Happy Halloween

 

Super girl takes a ride on a horse to start the evening festivities. 

Digs through hay for candy

and had a great night gathering treats.  She’s a brave little superhero.  Whenever she saw scary costumes, she wasn’t fazed at all.  At one point there was someone dressed as a werewolf, who tried to scare her.  I screamed…but my little superhero simply asked, “Wolf, what is your name?”  At houses with scary music and costumes, she told people, “I like your face paint”.  What a brave little superhero I have. 

Stepping Stones Toddlers Can Make

I suppose my blog is in synchronicity with the season, in that our learning activities have really decreased since we choose to spend most of our time unscheduled and with outside play.  I’ve went back to work part time and my daughter is going to preschool two days a week during that time.  We are still doing a lot but it tends to be unscheduled and without a camera.  Winter is so very long, so I want to take full advantage of being outside.  So many Summer activities do not seem to welcome the addition of a camera.  Take yesterday, we went swimming at the river, but I worried about the camera getting wet so it was left at home.  However, I actually do have a project to post today! This project was supposed to have been completed for Father’s Day but I was really sick around that time so it was put off for a while.  

At one point I had the directions on my computer, but they seem to have disappeared so I’m going to post this by memory.  The only things you need are some QuickCrete, a bucket, a shovel to stir the concrete, stones to embellish, and some plastic plant saucers. 

1. Going by the directions on the Quickcrete bag, add a little water until the consistency is like brownie batter.  Here is where I made a huge mistake.  Mixing the concrete was a little more difficult than I’d thought it would be, so I added way too much water.  This made it difficult to add the fingerprints. 
2. Once the batter is ready, pour it into the plant saucers.  Let it sit for about 30 minutes before adding stones or handprints.
3. Have your little one set their hands down to make fingerprints.  Immediately wash their hands.  This is also the time to have your little one add marbles, rocks, shells, or however else they want to decorate the stones. 
4. We still have plenty of Quickcrete to make more stones.  Next time, we won’t add so much water and hopefully we can write on the stones.
5. Let them sit for about 2 days.
6. I didn’t coat my saucers with Pam but I’ve heard that if you do that you can reuse the saucers.  I simply tore mine off.

Great project for your little ones to decorate that costs under $10!

Zhana’s 3rd Birthday

Well…my baby is no longer my baby. Until she turned 3, I did still think of her as a baby. Now, she’s a little girl! I can’t believe it has been 3 years.  Here’s a montage of her day…

Dear Zhana,

Tonight I think about the night you were born.  For 9 months, you were a part of me and I knew you before you were born.  I can’t explain it but I knew your personality.  Throughout my pregnancy, I listened to Enya’s Wild Child. Somehow, I knew you were going to be a little firecracker.  I must remember to honor your firecracker spirit and to not get frustrated with you.  I honor these qualities about you because I believe they will lend to you a strong will, persistence, and leadership qualities. 

So, what are you like as a 3 year old? You want to do everything your self and I do mean everything.  If I open a door, you close it so that you can open it yourself.  Your favorite food is still meat products, as it has always been. It is a good thing you weren’t born into a vegetarian family! You also adore your chocolate milk.  Your favorite show is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  Mommy tried to limit tv to educational shows but one morning you caught it and immediately fell in love.  You also love anything faerie and princess.  In fact, it is because of faerie panties that you were finally potty trained! We started potty training before you were even 2, but you weren’t all that interested.  You fully understood the concept but would actually say that you didn’t want to stop playing, so you’d just use your pull-up.  I bought you some faerie panties and you loved them so much, you stopped wearing a pull up. You love to make people laugh and are a clown most of the time.  You are in a stage right now, where you are Bolt (a dog) about 95% of the time. In fact, you are play barking even as a write this.  You still sleep with us every night.  Your father and I like you there with us, knowing you are safe and being able to cuddle with you.  People tell us we need to move you out or you’ll never leave, but none of us are ready for that.  In some ways, I treat you like you are older than you are and in other ways I very much baby you.  You love to be outside swinging or playing in your sandbox.  You very much enjoy our school time together.  You tell me that I’m your best friend. I hope you always feel that way, my daughter.  Happy Birthday Zhanabear. 

Last Minute Independence Day Crafts

This holiday really came fast for me.  This is the first holiday all year that we haven’t had several crafts for.  It’s the day before the 4th and not a single craft has been done.  Well, we plan to do a couple today. If there are other craft slackers out there, here are some ideas I found online…

Tye Die T Shirts: http://www.alphamom.com/holiday/2009/07/tie_dye_tees_for_the_4th_of_ju.php

Fourth of July Confetti Popper Rockets!: http://www.alphamom.com/holiday/2009/06/make_your_own_fourth_of_july_c.php

Sidewalk chalk stars: http://www.alphamom.com/holiday/2009/06/sidewalk_chalk_stars_1.php

Americana Craft Round Up: http://www.makeandtakes.com/americana-crafty-round-up

Fourth of July Tutu: http://www.joyshope.com/2009/06/all-america-tutu.html

Fourth of July Mobile: http://www.growninmyheart.com/4th-of-july-crafts

Cookie Cutter Star Prints: http://amommysadventures.blogspot.com/2009/07/star-prints.html

Cupcake Liner Fireworks: http://www.teachingtwo.com/2009/06/29/fireworks-happy-4th/

Tear paper flag: http://moremillers.blogspot.com/2009/06/america.html

Window Decoration: http://scottandcrystal.blogspot.com/2009/06/stars-and-flags.html

Patriotic Wreath: http://www.frugalfamilyfunblog.com/2009/05/patriotic-wreath-craft.html

Handprint American Flag: http://michellesjournalcorner.blogspot.com/2009/06/kid-craft-handprint-american-flag.html

Food-

Red, White & Blueberry Skewers-http://www.makeandtakes.com/red-white-blueberry-skewers

Edible Rockets and Sparklers-http://thislittleproject.blogspot.com/2009/06/edible-sparklers-and-rockets-for-your.html

Mother’s Day 2009-A Day in Nature

For Mother’s Day 2009, I wanted to spend the day in nature so we headed down to a creek near our home (about 3 miles away).  Watching Zhana play outside makes me so happy. 

Here is a pic of the falls where we went. I just love living in Missouri…

The best toy for children-a stick. Zhana said she was fishing.

My daughter had fun climbing into a tree…

My mom came up and spent the day with us too.  That made me really happy. She’s such a great grandma and mom.

Nothing beats splashing in a mud puddle…

What a great Mother’s Day! We had some bad news come our way and it could have been a terribly depressing day but it ended up being great because of the love I felt.  Love can beat anything.  I hope you all had a fantastic Mother’s Day as well.

Earth Day Fun Outside We started Earth Day by planting some flowers. Zhana enjoyed helping to dig in the dirt.

 

In the process, she found a worm she named “Mr. Worm”.  She had fun watching him. 

 

Next, she had great fun playing with the dandelions in our yard.   My little girl picks me a dandelion bouquet every day and it means more to me than roses ever could.  Then of course, when they aren’t yellow she loves blowing them. 

Oh, and of course there is the ever-fun running from Mommy, through all the neighbors yards.  Just picture a little girl giggling really hard as her mother is yelling and trying desperately to catch up. 

I hope all of you had a wonderful Earth Day.  I am hoping that over the next year I’m able to make some green changes in my life.  I had planned to make a garden but haven’t done that.  Does anyone know if it is too late?  I’m thinking about just doing a container garden because I really don’t enjoy being sweaty and covered in dirt when it is 95 degrees outside, while I pull weeds.  I faced reality on that today.  Still, I hope to grow at least a tomato plant.  I’ve also started using reusable bags at the grocery store or at least paper.  I’m hoping to start learning more about more healthy cleaning products. What all are you hoping to change over the next year? 

Celebrating Earth Day with a Toddler

 

Tomorrow, I’ll be back with a post on our Earth Day activities but in case you don’t have a lot of time and need a few quick ideas here are some simple ways to celebrate Earth Day with your little ones. 

• On the Disney channel you can watch some Earth Day related programs.  However, I HIGHLY encourage you actually get outside and enjoy this beautiful world and not let television be your only celebration of Earth Day.
• Storytime and More blog has an activity where you cut up green and blue pieces of construction paper to put on  a picture of Earth.  Click here to read more about it.
• Help your little one plant some seeds.
• Make a coffee filter Earth like here on the A Mommy’s
  Adventures blog.
• Make a paper plate Earth like here at Just for Fun.
• Make recycled crafts.  Make and Takes has links to several. We will be doing the plastic bag parachutes.
• here are some Earth Day coloring pages.
• Hands of the Earth craft as found here.
• We will be painting tin can herb pots as described here.
• Go on a trash pick up walk.

My advice is to leave out abstract concepts and go for spending time in nature or keeping trash picked up.  I doubt they are going to understand the concept of recycling and etc.  I will mostly be concentrating on talking about how beautiful outside is and how we must always keep our trash picked up, so that the Earth doesn’t get sick.

Good Friday Activities

Above, you will see a video of Zhana using plastic Easter eggs as sound cylinders. I’ve read about this several places on the internet and we thought we’d try it today.  We didn’t do it perfect Montessori style but Zhana enjoyed it.  I used 3 green and 3 orange eggs for this activity.  One green and one orange act as a pair. Fill the eggs with items that make sound. I used rice, beans, and sugar.  The task is for your little one to listen carefully and match the sounds. 

Today, Zhana was playing with play doh.  Without any help at all, she told me that she’d made a bunny. Maybe its just that I’m her mama but I can see a bunny with ears! She was so proud! In fact, she asked that I take a picture of  her bunny creation. 

 

We made this hanging for Good Friday.  I let her glue on the pieces of foam, so if you can’t tell what it is-it is a cross and 2 tulips.  I have instructions for you but we did this one in a way that was easy enough for a 2 year old. 

He is Risen"
Craft Stick Hanger http://www.makingfriends.com/sticks/stick_risen.htm

You need:

• Pattern
• Craft sticks
• Ten Small Tear Drop pieces of foam-6 yellow and 4 green
• Fourteen Small Triangle pieces of foam-7 purple and 7 pink
• 12" of Yarn or Cord
• White, Pink, Purple, Green, Yellow Paint or Paint Marker
• Yellow Paper
• Tacky Glue

Instructions:

Paint all pieces.

Craft Sticks -- White
Triangle Woodsies -- 7 Purple, 7 Pink
Teardrop Woodsies - 6 Yellow, 4 Green

Using pattern as a guide, assemble and glue painted pieces. Print "He is Risen" on a piece of yellow paper and glue in place. Tie yarn on to both sides of craft stick for hanging.

Tissue Paper Eggs and Baby Food Jar Chick

Tissue paper eggs:

You’ll need

· Plastic eggs

· Tissue paper

· Decoupage solution

· Foam brush

Have your tot tear up some tissue paper. Next, let them brush the egg with the decoupage solution. Have them place the tissue paper all over the ball. Brush a coat of decoupage solution over the top. Let dry and then you are all done.

Chicky Jar;

You need:

• Baby Food Jar
• Scraps of craft foam
• Glue
• Yellow pompoms
• Yellow feathers
• Wiggle eyes

Instructions:

Clean baby food jar. Fill it with yellow pompoms. Put the lid back on and turn it upside down. Glue on google eyes. Cut beak out of foam and glue in place. Cut a strip of craft foam 1/4" wide and glue around edge of lid. Add some feathers.

We hope all of you are having a lot of fun preparing for Easter day.  School time has definitely taken a backseat to Easter crafts! Here’s a pic for your little one of my daughter with the Easter Bunny, taken during our city Easter Egg Hunt. 

 

 

Easter Well Hanging

Today’s Easter craft comes from Roots and Wings.  I was just going to make the chick but my daughter had so much fun that we went ahead and made the bunny and flower as well.  This is the perfect craft for toddlers but they will need help from mama with cutting. 

For The Chick You’ll Need:

• 3 paper plates
• Yellow paint
• Orange paint
• Googly eyes
• Yellow feathers

Paint the back of two paper plates yellow. On one of them, paint two pink circles for the cheeks.Paint the back of one paper plate orange.

Add some googly eyes and some yellow feathers. Turn over the orange plate.Using a star shaped cookie cutter, make 2 prints and then cut them out.   Draw a triangle for the nose and a long rectangle for the legs. It will be cut in half to make two.

For the wings turn over the plain yellow plate. Draw your wing shape. Make it look like a three slice pie and just use two pieces. Glue wings to the back of the plate. Glue on all the other pie pieces. 

For The Bunny You’ll Need: My bunny is a little different than the one on the Roots and Wings website.  We were out of pink paint so I used pink foam instead.  You’ll need:

• Pink foam
• 2 paper plates

Start by drawing an egg shape, small circle for nose, and pink to go inside of ears onto a piece of pink foam. Cut that out.  Glue the egg and small pink circle onto the paper plate. Draw in a nose, mouth, and eyes. 

1. On the backside of a plate, paint a pink egg shape for the belly, a pink nose and draw in the eyes and mouth. Cut and glue some feet shapes onto the paper plate.  Glue your ears onto another plain plate. Cut around it bigger so the pink looks like the inside of bunny ears.

For the Flower you’ll need:

Paper plate painted purple

Paper plate painted pink

Paper plate painted green

2 cupcake liners

From the pink plate, cut a large circle out. From the purple plate, cut a smaller circle out and glue it to the red circle.Glue the two cupcake liners together and glue them to the red circle. From the green plate, cut one long rectangle for the stem and two leaves. Glue them together and glue them to the back of the plate.

Now, attach all 3 to a ribbon and hang on your wall. 

EGGSTRAVAGANT ITEMS FOR AN EASTER BASKET

**Please note descriptions of items are from the company website and are not authored by me. For this reason, when you see the word “our” it is the company referring to our and not myself. I love these companies and wanted to make sure I got this posted in time for you all to get orders in and received so I did cut/paste for time efficiency. **

I wanted to highlight for you all some really great Easter goodies from some of the companies I’ve reviewed before.  Because I’ve reviewed them I know they are of good quality, ethical, and have great products.  Here are some of my favorites:

Crucification/Resurrection Felt Story (Click on Felt Story to Go Directly to the Link)

Fun felts describes the felt story as “Includes 13 felt figures to teach your children of Christ's love and sacrifice for all of us. Perfect for Easter.  Includes Story and lesson activity, Scripture Reference, and Coloring/Sequencing page. This set is available pre-cut or as a kit to cut out yourself.” It sells for $11.99. 

Guess How Much I Love You felt story (Click on Felt Story to Go Directly to the Link). 

This fun felts story set tells the classic story in felt.  This felt set includes a small meadow/hillside scene background, as well as 15 felt figures.

A Toy Garden has several items that are very appropriate for Easter baskets.  Here are a few ideas…

Over the Rainbow Gnomes:  You could hide each one to be found during
hunting...there are 6 gnomes. A hardworking crew of 6, 2-inch tall gnomes wearing wool felt in a rainbow of colors over brown felt smocks on a solid wooden base.  This merry band works hard in the forest and mines.  They love adventures and fit perfectly in pockets, castles, lunch baskets, and nature table scenes.

Rainbow Felted Acorn Set: So absolutely precious. Again, would be fabulous on an "Easter" hunt.  Our new Rainbow Felt Acorn Set is the cutest new thing we have!  This is a set of 6 acorns, the acorn caps are from real acorns, the "nut" is needle felted wool of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple (each acorn is one color).  The caps are approximately 3/4" in diameter, the acorn is about 1" long including the cap.  These are adorable for the nature table or a fairy house all year round!  Made in the USA exclusively for www.aToyGarden.com

Solid wooden eggs in jumbo, large, medium and small sizes for painting, decorating with wax, or playing with as is.   Perfect size for child's kitchen or for use at Easter for a fun treat to find that isn't made of sugar.

Mini Silks in Silk Purse - again, divide them up, hide them, or wrap little
treasures in them. A beautiful selection of 11x11 inch extra-thick 100% China Silks. These silks are the perfect weight to be anything you or your child wants them to be. This small "hankie" size allows them to be a blankie for a small doll or gnome, a rug/blanket/curtains in a doll house, stuffed into the back of a truck, cargo on a train, mini-scenery... Dolls want to have play silks too! Dyed in the USA.
Your purse will have 8 colors:  lavender, blue, green, yellow, apricot, orange, red, and pink.Silk drawstring bags are dyed in lavender. Perfect for boys or girls.

 

Herbal Play Bean Bags : Our Set of 8 Beautiful Bean Bags are home-made in a variety of quality cotton prints and are filled with beans and organic herbs (lavender, mint, or chamomile) for a multi-sensory effect. They sound, feel, look, and smell wonderful. These bean bags can be played with, tossed, stacked, counted, matched, slept with, used as doll furniture, carried in wooden trucks, balanced on one's head, juggled, used as weights to hold silks over play stands, moved from basket to basket by busy little children. Made by Sonya. USA.(**I have these and love them SO much)**

Wood Rabbit Set : Our Sitting and Running Rabbit bring along a wooden Carrot and Beet and are eager to jump out of the box to be played with or rest on your Spring Nature Table. Sitting Rabbit is 2 1/2 inches tall, Running Rabbit is almost 3 inches long. We've packaged the set in a lavender organza bag. Handmade in Northern California from recycled Organic Orchard wood.

Wood Duck Set :Our friends have created another adorable set that will grace your Springtime table and be a cherished set for your children to play with.  Mother Duck is graceful and sturdy and is followed by 3 little ducklings, carved from a yellowish wood with naturally occurring black flecks - reminiscent of feathers! 
We've packaged this set in an organza bag. Ducks are handmade in the USA of recycled Organic Orchard wood.  Mother duck is 2 inches tall by 2 1/2 inches long.  Babies are 1 1/4 inches long.

Small Bolga Baskets: These beautiful handmade baskets, which are called Bolga baskets, are made by artists in a small village in Northern Ghana called Bolgatanga. They have been made there for decades, providing a livelihood for many local families. Bolga baskets are made out of a natural grass known locally as Kinkanhe. Some of the grass is dyed with vibrant colors and is woven into intricate patterns to make the basket. The handles are wrapped in leather, making them comfortable for a child to carry. There are countless uses for these wonderful handmade baskets. Patterns vary, most are colorful displaying different geometric patterns. Fair Trade. Baskets are 7-9 inches across.

Egg Gathering Basket Kits - older children, 6 and up can enjoy making their own, US made kit.

This egg gathering basket is perfect for fresh eggs, garden harvest, Easter treats, fruits, lunches, or dried flower arrangements. This basket style originated in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  Early immigrants shared their basketry techniques with the Cherokee Indians, who developed unique hand-dyed splint baskets with materials available in New England. Artisans in the Ozarks and Appalachian Mountains continue to make sturdy egg baskets with oak, ash, hickory, and maple splints and handles. The kit contains two twisted rattan hoops for the rim and handle, flat reed and a simple instruction booklet. Made in the USA.

Art To the Extreme has some adorable egg crayons! 

Looking for a fun and egg-citing treat for your Easter Basket??
These fun and exciting crayons are perfect for kids and adults alike!
Each crayon is unique in its egg shape and combination of rainbow colors! Easter Egg Rainbow Crayons measure approximately 2.5" long, 2" wide, and 1" deep.
Made from recycled crayons,the Easter Egg Rainbow Crayons make drawings and crayon rubbings fun and easy for younger kids because of its larger size and shape for a stronger grip.
Being an art teacher, I found it easier and more engaging to use these Rainbow Crayons with my kindergarten students while working on a texture rubbing project!!!
THIS PURCHASE IS FOR 4 EASTER EGG RAINBOW CRAYONS.
*Made from Non-Toxic crayons.