Initial Painting

Since the summer, I have eased my way back into work as a preschool teacher at a local rec center.  I have had a blast with science classes, cooking classes, and drawing classes.  But one of my favorite hours of the week is getting messy with some preschoolers during my Preschool Picassos class.  I thought I would share some of our latest projects here!  Some of you may have little ones at home (or be teachers yourselves), so I've included links to my inspiration for each project.  Give them a try!

Student, age 6

Student, age 2



Student, age 3

 As you can see, no matter the age, the project was quite successful! Fool-proof and stress free.  I love the projects that set them up for success instead of failure.  This really required very little  parent help as well. 

Here's how we did it:

Take a large white piece of heavy art paper.  Use blue painters tape to mark out the initial of the child.  Place drops of 2 separate colors on the paper, working in small areas at a time.  We used yellow and blue and talked about how mixing colors and blending them together can make another color...in this case, green! Give them a brush and just turn them loose!

I combined two separate processes that I saw on pinterest.  If you want to view the inspiration links, you can check it out HERE and HERE.

Note: I did not use watercolors.  I preferred the abstract approach but used Crayola washable tempera paints instead of acrylic.

Tips for parents: Remember it's "their" work.  It's OKAY to let them do it....their way.  It will turn out great, promise.  And the mess will clean up....promise.

Now, off the computer for me...it's time to go make some turkeys with these little artists!

Last Minute Summer Travels

Trying to get in one last trip before schools starts?  I know we've been juggling life & travels for a while now.  It feels like we've lived out of the car and out of suitcases for most of the summer...and most of the summers and holidays before this one too.  Most of the time, I'm driving 7-9 hours in a car by myself, with two screaming kids.  I've found a few ways to keep the peace and thought I'd share a few tips.  I hope it makes your last "farewell to summer" trip go smoothly as well!

Tip 1:  Plan ahead to avoid down time. 

Books are a good place to start.  Here's a few of my favorites with photos from Amazon.com.

Available at your local library, bookstore, or to find this on Amazon, click HERE.

Great for the under 12 crowd, available on Amazon HERE

These "Fun For The Family" Guides are essential for day-trippers.  Just do an Amazon search using the words, followed by your state or location you want to go to.  **My personal favorite!!

Know where you're going, if there are cool stops along the way, and what to do once you're there.  Nothing kills a trip like "down time" for my family.  "Down time" means the parents are brain dead for on-the-spot ideas which leads the kids to whining, grumbling, claims of boredom, all followed by arguing and fighting over where to go next. Down time must be prevented at all costs.

Tip 2: Pack It Yo'Self, Kid!

Your kids need their own suitcase, backpack, travel doc kit, sleeping bag, pillow and blanket.

Photos from Kidstravelzone.com

One year for Christmas, my kids each got their own suitcase, backpack, and lunch kit.  They're all matchy matchy and personalized, and my son has used his for 4 years now.  That's $$ well spent, if you ask me. The backpack & lunch kit have been used for school, but also double as "doc kits" for toiletries and medicines when we travel.  The kids are responsible for packing each of their own.  The backpacks are for toys only.  Only what fits and zips nicely inside, are allowed.  A blanket, stuffed toy, and lovey are usually tucked inside pillowcases.  Two lovies only!  Max!  It's a rule, otherwise my kids would pack 50 stuffed animals for trips.

For the suitcase, 4-5 outfits max and only 2-3 pair of pjs!  Even though we usually travel for a minimum of 7 days at time, and yes, I know kids go through 3 outfits a day....4-5, max!  Really, where do you ever travel that you can't find access to a laundromat!?  For the boys, tees & shorts.  Sundresses for the girls, less to pack.  Pack a pair of crocs for each.  They go with everything and can get wet and be washed off.  What else could you need!?

My favorite luggage for kids sites to go to are:

www.kidstravelzone.com
www.potterbarnkids.com
www.landsendkids.com

Tip 3: U Pick, I Pick - What to Put in the Backpacks

I always pick edu-ma-cation-al items, like the great products below.  I also throw in a few dry erase boards, markers, crayons, and movies to save my sanity.  The kids throw in ipods, dsi's and leapsters.  Hey, I try.  Besides, I don't mind the electronics and I've learned that instead of making them use their headphones....it's better that I swipe their headphones and blare my own ipod into my ears as loud as safely possible.  That way, 4-5 hours into the trip, I can tune out the sibling arguing going on in the back seat.  If I can't hear it, it can't drive me crazy.  It's my "tired of nagging at them" and "it's best to let kids work these things out themselves" parenting technique.  Don't judge. 

VIA

VIA

Happy travels!

Back To School Shopping- Already

Got a jump start on back to school shopping yesterday.  I don't have everything completely checked off the list yet, but found some super cute packs and supplies and just had to share.  My daughter starts kindergarten this year and needs a new backpack.  She's had a great pack since she was a toddler, but it's starting to rip and tear.  Yesterday, we found this cute pack at our local PBK store.

Image Source

If you don't have a store near you, you can also order online or through a catalog...and of course it can be personalized.  But for the sake of "stranger danger", I don't normally blast my child's name all over the backpacks.  I know, I sometimes border helicopter tendencies...and I don't care. 

We also got the matching retro lunch box.  It's huge and holds a lot of food.  Which is good, because she's always hungry. We choose the matching, no excuse me, coordinating one in "navy daisy".

Image  Source

We also went out for a pencil pouch.  I've learned over the years that pretty much anything you buy at Wal-Mart or Target is usually crap, but we gave it a shot.  No, I'm not a snobby person....I just hate spending my money on things that break, tear, and wear out in less than a week.  My son was given a leather pencil pouch in 2nd grade, and that thing is still ticking.  I'm pretty sure it's a leather bank or money pouch....and it's darn durable.  So, he still uses that, and I was looking for something similar for my daughter even though they're not the prettiest.  I had no luck in stores, but did find an aqua colored one online.  I thought it might work, but decided to keep looking.  So on to ebay I go, nothing.  Then, to good ole' etsy, and I found this....

Image Source

...and I'm swooning like a cartoon character with hearts floating out of my head.  I know it's pricey, but it's cute, and monogrammed.  Enough said.  Besides, she'll use it as a toiletry kit too...or an arts supplies case...or a polly pocket holder...and she'll have it until she's married and has to change her initials, and she only starts kindergarten once, and I'm supporting an individual artist instead of a big box chain store. 

At least, that's how I'll justify a $15 pencil pouch to my husband.

I just think it's cute, and matches, no excuse me, coordinates, with the new backpack retro lunch pack.

If you like the new digs too, you can do a little shopping for these items here:

Pottery Barn Kids, backpack and lunch pack
Home Lush Etsy Shop, multi-purpose pencil pouch

The Gift of A Child

Just when I think I'm over the hump and feeling better, excited even, about this upcoming school year, I see this...

Dear God, I thank You for the gift of this child to raise, this life to share, this mind to help mold, this body to nurture, and this spirit to enrich. Let me never betray this child's trust, dampen this child's hope, or discourage this child's dreams. Help me, dear God, to help this precious child become all you mean him to be. Let your grace and love fall on him like gentle breezes and give him inner strength and peace and patience for the journey ahead.
Amen.

This was handed out to parents last night at our back to school meeting. All faculty, staff and parents in attendance read this prayer together before meeting the teachers and visiting the classrooms. I barely made it through it without choking up. Thank goodness my 4 year was misbehaving just enough to keep me a little distracted.

For the second year, we have the honor and privilege of sending our children to a private Catholic school where the staff believes in not only nurturing the mind, but also the soul. I am not saying that we will always be able to do so, or that we necessarily think our children are getting a "better" education. I am not saying Catholic and/or private schools are the only schools that have teachers that wholeheartedly believe the soul is as important as the mind. We've also been a part of wonderful public schools and know better.

But, I am saying that there is something to be said about an entire community believing and stating in unison that their children are important, should feel hope more than discouragement, trust more than despair, and through grace and love should be allowed to flourish into exactly what they are meant to be.

True to my baptist roots, and again I say, AMEN!

Back in the Saddle

Finally, I'm back at it. It's embarrassing how long it's been since my last post. My iphone notepad is full of "blog ideas" that I jot down while I'm out and about with my kiddos...literally pages of ideas that I plan to blog about as soon as I get back home and sit down at the computer. Several times, I've even snapped a few pics for the blog as well. Then, they float around out there in digital space...never making it to their final destination. Such is life lately - busy busy busy! Mike's photo business has been picking up, which means every spare moment I've had, I've been editing photos lately. I easily have 3 sessions now I should be working on, not to mention getting his blog site up and running...as well as learning photoshop templates. BUT...the hubby got home early(er) from work today, and the kids were standing by the door... ball, bat, glove and bubbles (daughter) in hand, expecting him to walk them up to the ballpark for a quick game. What a great dad - he walked right in changed his clothes - and took them right up. Of course, we're only closing on our TX house, with 1000's of little "to-do's" going on there...scheduling "research" appointments in SC with Realtors and corporate recruiters (whole other blog story) for the end of the month, as well as trying to find time to go over all of our finances and see where we're at now that the TX house is (almost) sold....and still house-hunting a bit. Like I said, BUSY! But...he walked them right out the door, ditched the homework, and left me standing here wondering what to do?! I knew immediately I SHOULD be working on the photo business, SHOULD be getting things together for my son's 1st Communion this Saturday, SHOULD be finishing the laundry, and I SHOULD be vacuuming, but I DI'N WANNA! So, I grabbed a glass of wine and sat my butt down at the computer to type a spell. And I've given myself the liberty to post about a couple of the fun little projects we've done lately for school....even though we did most of them 2 months ago! Maybe I can get some Easter things posted by Christmas? I have a blast doing these types of things for my kids and their friends at school, but I'm going to have to be careful in the future. I just had a call on the answering machine today that I've been nominated for a PTO position....because, really....I did something else to do to keep me busy! BTW, I declined. Besides, if I take on too many responsibilities, when am I going to have time to sit down with my kids and actually do any of these fun things??

Speaking of my kids......they're BAAAaaaccccckkkkk! And in prime screaming/fighting/kicking/pitching a fit mode. So, I'll put on my referee hat before they hurt each other. Until next time, enjoy trying these fun things with your own kiddos!

Thumbprint Note Cards

This image is from the familyfun.com website, and for once...our project actually came out looking just like this!

These are just so much fun that my kiddos and I are going do more of these. We had purchased the Ed Emberly ginormous idea book of thumbprint art last summer (maybe two summers ago now? Can't remember...time flies by way too fast). Anywho.....we had only done it once or twice, and I already had the supplies, so when I saw it as a teacher gift idea online, I knew this is what we would make for teacher appreciation gifts this year. I had it made because my 4 yr old loved sticking her fingers in the ink (the neat freak in me standing right beside her with wet wipes trying to calm myself when she would double dip into the colors). My 8 yr old was great with the sharpies (he should be, he had lots of practice coloring all over his crib, toy chest and nursery carpet when he was only two)! He filled in all the lines to make the thumbprint animals "come to life". After he'd done 1 or two and got bored with the project, I ended up finishing them later that night in front of the TV - didn't mind...it was kinda' fun. When they're all done, tie 'em up with a pretty (grosgrain) ribbon and stick them in a baggie with an apple and "wha-la" instant gift! We ended up making a few extra sets for Mother's Day gifts and for the kids to have their own personal stationary. A box of 100 cards & envelopes at Target is all we needed...and at only 10 bucks - it definitely suited our budget!

Pot of Gold

Fruit Rainbow

Got kudos from the school nurse for these - these two snacks I provided for the parties were a huge hit because they met all the nutritional requirements that the school recommended. Not only are there huge allergy issues and concerns in my son's class/school (my son included), so much junk food comes into the school almost every single day. Honestly, how many cupcakes, cakes and cookies can anybody eat before getting sick of them? So after seeing these cute ideas in an issue of Family Fun magazine at the Dr.'s office (while at the 4 hour allergy appointment), I googled it when I got home & had a blast making them. This may shock some, but I'm not much on following the recipes, directions, or rules...so I just looked at the pictures and did my own thing. For example... for the fruit, I used canned mandarin oranges (which my kids love) instead of cantaloupe, bananas instead of pineapple, etc. (which can be an allergy link for nut allergy kids? who knew?) For the jello "pot of gold", again...I think the directions called for pineapple flavor, but I chose lemon. I also chose clear plastic cups instead of sitting there scooping out 12 limes (too wasteful and expensive for my taste). It took about 8 boxes for a class of 24 because I just made the "jello jigglers" recipe on the side of the box. They came out nice and thick, easy to cut into squares, and held their shape nicely. However, I should have taken a picture of the refrigerator full of casserole dishes with jello in them - stacked top to bottom for 24 hours - hilarious to me...not so much for anyone else trying to get to the food behind all that jello! The craziness of these projects I take on if part of the fun for me, but for those of you who want to give these ideas a try, and prefer to cross every "t" and dot every "i", check them out on familyfun.com!

Lucky Charms Poem

A little bit of luck goes a long way!

When my son started 1st grade, his wonderful teacher sent each child home with a snack bag full of lucky charms. Stapled to the bag was the cutest little poem that of course just made me tear up reading it. He came home with such a huge grin on his face, his little ego had been boosted for the day, all because his teacher took the time to show the kiddos that she cared! It could have also been the sugar high, being as I'd never allowed Lucky Charms in the house before that day, but I'd prefer to think it was the former. Of course, after he realized what he had been missing, Lucky Charms became a staple in our cereal pantry. This year, for my kiddos' St. Patty celebrations, I decided to make the bags and send them in for the party favors. They turned out rather cute, got lots of compliments, and if you ever want to make them for any occasion - here's the poem...you can always adapt it for first day of school, last day of school, preschool graduation, etc...just by changing the wording a little bit. You can also do google search and come up with some ideas.

Next Up: A rose petal painting craft made out of celery stalks!