck
Even if you don't need a toy there is a good reason to stop by our store. Robin and Devan have created an outstanding window display you will not want to miss. Their creativity is astonishing.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Story of little Xeno
The Story of Little Xeno
By Ben Phillips
“You were actually there?” asked Qworlo with a look of awe on his green face.
“Yup” said Xeno, and he twitched his antennae excitedly at the memory. “I was there. The Center of the Universe”.
“What was it like?” asked Rozeria, looking out past the planet’s three moons to the deep, blackness of space. “Was it as good as in the stories?”
Xeno’s purple lips spread into a wide grin. “Better” he said.
Xeno had been on a space-trip with his parents to visit some relatives in a distant solar system, but had been separated when the family saucer encountered an asteroid field. Xeno had hurtled through space in his personal escape pod, landing with a splash in the water of an unknown planet. Climbing out of the pod’s hatch and looking toward the land, Xeno caught sight of a giant, yellow-and-black sign that read “Welcome to Bellingham, courtesy of the Fairhaven Lions Club”.
After climbing up the boat ramp at the end of Taylor Dock, Xeno found his way into the heart of Fairhaven. As he walked down 11th street, he felt scared, and confused. This was a new, strange place, he didn’t know where is parents were, and people on the street looked at him as though he were from a different planet. Just as sparkly, blue tears were about to roll down Xeno’s green cheeks, he saw ahead of him a sign that made him stop, his eyes wide and his heart beating fast. Xeno had heard stories about the wonders of the Fairhaven Toy Garden, that exciting, vibrant place at the center of the universe. And here he was; he had found it.
Xeno ran down the street, past the yarn store and the sandwich shop and the East/West antique store. He even ran right past Purple Smile, his own purple lips stretched into a grin. As he was about to enter the Toy Garden, Xeno stopped. He remembered that he was an outsider. What if the Center of the Universe was not a welcoming place for small, green aliens with purple lips and bobbing antennae? But as he crossed the threshold, the jaunty music and bright colors reassured him; the Center of the Universe was the place to be!
A friendly Toy Gardener came toward Xeno and said “Hey. How’re you today? Do you want to learn a new game?” Xeno looked up at her shyly. Then he nodded his head. Xeno’s quick mind was no match for the Toy Gardener when it came to strategy games and he smiled happily when she said, “Wow, you win. Good game!”
Xeno spent hours in the Toy Garden, and the whole time, he felt as though the bright colors and captivating toys were revolving around him. Xeno had never felt this special or this welcome with his classmates back home, so to feel this way here, so many light years away…
There were things that reminded Xeno of home, like a gold spaceman hat, and some stuffed characters, Gizmo and Beeper, who looked just like his neighbors, but most of the things he saw were completely, marvelously, have-to-touch-and-examine-and-play-with-ly new. Xeno was fascinated by the die cast cars, the musical instruments, the wool roving, the giant, store-wide marble roller, the upstairs toy testing zone, the hourly games and contests, and the Wildly Noisy Wooden Thing. Xeno couldn’t wait to go on the city-wide Toy Garden treasure hunt or see the famous Toy Garden Juggling and Magic Show on the Village Green.
As Xeno was examining the rainbow kite in the window, he saw that outside in the street there were crowds of people coming toward the store, excited, expectant looks on their faces. Their shirts gave clues about their origins: Alaska, California, Germany, Nigeria, Saturn, Taranu. Xeno looked up at the face of the man wearing the shirt from Taranu, and saw his own father’s green face. His mother was following close behind. As the three Taranuans embraced, they all looked around, soaking in the energy and the magic of the Fairhaven Toy Garden, the Center of the Universe.
Rozeria and Qworlo sat silently looking at Xeno, their mouths slightly open, their eyes wide, and their antennae undulating excitedly.
“I want to go!” they said in unison.
By Ben Phillips
“You were actually there?” asked Qworlo with a look of awe on his green face.
“Yup” said Xeno, and he twitched his antennae excitedly at the memory. “I was there. The Center of the Universe”.
“What was it like?” asked Rozeria, looking out past the planet’s three moons to the deep, blackness of space. “Was it as good as in the stories?”
Xeno’s purple lips spread into a wide grin. “Better” he said.
Xeno had been on a space-trip with his parents to visit some relatives in a distant solar system, but had been separated when the family saucer encountered an asteroid field. Xeno had hurtled through space in his personal escape pod, landing with a splash in the water of an unknown planet. Climbing out of the pod’s hatch and looking toward the land, Xeno caught sight of a giant, yellow-and-black sign that read “Welcome to Bellingham, courtesy of the Fairhaven Lions Club”.
After climbing up the boat ramp at the end of Taylor Dock, Xeno found his way into the heart of Fairhaven. As he walked down 11th street, he felt scared, and confused. This was a new, strange place, he didn’t know where is parents were, and people on the street looked at him as though he were from a different planet. Just as sparkly, blue tears were about to roll down Xeno’s green cheeks, he saw ahead of him a sign that made him stop, his eyes wide and his heart beating fast. Xeno had heard stories about the wonders of the Fairhaven Toy Garden, that exciting, vibrant place at the center of the universe. And here he was; he had found it.
Xeno ran down the street, past the yarn store and the sandwich shop and the East/West antique store. He even ran right past Purple Smile, his own purple lips stretched into a grin. As he was about to enter the Toy Garden, Xeno stopped. He remembered that he was an outsider. What if the Center of the Universe was not a welcoming place for small, green aliens with purple lips and bobbing antennae? But as he crossed the threshold, the jaunty music and bright colors reassured him; the Center of the Universe was the place to be!
A friendly Toy Gardener came toward Xeno and said “Hey. How’re you today? Do you want to learn a new game?” Xeno looked up at her shyly. Then he nodded his head. Xeno’s quick mind was no match for the Toy Gardener when it came to strategy games and he smiled happily when she said, “Wow, you win. Good game!”
Xeno spent hours in the Toy Garden, and the whole time, he felt as though the bright colors and captivating toys were revolving around him. Xeno had never felt this special or this welcome with his classmates back home, so to feel this way here, so many light years away…
There were things that reminded Xeno of home, like a gold spaceman hat, and some stuffed characters, Gizmo and Beeper, who looked just like his neighbors, but most of the things he saw were completely, marvelously, have-to-touch-and-examine-and-play-with-ly new. Xeno was fascinated by the die cast cars, the musical instruments, the wool roving, the giant, store-wide marble roller, the upstairs toy testing zone, the hourly games and contests, and the Wildly Noisy Wooden Thing. Xeno couldn’t wait to go on the city-wide Toy Garden treasure hunt or see the famous Toy Garden Juggling and Magic Show on the Village Green.
As Xeno was examining the rainbow kite in the window, he saw that outside in the street there were crowds of people coming toward the store, excited, expectant looks on their faces. Their shirts gave clues about their origins: Alaska, California, Germany, Nigeria, Saturn, Taranu. Xeno looked up at the face of the man wearing the shirt from Taranu, and saw his own father’s green face. His mother was following close behind. As the three Taranuans embraced, they all looked around, soaking in the energy and the magic of the Fairhaven Toy Garden, the Center of the Universe.
Rozeria and Qworlo sat silently looking at Xeno, their mouths slightly open, their eyes wide, and their antennae undulating excitedly.
“I want to go!” they said in unison.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Customer suggestions
We requested suggestions for activities with our children
Here is one by Sue:
summer is a great time for messy projects outside!
Get out the shaving cream and play on a old shower curtain put over a picnic table or on a plastic surface, add drops of food coloring and draw a comb through it for marbling effects, mix colors, have filled kiddy pool nearby for washing off or make monster bubbles with homemade bubble solution and giant bubble wands...can be made with bent metal hangers and duct tape over the sharp end, get out the large paint brushes and paint the house with water, or the sidewalk; sidewalk chalk, daisy chains
more later
Monday, June 22, 2009
World Juggling Day
You may have missed it! Saturday was World Juggling Day! We decided to do our part. We sent out 1745 e-mails informing our customers about this special day and urged them to come down to the Fairhaven Toy Garden to juggle. We brought out baskets of juggling toys: balls, rings, clubs, diabolos, contact juggling spheres, and luna sticks. The beautiful brand new flags, thank you Harold, were blowing in the wind, the balls were flying, children learning, parents smiling...it worked! The corner of Mill and 11th in Fairhaven was buzzing with activity!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Communication challenge
Recently, a young man came into our store with a request for a new yo yo string. I checked inventory and learned that we do not have any in stock. 'A friend told me that he got some really cool colored string for free' he insisted. ' I don't know about that' I replied and he left. He was disappointed.
This morning, while looking for a paperclip, I came across a stack of - you guessed it- yo yo strings to be given away to yo yo enthusiasts.
My apologies to you! If you happen to read this and still need a string, come on by!
Roland
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Olympiad
Did you know that every year, seven (?) fifth grade classes from Waldorf schools all around the Pacific Northwest gather to experience what it may have been like to participate and compete in the Olympiad in ancient Greece. I didn’t know either. And by the way, this is not limited to our region. This event takes place all around the world.
Dressed in tunics, decorated with color coordinated cloth, led by kings and queens, hosts carrying flags, the children spent the day throwing the javelin, the discus, wrestling, sprinting and jumping under the watchful eyes of the high priests, who judged them by strength, willingness, grace, and beauty.
There is no a way that we grown-ups can experience what it may have been like for these children. It must have been awesome!
Dressed in tunics, decorated with color coordinated cloth, led by kings and queens, hosts carrying flags, the children spent the day throwing the javelin, the discus, wrestling, sprinting and jumping under the watchful eyes of the high priests, who judged them by strength, willingness, grace, and beauty.
There is no a way that we grown-ups can experience what it may have been like for these children. It must have been awesome!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Daffodil
We send out a newsletter once a month to about 1600 e-mail addresses. We can see how many people receive it, open it, even click a link, etc But we don't know if anyone reads any of it. Not so with the latest one!We challenged our readers to send us a missing line to a children's poem:
Spring is here said the bumblebee,
how do you know said the old oak tree,
.................missing line..........................
dancing with the fairies on the windy hill.
To my surprise, the e-mails began coming in almost instantly. We currently have 40 responses!
So - not only are our friends reading the monthly e-mail, but they also take the time to respond!
Thank you
Roland
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