We haven’t been at home much during this spring break so I’ve got nothing for you today.
Come back tomorrow when I share a sweet snack we made today which has everyone in our family wanting more.
Of course, I have discovered a helpful little tidbit of info today which I should share with you – When you google “yummy images,” you don’t always get something related to food – got the “heebie jeebies” now?
So I have shared most of the room my boys shared but I left out one key ingredient – the large wall art.
The boys found images of their favorite Star Wars vehicles in a book and I copied them onto paper. I then used the tracer to trace the image onto the painted canvas. I then took navy blue paint and painted inside the image. Relatively easy – good thing since they wanted me to make eight of them.
Here’s my favorite – an AT-AT – that’s All Terrain Armored Transport for you Star Wars novices.
The other side of the room…
To visit previous Star Wars Bedroom posts…
Go here for the Jedi Name Art
Go here for our Minifigure Storage
Go here for our Red Frame Chicken Wire Display Boards
So that’s it.
The Star Was Bedroom for two little Star Wars fans.
Let’s hope this little obsession last for several more years.
Last night Derek and I took the kids to the Olive Garden to eat.
Right now my sister is seizing at just the thought of eating in that, so called, “Italian Establishment.”
I, however, have kids and count their endless salad and bread sticks as a lifesaver.
So we go to the Olive Garden.
We were having one of those meals where it seems as if your children have never eaten out before.
They seem to lose all concept of appropriate restaurant behavior.
Touching each other constantly. Clanking their silverware together. Arguing over crayon colors. Sitting on their feet. Talking loudly.
(Of course our third reason for going to the Olive Garden, behind the endless salad and bread sticks, is that everyone else is talking loudly. But let’s move on.)
We were almost through our meal, you know the point, when you just want everyone to finish eating as fast as they possibly can. You are already planning how to throw everyone in the shower in record time, limiting everyone to five minutes of reading time, turning off the lights, guiding a little one to bed, guiding her again to her bed and making some sort of threatening statement about not visiting the zoo the next day IF YOU DON”T STAY IN THIS BED.
Anyway, we were at that point.
When it happened.
To some other parent.
While spooning some pasta into my mouth, the restaurant fire alarm started to go off.
Near the exit door a mom was looking just as frazzled as us and looked mortified that her daughter had just made the alarm go off.
I could feel her pain.
Almost.
Derek and I just laughed and said to each other, “Well at least our kids have never done THAT!”
In order to celebrate my daughter’s 3rd birthday – Mary Poppins style – we came up with a few related activities that 3 year olds would enjoy.
First up, drawing on cardboard with chalk (relates to Bert and him drawing chalk pictures in the movie).
Next up, a Mary Poppins bean bag toss. We have used these boards for many many parties. We just take off the old pictures or glue right over them with the new themed pictures.
Third, racing around with stick horses (relates to the carousel horses and when they race in the movie).
These were a huge hit. I’m putting together a tutorial on how I made these.
Next, pin the bow tie on the penguin (come on, do I really need to tell you what part of the story this is from?)
Lastly and the biggest hit of the party, chimney play! (these are supposed to be the chimneys that the chimney sweeps pop in and out of when they sing “Chim Chimney Cha-roo.”)
We bought five large cardboard boxes and two small boxes for about $6.00. My husband then connected them all and cut holes on the top in order to give the small boxes a place to sit. In order to make the entire thing stable, he screwed 3 pieces of wood together in the shape of a “C,” and then put it at the beginning of the box and then another one at the end. The 3 pieces of wood touched three sides of the structure – the bottom space where the kids crawled through didn’t have a piece of wood.
Traffic jam
Even the big kids got in on the action.
Caroline had a good time popping through the top of the structure yelling, “Cha-roo!”
So those were our Mary Poppins party activities – I also bought sugar cubes in hopes of doing a relay race with a “spoonful of sugar,” but decided against it at the last moment. Another activity we didn’t use a bunch of musical instruments I had gathered. I thought the kids could play in a band like the one that plays while Mary Poppins receives her prize for winning the horse race.
Altogether I spent about $60 on the entire party. I would have spent about $40 had I planned ahead and used coupons to purchase many of the items. Oh well, I like to think I do my best work at the last moment.
Soon I’ll share her cake and the decorations.
For Mary Poppins hat instruction go here.
Life is funny.
And sad.
And joyful.
Yesterday there was no post because I was honestly not feeling witty or funny or crafty.
It’s been one year since I had to deliver my little guy in the hospital and say goodbye at the same time.
I know everyone is saying, “Aren’t you over it yet?”
While I know I will never forget that experience, I have moved on and find tons of joy in my life. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
It’s just that in the days building up to yesterday I was flooded with lots of memories which are still painful to remember.
So there was no post.
And then life gives you a wake up call that says, “That was enough saddness for the day, time to be thankful.”
I received an email from a friend telling me she has taken her nephew in for several months while his parents try and get their act together.
About an hour later I got an email from another friend saying foster care is near and dear to her heart and she was organizing a project where duffle bags are collected for kids who have been abused or neglected.
She wrote,”They often leave their homes with all of their belongings placed in a black garbage bag – with the unspoken message that they and all of their belongings are no better than trash. The goal of this effort is to provide a child with a nice bag filled with essential items (like underwear and toothbrushes) that they can call their own and help provide comfort as they transition.”
These two emails gave me the momentum I needed to “do something” yesterday. What are the chances I would receive two emails on foster care in the same day when I’ve never received even one?
I gathered what items I could find at home and bought some to fill a box to send to my friend.
My day started slowly and sadly but it ended with a thankful feeling in my heart.
Thankful I have three healthy children.
Thankful I can give those kids a hug everyday.
Thankful for my husband.
Thankful for women who love and take care of others who are in need.
Thankful for a drawer full of clean underwear.
Thankful for my life.
I’m pretty sure everyone guessed from this clue that we had a Mary Poppins 3rd birthday party.
And if you have a Mary Poppins party, you have to have a Mary Poppins hat.
1 – Go to Target and buy a $1 bin Easter hat.
2- Do nothing with the hat for days since your daughter insists on doing her best Minnie Pearl impression.
3 – Confiscate the hat when she’s not looking
4 – Deny you have any knowledge of the hats whereabouts
5 – Take off pink ribbon
6 – Spray paint it black
7 – Glue on some fake cherries and flowers from the dollar store
8 – Find the hat and present to your Mary Poppins obsessed daughter.
9 – Delight in her joy of wearing the hat and singing,”Let’s Go Fly a Kite.”
I apologize ahead of time for the fact that you will now sing this all day long 🙂
Go here to see the Mary Poppins party activities
Wanted to let everyone know about an amazing free download going on right now over at q.a.design.
Jenna is sharing her state/country prints which she normally sells on etsy.
Kentucky
Michigan
Illinois
I have actually not so secretly coveted these prints for a long time.
I made some copy cat ones (since she didn’t have Ontario) using canvas and paints for our office/playroom over a year ago and still love them.
From left to right the pictures are 1) of Ontario, CAN where my husband was born 2) where we live now and (3) the state I was born in.
Click here to go to the free downloadable prints from q.a. designs
Do you see any prints for your house or to give as gifts?
One of my February goals was to make my daughter a skirt or dress.
I settled on a skirt since that seemed to be an easier project.
Half the coverage, half the work, right?
I followed the instructions from the sewing blog MADE and I think the skirt turned out fairly well for a first try. I didn’t bother making a tutorial because, “about this, and cut about that much,” didn’t seem like real effective directions.
We added the pink leggings since this outfit would have been a bit chilly to wear to recess without them. She is proudly accessorizing with her school birthday crown (and a pterodactyl).
And what did this sweet munchkin tell me immediately after putting on this skirt which I worked on for over an hour and which made me extremely proud to make?
“Thank you Mommy. I love you. Thank you for working so hard on this for me?”
Nope.
It was…
“Now make me a dress please.”
“I’m 1…2….Free!”
We are busy trying to get ready for a birthday party this weekend ….
Can you guess what the theme is?
Have a great weekend!
Here are my goals for this month…
Do you have any plans for March?
And…do you have any suggestions for sunglasses you like that protect your eyes from the sun?