Move: Bath Time Fun

We all want to have fun with our kids...why not fit snuggles, laughs, and smiles into things you are already doing during the day? Valerie (profile below) has a sweet, fun way to make the mundane, memorable! 

When I was little, my mom would say this little poem while she helped me dry off after my bath. I loved it then, and I still love it today. I know she read it in a book at some point, but I have no idea which one, so I am unable to give credit. Just know that I'm not claiming to have written it! ;) I've used it with each one of my kiddos and they laugh every time! I thought I'd pass it along. It's a simple way to make a fun memory with your little toddlers.

After My Bath*

After my bath, I try, try, try,

To wipe myself till I'm dry, dry, dry. 

Hands to wipe, fingers and toes,

Two wet legs and a shiny nose!

Just think how much less time I'd take,

If I were a dog and could shake, shake, shake!

* Add motions for even more fun!

Valerie loves her job as a pastor's wife and as a homeschooling mom of five kids.She enjoys studying God's word and sharing her love for Him on her blog: http://www.valerie-thebishopswife.blogspot.com. She's also a contributor to Home School Enrichment Magazine.

Make: Glow-in-the-Dark Pumpkins

I did this experiment for my MOPS group yesterday, and it received a round of applause in approval! So, I'm passing along to you, my fellow fun moms, the trick(s) to making an amazing, jaw-dropping, Glow-in-the-Dark Pumpkin. 

1. White pumpkins glow brighter.

2. Plaid Glo Away ($4.99 at Walmart) is the best glow paint for the money. Good stuff!

3. Use a "sponging" technique when applying  your paint. 

4. Do two coats, but make sure they're completely dry before handling.

Personal Recommendation: A glowing pumpkin makes a REALLY fun nightlight!

Make: Pumpkin Shirt

Wanna make your lil' pumpkin nice and festive? 

Here's an easy DIY seasonal shirt that you can make together: 

1. Cut an apple in half. Insert a popsicle stick for easy handling.

2. Paint the apple with orange fabric paint (the thicker the better).

3. Let your lil' pumpkins firmly press the apple onto a shirt. It's a good idea to place a plastic bag or piece of cardboard inside the shirt to protect the back from the paint. 

4. Add the stem by dipping your kiddo's pointer finger in green fabric paint. Landon loved trying to get it placed in just the right spot.

4. Set out to dry. 

5. Wear!

Move/Make: Cardboard Box Creations

Submitted by my sweet mom: Bev (possibly the world's best Grammy)

When I was growing up my family had a set of Childcraft books, the kid addition to World Book Encyclopedias. I spent hours and hours pouring over them, but my very favorite was the ‘Make and Do’ book.

Recently I spent some time with two of our grandsons, and we pulled out the book for inspiration. I showed them the pages of projects I’d done – the soap carving, the doll furniture, costumes, but when they saw the cardboard castle and submarine their faces lit up!

So we piled in the car, started driving in alleys, and hit pay dirt when we found a company having hardwood floors installed. They gave us a pile of clean cardboard to haul home.

We purchased a roll of duct tape, borrowed their mom’s package tape, pulled out markers, a knife I purchased at the dollar store just for cutting boxes, and I found some pieces of string to use for the door pulls.

We had such fun looking at the photo of the submarine, and making adjustments to our design. The boys really wanted to be able to be inside the submarine, together, and have a door that would close behind them. An almost-empty plastic wrap box was drafted to make a periscope, which delighted them.

So next rainy day, or bored day, or everyone’s grumpy day, you might find a big working space in your house (or garage) and let everyone’s imagination run wild. If you’re lucky enough to run across a set of these books, grab them, especially the ‘Make and Do’ volume. It has wonderful instructions for making modeling clay, foam pictures, puppets, marionettes, etc. etc. etc. I had as much fun as they did, and when we had finished the boys didn’t care at all about painting the submarine gray, like the one in the book; they just wanted to climb inside and start imagining what the bottom of the ocean might be like.

I’ve already promised them, next visit we’ll tackle the castle, complete with moat.

Munch: Caramel Apples

A few weeks ago Landon and I saw beautiful (and expensive!) caramel apples in a candy store window. He  wanted one (and so did his mama), so I told him that we would try to make them. 

Ta da! They were surprisingly easy, and really yummy!! As an added bonus, they look very festive and cheery on my kitchen counter. Here's how we did it..

Ingredients:

1 package of Brach's Milk Maid Caramels

2 Tbsp of water

8-10 small apples

8-10 craft sticks

Toppings (see below)

1. Wash apples and remove stems. Insert a craft stick into each one.

2. Melt the caramel and water over very low heat (about 5 minutes).

3. Using a spatula, "paint" the caramel over the surface of an apple.

4. Immediately begin covering the apple with toppings. You might have to press them into the caramel...it hardens very quickly! For our toppings we used sundae nuts, candy corn, and sprinkles.

Enjoy!! We sure did! :)

Make: Painted Pumpkins

If you're looking for a simple, quick activity to do with your kids, let them paint a pumpkin. You'll be amazed how much they enjoy spreading paint over the bumpy surface (WAY more fun than paper!), and then you'll have a sweet little homemade addition to your fall decor. 

Move: Visit Your Local Children's Museum

Children learn through play. So, I say, bring on the fun! 

Our local Children's Museum is wonderful...and I bet yours is too! This website will help you find a kid-friendly museum near you. Check it out...they're everywhere!

Here's a sampling of what we did at ours yesterday:

We made very colorful paper...

created a purple silk screened T-Rex...

built a box with some "real" tools...

learned about levees and dams...

and worked on some (very fun) leaky pipes. 

Learning through play...kid-tested, mother approved!

Made You Laugh: Mom Quiz

You Know You're a Mom if You've Ever...

MomSense Magazine 8/10

1. Have you ever spit on a Kleenex to wipe another person's face?

2. Have you ever excused yourself to "go potty"?

3. Have you ever danced and/or sung in celebration of someone else's potty success?

4. Have you ever carried on a conversation with an imaginary playmate?

5. Do you pack for a trip to the grocery store like you're preparing to climb Mount Everest?

6. Do you possess extensive knowledge of another person's bodily functions?

7. Have you ever performed an extraction of a piece of cereal from an ear/nostril?

8. Have you ever developed a weight loss plan that included avoiding eating food from your kids' plates?

9. Have you ever looked at your legs halfway through the day and realized you've only shaved one of them?

10. Have you ever gone to bed with one person, and woken up with three?

11. Do you remember the last time you went to the bathroom without an audience?

So...what was your score?

Munch: Molasses Spice Cookies

These are a yummy fall favorite in our family. The recipe is easy to follow, and there are several steps that are very kid-friendly. Landon and I just made a large batch of these tasty treats, and then tromped together through the fallen leaves to our neighbors' houses to deliver warm platefuls straight from the oven. Mmmm...we may need to make some more!

Ingredients (for 3 dozen cookies):

1 box spice cake mix

1 tsp soda

2/3 cup shortening

1 tsp ginger

2 eggs

3 Tbsp molasses

1. Mix cake mix, soda, and ginger. 
2. Stir in eggs, shortening, and molasses. 
3. Beat til smooth (batter will be VERY thick). 
4. Cover and chill 1 hour before baking. 
5. Shape into balls...little hands are great for this! 
6. Dip top of each ball into sugar. This is Landon's favorite part. 
7. Place 2" apart on lightly greased cookie sheet. Cookies flatten quite a bit during baking.
8. Bake at 375' for 8 minutes. 
9. Let cool. Share with your little kitchen assistant!

Make: Fall Placemats and Suncatchers

I love decorating, and I adore spending time with my sweet little boy, so anytime those two JOYS can be combined, I am one happy homemaking mama!

This pretty Fall decoration is very easy, very affordable (which of course, also makes for a happy husband!), very festive, and, most importantly very fun to do with your little ones. 

Step 1: Go on a leaf hunt with your kiddos. Encourage them to find reds, yellows, and oranges. Pause to admire their beautiful findings (they'll want you to look at each one), and use the opportunity to teach them about how we can see God's hand in His creation. Landon decided that God must really like orange, because we happen to have a lot of that particular color on our trees right now. 

Step 2: Cut two similar-sized pieces of Con-Tact paper (about $4/roll).

Step 3: Peel the backing off one sheet of paper, and lay it sticky-side up. Show your child how to apply the leaves and fall flowers face down onto the paper. 

Step 4: This is the trickiest part. Peel the backing off the second sheet of Con-Tact paper, and carefully line it up (sticky side down this time) with one of the edges of the decorated paper. Then, using both hands, adhere the two papers together by slowly pushing the top paper down in a back-and-forth smoothing motion. Once the two sheets are one, smooth out all air bubbles. Sorry for the blurry picture...since my hands were busy for this shot, I had to rely on a four-year-old photographer.

Step 5: To Create Placemats-  Personal recommendation: Placemats go very well initially enjoyed over a nice cup of "warm" apple cider. Personal warning: Don't refer to the apple cider as "hot," or you will be enjoying the placemats for much longer than you intended, while you wait for the cider to cool down...even if it wasn't actually that "hot" to begin with.

Step 6: To Create Sun Catcher- Follow steps 1-4. Then, hole punch the two top corners. Decide where you want the artwork to hang, and tie the appropriate length of fishing line from one corner to the other. 

Step 7: Hang the sun-catcher from your window. These are beautiful on a nice fall day, and your kids will be so proud to see that you've hung their artwork for all to see and enjoy throughout the season.