Fun Easter Project!

Here is a fun project to do with your kids on a Saturday afternoon. I enjoyed doing these myself. It's pretty simple, and when you paint them and antique them, they are so cute. I got the recipe from a halloween project on Family Fun (http://familyfun.go.com/). Their project was making ghosts, we just tweaked it for the Easter season! (I Love that site. If any of you are looking for good ideas for your kids, they have a ton!)

Easter Table Markers (I don't know what they are really called)

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup salt
1/2 cup water


You will also need:
Microwave
Toothpick
Paint- colors of your choice
Antiquing paint or brown paint
Wire (Optional)
Wire cutters
Paper Plate
Wax Paper
White glue or Modge Podge


Mix the flour, salt and then water. Should make a nice dough. Not too wet, but not crumbly. Pinch off a small handfull. (Cover the remaining, it dries quickly.) Now, shape your dough into something cute!
We made basic shapes of eggs, bunnies, chicks, and a sheep. The eggs were the easiest for the kids to do on this project. Use the toothpick to help with any details you choose to add. Keep these very simple. And don't worry about getting them too smooth. They'll look kindof rustic when completed. When the final shape is complete, poke a hole in the top to insert the wire to hold the place card.
Next, put the dough on the paper plate and microwave on high for 40 seconds. Then intervals of 20-30 seconds at a time until the dough feels light and is a light color all over. (The egg pictured below is't dry yet. Note the darker color across the middle.)
After they have dried in the microwave, let them cool and then paint them. The kids will have a lot of fun doing this. (Note: a shower curtain from the dollar store makes a great table cover...and it's reusable!)

After the paint has dried, antique the figures. You can do this with antiquing, or just water down brown paint until it is an inky consistency. Paint it all over the fugure and then wipe off with a wet paper towel. (The dark paint should stay in all the crevices and the fugure will take on a whole new-or rather old-look. Pretty cool!) When dry, apply a coat of white glue or modge podge to seal the paint.

Finally, cut a 3 inch wire and curl one end. Poke the straight end into the hole you poked with the toothpick. (You can glue it in if it won't stay.)

These are really so fun. We did these for Thanksgiving as well. The kids helped me make and paint a bunch of pumpkins. Then we printed "Thanks" in different languages. It looked great!
P.S. These will last a very long time and become a keepsake. We have added to our Halloween ghost family for two years now and they are still doing great!

(Thanksgiving photo from Lily P. Studio & Design Co. http://lilypstudio.typepad.com/)

Easter Project Pictures

Hey Mr. ToothFairy...!

(I only say Mr. Toothfairy because the toothfairy was a man on the movie The Santa Clause II...otherwise, I've always thought it was a girl!) Well, anyway, the toothfairy was summoned to our house this week. Carly finally lost her tooth! After keeping it in her mouth for as long as she possibly could, she let me pull it out. She has been so nervous to do it. She could even wiggle it around it a full circle...with her tongue... but wouldn't pull it out. Finally, in a moment of bravery and frustration she said, OK Mom, you can do it. I jumped at the offer, but I don't think she believed I would actually do it! I really only had to hold on and gravity did the rest. She looked shocked, winced, and smiled. Her eyes were sooo BIG! I asked if it hurt, in which she responded "Yes, I mean kindof, a little...well, not really!"

The funniest part was the next morning when Carly came into my room all offended and totally ticked off. "Mom, the toothfairy didn't come. I looked under my pillow and she didn't even leave me anything!" OH NOOOO! Panic...After all that... and I...hmm...the toothfairy forgot to visit! So I calmly asked her if she put her tooth under her pillow. Whew! No she didn't. She put it in a bag on her dresser with a sticky note labeling it "My tooth". (I thought that was cute, since there are so many teeth laying around our house.) So I explained that the toothfairy just looks under pillows. I reassured her that she would probably visit that night. But it appears that our toothfairy is pretty sneaky. After Carly showered, we layed down on Carly's bed to think about what happened, and Carly noticed a note up in the netting above her bed...it was from the toothfairy of course! It read, "You tricked me, so I tricked you! Your money is in your little church! Love, The Toothfairy." (The little church sits on her shelf) Carly couldn't believe it and thought it was so funny! Boy, that was a close one, and either the toothfairy is getting richer (doubt it), or she is paying someone off out of guilt (most likely) because Carly got a whole $2.00!

Life is good.

Hi. Just a short one today. Life is good.
Carly did her homework in 1 hour today!
Ridge had carrots and asked for 2nds (he hasn't liked any fruits or veges for a long, long time!)
Ty said "Hi" to a boy his age today (though he did get mad at him just a moment before...still it's progress!)
I went jogging (kind of) with Cindy today, and went to aerobics on Monday and will go again tomorrow! Feels so good to be sore!
Sean is building a *very cool* work bench in the garage and we are unloading some of our food storage and taking inventory! (I'll post a picture of this grand undertaking soon!) I love projects...especially when they are completed!
We are blessed. Life is good. Hope yours is too!

Energy and Happiness!

They make me smile!

Just a Spoon Full of Sugar....

You know the song..."Just a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down..." I used to wish I could snap my fingers or wiggle my nose and my chores would be done. Well, who needs magic when you have an imagination! (And to think...this was supposed to be punishment for sneaking into the cookies! -again.) Who knew doing the dishes was so much FUN! I think I have a new perspective! I think I'll have them clean out the fridge next time... hmmm...Stay tuned for those pictures!

Frosty Mornings...

I love frosty cold mornings...except for the fact that I don't plan ahead for them. I love waking up to the crisp cool air. Invigorating! Except, I don't remember to go and start the car ahead of time, to warm it up for the kids. Then I don't leave enough time to scrape the windows. So, in a hurry, I scrape with my flimsy gift cards. In a flurry of ice flying off the window onto my chilly fingers and frosted face, I see the kids making faces at me through the window. Breathe. Smile. Make a funny face...Hurry! 5 minutes behind, we leave for school. Ahhhh! Invigorating...nervousness...heart racing...I hate being late. But, ohhh, I just have to stop a second and soak in the beauty all around me. The stillness in these pictures are so opposite to the rush I feel in comparison. I'm glad I have these pictures to remember these mornings...I'm glad I have a field of grass across from me, instead of a field of houses! I'm glad I have these awesome kids! I hope they remember the feelings of these pictures instead of the feelings of rush I create.