Let's Go Fly a Kite

The kite.

The Grandpa. (Who sometimes wakes in the middle of the night with grand dreams!) The Grandpa decided to build a kite. A box kite. Made out of newspaper, plastic wrap, glue, and dried sunflower stalk.

He enlisted the help of my older children. (Isaac is not pictured, but he did go over one day to help glue.)

Everyone had to wait a few days for some wind to test out the new kite.

Presto! The wind arrived on Friday. (Just before the kids went with their dad to visit their Grammy. Ahhh... we love grandparents.)

The kite FLIES!!!

Little Wonders

Last night (Thursday), we finished The Borrowers. The book has twenty chapters. Around chapter 15, Aryn decided to check the book out from the school library so she could follow along. Look at what we found inside...

If you look closely, on line 7, you'll find my name! With ditto marks underneath 3 times. The last date reads, January. 24. 86. Isn't that incredible?! I read the exact same book around the same time of year, 23 years ago. It seems life is full of little wonders.(Back view) Look closely. You just might find someone you know!

By the way, Aryn and Isaac really liked the book. Aryn even decided to try another book by the same author: Bedknob and Broomstick. She said it's different than the movie, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, which we've watched as well. Family movie night.

Garden Boxes

Last Friday, I took the two littlest kids with me to Home Depot. We bought these 2 x 6's and had the store cut them into 4 foot lengths to make 3 garden boxes. I also bought a bag of turkey manure compost.

Later that evening, Gene told me that my grandpa had some old 2 x 6's at his house we could cut up and use. We went over the next day, and found lumber good enough to make 4 boxes.

We drilled 3 holes into one end of each board. That took awhile because the drill bit kept slipping down. (Also, I had Gene take a picture of me drilling because it always looks like HE'S the one doing all the work.) Anyway, we thought we had the right length of screws at home, but it turns out we didn't. So we loaded everyone up and took a trip over to Ace Hardware.

We got home and started fastening the boards together by rotating the corners to make a square box. Gene and I both think we probably could have done without the predrilling.

7 boxes down, 3 more to go! I'm going to get to go back to Home Depot. Yipee!

(After many pencil erasures, this is the layout I've finally decided upon. The drawings should be switched around.)

Industrious

Last Saturday we went over to my grandparent's house. Isaac had been wanting to help my grandpa with some outside work. My grandpa thought it was too wet to move manure to the garden, but Isaac was determined.
My grandpa showed him how to shovel the manure from the bottom of the pile instead of from the top. He told him to keep everything at one end of the wheelbarrow. By the time Gene got there to help, Isaac was giving him pointers!
This little brother is learning how to work, just like his big brother.

After he was finished with his work, Isaac kept asking his dad to build him a tire swing. Gene was helping me cut wood for the garden boxes. He was busy, and told him "later." Awhile later we went to check on him and the other kids. And guess what? Isaac made a swing for himself!

I'll bet you can't tell I think a lot of this kid.

Independent I

The other night, Gene found this beside a sleeping Isaac. Translation:

Dear Journal

What are you doing tonight?

Just laying there, doing nothing.

It's not really funny for you.

Oh, I thought it was not cool or funny or sweet or radical or hilarious.

(then he fell asleep.)

He loves to read and write. That makes me smile inside.

February GIVEAWAY

I made a couple of these hats for two of my children's teachers. I figured I'd make another one and get it finished before the end of the month so here it is:

The Butterfly Hat (pattern here)

I think it turned out so cute. It's my favorite color. I used Red Heart 0373 Petal Pink.



Leave a comment on this post and you'll be entered. I like to make things and I like to share things, so this giveaway is for anyone that reads this blog and wants to win the hat! So feel free to comment.


Oh yeah! Thanks to my lovely models for showing how the hat looks on different ages.

I'll close the the giveaway on Monday at 4:00pm MST and post the winner afterward.

**the giveaway is now closed***



Congratulations to the Calico Crew.

More Preschool Activities

Painting with cotton swabs.


Supplies needed: cotton swabs, paint (we used tempera), and paper.

Girls. Or boys. Or both.

There's a reason Asher is in the high chair! And a reason for the chairs being up on the table.

He CLIMBS!

(today is my last day of preschool this round. whew! actually, asher fell off the table today because of his climbing exploits. SCARED me about to death, i tell you. it gave the little girls a good scare too with my screaming and all. he's okay, thankfully!)

Scented ClayDough Fun

This claydough is SO fun and easy to make. It involves no cooking, and it SMELLS SO, SO YUMMY!

As you can see, the girls had a lot of fun.

( We used grape flavored Kool-Aid and Icing Colors violet.)

I adapted the recipe from one I found in The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions by John E. Thomas and Danita Pagel.

Recipe:

2 1/4 cups flour

1 cup salt

4 Tbs. cooking oil

1 cup water

1 packet unsweetened powder drink mix

1/4 tsp. concentrated paste food coloring

Directions:

1. Combine flour, salt, and powdered drink mix in a large bowl.

2. Stir in cooking oil, water, and food coloring

3. Stir this mixture until it is the consistency of bread dough

4. Remove dough from bowl and knead on a floured surface 2-3 minutes until firm

Dreaming and Planning the Garden

We're going to do things a little bit differently this year with the garden.

I bought this book a week or so ago. I read it last summer, I think. When I read it, I could hardly wait until the next planting season.

And here we are. That time of year to start dreaming and planning the new garden.

Actually, I've been dreaming since we took down the last one... new seeds to plant, new vegetables to grow...

This year we're going to square foot garden.

I planted my first garden some years ago in our old house, with the help of my friend Anita. It didn't turn out exactly as I'd hoped. But it was a start.

After we moved into this house I'd wanted to try again. The phrase "the prophet said to plant a garden, so that's what we'll do" kept running through my mind. It was a lot of work. We've had so much help and advice from my grandpa. He's an expert gardener. And happy to share his knowledge and wisdom.

This year will be our 4th garden here. Each year I learn more and get better at it. There have

been so many benefits and blessings that have come to our family through gardening. Physically, mentally, spiritually and nutritionally.

My grandpa says it's time to get going on this year's garden. It's time to quit dreaming and planning. It's time to start working.

The prophet said to plant a garden, so that's what we'll do.

For God has given rich brown soil, the rain and sunshine too.
And if we plant the seeds just right, and tend them carefully,
Before we know good things will grow to feed our family.
--Children's Songbook, 237

V is for Valentine

It's been a busy week. The next few post posts are about preschool because for the next two weeks it's my turn to teach. They are NOT in chronological order.

Well. I finally got those books finished (except I'm still working on Zoe's. hehehe) I decided to make four and give them to the little preschool girls.

V is for Valentine.

This shows the front and back covers. I made 2 pink and 2 red.

Sweet Vocals. Yummy Variety.

Since we talked about the letter V, I decided to make my books with V words. The other girls (Keri, Brandi, and Kendra) had different words on their pages.

Vanilla cupcakes. Vermilion flowers.

The books turned out cute. But, I am glad they are finished!

We had our Valentine party on Tuesday. Each girl made their own box for trading valentines. (Isn't that what you remember from your own school days?) Zoe is checking out her stash of treats. We covered the lid in super shiny tin foil.

Moms and girls and baby brothers.

Happy Valentine's Day!