Seamus the Leprechaun Visited Our House This Morning

We have never been visited by a leprechaun before, but the kids had been talking a lot about the pranks that leprechauns can pull in the last few days, so apparently Seamus the Leprechaun decided it was time for a visit.

The kids excitedly woke me up this morning to find all of the shenanigans that Seamus had left for us.

Was Seamus the Leprechaun trying on everyone's Crocs? And what a place to leave them! The kids thought maybe he was leaving a clue about where chocolate gold coins were, because there was one inside the piano and if you followed the shoes (like an arrow), you could find two more coins.

(Who knows if Seamus even realized he left such great clues!)

The kids in the mess that Seamus left for us.

(Jack declared, "I know! Seamus is probably getting payback on you for toilet papering (our old priest's name)'s office." Touche, Seamus.)

(Oh yeah -- that's right.  I have toilet papered a priest's office not once, but twice even!  I like to live on the edge like that.)

 
The kids searching out all of the chocolate gold coins that Seamus left for us.

Wow! Seamus has really bad handwriting. As I told Eric on the phone when we told him about the big trouble at home, it looks to me like Seamus must be left handed. He was probably sorry that he decided to write such a long note too.

Crazy Seamus!

(We were afraid of what he might have done to the Cool Whip.)

We were all tickled that Seamus had some of the kids Webkinz sit down with the book An Alphabet of Catholic Saints. They were, of course, reading about St. Patrick.

The kids got the Cool Whip out of the fridge, and it was still sealed, just like when I bought it at the store.

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Was Seamus the Leprechaun trying on everyone's Crocs? And what a place to leave them! The kids thought maybe he was leaving a clue about where chocolate gold coins were, because there was one inside the piano and if you followed the shoes (like an arrow), you could find two more coins. (Who knows if Seamus even realized he left such great clues!)

 Cut off the seal. All seems fine. We think Seamus is playing a trick by saying he played a trick.

Noah opened the container. I forgot to take a picture, but it was white. We were then certain that Seamus has just tricked us into opening the Cool Whip.

But, just to be sure, we got out a spoon and went digging around for something.

Darn Seamus! When we went digging around into the Cool Whip, it started turning green!

The living room mess, from a different angle.

One of the 15 gold chocolate coins spread out around the house.

Another piece of chocolate hidden.

Good thing we were out of Holy Water, Seamus, or nobody would have wanted to eat that one. (This was the last coin that was found.)

Hard to see on their bunk bed steps, but here are the 15 gold chocolate coins.

Thanks for the fun, Seamus!

 







This post is linked to Finer Things Friday.

7 Quick Takes: March 12, 2010 (Vol. 33)

~ 1 ~

I got to have the loveliest experience this week.  I sat for two hours in the waiting room of an occupational therapy/physical therapy clinic while Jack had two different appointments.

That may sound like I'm being sarcastic, but, the beauty in it was that Eric had taken the afternoon off of work.  So, it was just me and my iPod.  I listened to some of my playlists while I did things like cutting out little books for my preschool co-op class and making felt cookies (and text messaging Eric from time to time).

It was just the kind of break I needed.  Not just from the kids, but from the computer too.  It was nice to just be.

~ 2 ~

This week, we had not only our first thunderstorm of the year, but also the first time that we ate at a restaurant and sat outside too.  I keep thinking that it's going to suddenly snow again, because this just seems too good to be true.  It's been an awfully long winter.

What are some of your signs of Spring?

~ 3 ~

I am already in the mood for the chocolate molten lava cakes again.  That is not such a good choice for working on eating better and losing weight.  I think I just need to wait until we have my parents over for dinner again, that way there is less of them to go around.

~ 4 ~

On Saturday, we went to Home Depot for their monthly kids workshop.  We made rain gauges, and they are so cool! (This was more fun than the time we went and they ran out of the project, so we had to make a project with paint stirring sticks.)

It was so fun to see the kids working on projects.  And, even more fun was watching Eric show them how to do it.  I love that man.

If you have kids in the target age for Home Depot's kids workshops, they are the first Saturday of each month from 9 am until noon.  You don't have to register -- just show up!  (And it's free!)

April's project will be a butterfly house and May's project will be a picket fence planter.

~ 5 ~

After we whipped up some rain gauges, we went to a furniture store that we have never been to before.  They have a lot of discounted new furniture, as well as used furniture.  It was just about the coolest thing ever!

One of my favorite parts was that they give a discount for cash.  And, I'm not talking about a tiny discount either.  It made me absolutely giddy for some reason.

We left with a child size desk (Molly sized) that has five drawers, is made of real wood, and was too cute.  It looks like it has been painted at least five times -- so it has obviously seen a lot of use.  It was $45.  Or, for cash, it was $30.  That little girl has been using it constantly.  That is best $30 I have spent in quite a while.

~ 6 ~

While we were at the furniture store, we also saved about $40 by paying cash for a (new in box) bunk bed!  It was one of their most expensive bunk beds they had, but it was still far below what bunk beds cost elsewhere.

Do you know my favorite part?

No, you're wrong -- it wasn't the $40 cash discount.  It's stairs.  This bunk bed doesn't have a ladder -- it has stairs!  And the stairs each have a drawer in them.  So cool!

~ 7 ~

If you're Catholic, you absolutely must go check out one of my new favorite sites -- Catholic Icing.  Not only does it feature the coolest Catholic projects and crafts, but Lacy (the gal that runs it) is super sweet.




The only thing I don't like about Catholic Icing is that I get hungry every time I go visit the blog.  Be warned, you might get hungry too.







This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes and Weekly Wrap Up.

Dramatic Play with a Credit Card Imprinter

My kids, like many other children, like to play store or restaurant.  One of their favorite things to do during this dramatic play time is to write up receipts, thanks to a manual credit card imprinter that we have.

Here is one of their check out area set ups:

Not only do they all fight over who gets to use the credit card imprinter have a great time, but they practice skills like writing, doing math, and printing or writing their names (all depending on their various skill levels).

This is a great prop to have for play stores, and it's definitely something that all of my kids enjoy!  Manual credit card imprinters and receipts are inexpensive on Ebay or you might ask someone who has had a business for a while if they have one sitting around that they don't use anymore.  This simple prop just might add hours of fun and delight to your children's play!

On a side note: For those of you concerned about giving the wrong idea about credit cards to your kids, my kids ask each other for their debit cards for payment.








This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday and Thirsty Thursday.

Exploring Electronics with Dad

This winter, our DVD/VCR combo died.  First the VCR portion died, and then finally, the DVD player bit the dust as well.  As you can see, our DVD player died with a DVD inside.  This meant that before we got rid of it, Eric was going to need to take it partially apart to get the DVD out.

That wouldn't be fun though, would it?

So, I told Eric that he should let the kids help with taking apart the DVD/VCR to get the DVD.  In the end, he not only let them help to open it up, but then they just took it the rest of the way apart.  Not only did the kids get to safely see inside some electronics (which they thought was pretty darn cool), but Eric had a great time exploring it with them.  Since he is experienced in electronics like this, one highlight for the kids was when he took apart the drawer that the DVD goes into, but was able to still trigger it to open and shut.


I love it when we are able to take advantage of these exploration opportunities.  It always seems that they are not only enjoyed by the kids, but we enjoy them too.  What better way is there to learn than that?

What are some of your favorite exploration opportunities?


 






This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday and Finer Things Friday.

Soda Bottle Recycled Into a Bird Feeder

My kids have a great love for birds.  (I have even written about using bird feeders as a homeschooling tool before.)  The kids just can't get enough of watching birds in our backyard at our bird feeder.  So, when I saw a small contraption that would allow us to turn a soda bottle into a bird feeder, I knew that the kids would really love that!

This project was easy for the kids to primarily work on by themselves, with a bit of help from me (specifically when making holes in the top of the "bird feeder" aka the bottom of the two liter bottle).  And, with the actual feeder costing only a few dollars, this was a fun and frugal way to recycle an old bottle.

Not only were the kids able to enjoy watching the birds, but the birds seemed to enjoy it as well!

What are some inexpensive utilitarian crafts that you enjoy with your family?
 






This post is linked to Thirsty Thursday and Frugal Friday.

Free Home Depot Kids' Workshops

A couple of months ago, Eric took the boys to Home Depot to complete one of the Kids Workshops that they offer.  The boys came home pleased, and also had a completed project, a pin (with a graphic of that month's project on it), and a certificate of completion. (Oh, and some orange aprons that were very small, but Molly enjoyed those.)

Home Depot offers these workshops for free on the first Saturday of each month from 9 am until noon at their stores.  The workshops are for kids aged 5 - 12.  Expect that you will be helping your child to complete their project -- they don't do the project with the kids, but just have the kits, tools, and space to work on them.  The projects are easy to complete, and the boys were very proud of what they were able to complete.

I like that the website shows the next two projects, so that you can decide if it's something that you're interested in trying out with the kids.  Their next project day is Saturday, October 3rd.

I really liked that they made sure that the kids used a variety of tools, so that they could feel like they really made something.  Eric enjoyed the chance to spend some time with the boys, and they definitely enjoyed spending the time with him! 

So, let's see.  Time with parents to complete a project: Cool.  A nice variety of projects: Cool.  No need to register ahead of time: Very cool.  The fact that the project is free: Totally cool.








This post is linked to: Works for Me Wednesday, Finer Things Friday, and Frugal Fridays.

Introducing Kids to Needlework Arts

Admittedly, it cracks me up to write that title for this post.  It makes me sound like I'm on some kind of solid ground on needlework. 

So, in the interest of being brutally honest, I am not an expert at all.  Not even a little bit.  In fact, it is only thanks to my Mom, some free time on vacation in January, and the Stitch-It Kit, that I am able to say that I can now do some embroidery and have now been able to sew on a button.

So, with all of that out of the way, I can share how I wanted to share this new hobby with my kids.

I bought a few plastic embroidery hoops, a yard of a loose burlap, some large children's plastic needles, and some very thin needle point yarn.  And, can I just tell you that my kids (well, at least the younger two) were going crazy wanting to get started on learning to, as they said, "stitch."  (As in, "Can we stitch now?" or "I really like stitching.")

I gave them a basic overview of how to hold things, how to make some stitches, and really just let them go at it.  I helped them when they asked, and occasionally gave a tip or two, but I basically just let them try it out.  I wanted them to be able to just explore what it felt like.

Apparently that worked out well, because they continue to ask to do it.  And, not only that, but when they were using lacing cards, they immediately said, "Hey -- this is stitching!"  And I could only smile.


This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

How to Dye Pasta for Kids Crafts

This past Mother's Day, I decided that I wanted my preschool co-op class to work on a project for their Moms. So many of the kids have never been to traditional school, so their Moms had never been the recipients of handmade projects.

I really kept wavering about what I should make with them, but then I thought of the fun, inexpensive, and educational (great fine motor practice, as well as math for patterns) craft of pasta necklaces.

Here's what you need to dye your own pasta for a variety of crafts (you can also dye rice with this same method for crafts or sensory tables):

1. Pasta -- there are lots of great shapes that can be used. Just keep in mind what you're doing, and that will help guide you.

Because I was doing necklaces with young kids, I went with only rigatoni noodles.

(After a comment on this post, I wanted to point out two quick things. It was suggested in the comments that this could be an even more frugal project if store brand pasta is used. That is definitely true, so keep that in mind! However, also be sure to check out the brand name boxes too. When I bought these, they were actually on sale and were cheaper than the store brand.)

2. Rubbing Alcohol -- You'll need around 1/4 cup of this for every cup or two of pasta, so make sure you have enough rubbing alcohol at home.

3. Large Ziploc bags -- make sure you have a brand that seals well. I actually double up my bags to even further reduce the risk of leakage.

4. Liquid Food Coloring -- Make sure you have a few different colors, if you are dyeing a variety of colors of pasta. (And, remember, you can mix colors to create new ones.)

Get your zip bag and add 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol and around 10 drops of food coloring (can do more, if you want) and swish it around. Then, add 1 - 2 cups of pasta into the bag.

Truth be told, I think I added about 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol to these bags (plus double the amount of food coloring) and then just filled the bag with pasta.

Really move the pasta around in the bags, then lay them out flat (still in the bags). I put the bags on a foil lined cookie sheet, just in case there were spills.

Allow the pasta to sit in the ziploc bags. I flipped them over every 30 minutes for a couple of hours. I probably could have let them sit for longer and flipped them over less, but I loved looking at the colors as they got deeper and more vibrant.

The longer you let them sit in the bags, the deeper and more vibrant they will become.

When you have your desired color, drain the colored alcohol out of the bag, and then set the pasta out to dry.

I put newspaper on my foil lined cookie sheets, and then put the pasta down on them in sections. (You know, a green section, an orange section, etc.)

I let them dry like that overnight, and then packed them up to take to co-op in baggies the next day.


The kids loved making necklaces for their Moms, and every had to ask me how to dye their own pasta. (Quick Tip: When making necklaces with young kids, it is easiest for them if one side of the yarn is taped down to the table.)

Each child also decorated a paper bag for their Moms to use as "gift wrap."

Having never received these kinds of handmade kid gifts, I actually even had several Moms who told me that they wore their beautiful and bright necklaces to Mass on Mother's Day!

This is a fun, easy, and frugal craft for Moms (with the dyeing) and kids!

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

Using Crafts as an Educational Tool for Preschoolers

My four year old recently fell in love with making designs with Perler Beads. I thought it was cute, so I picked up a few sets for her.

(If you are unfamiliar with Perler Beads, they are "beads" that you put on a peg board to form a design. You then use the ironing paper that comes with it to cover the design and iron over it. This melts the beads a bit and fuses the design together.)

I was shocked one day when she made her third design with the beads to see...(to read the rest of "Using Crafts as an Educational Tool for Preschoolers," check out my post today at The Homeschool Classroom.)

A Music Curriculum for Less than $13

Visit my article over at The Homeschool Classroom today where I talked all about the music "curriculum" we are using this year that cost just under $13. Yeah, you read that right! $13!

(Read more about our music curriculum at the Homeschool Classroom)

Cool Learning Products for Preschoolers

Not too long ago, I was reading Let's Explore, which is a blog that I love. Always lots of great ideas! While I was reading, I saw this cool spinning letter toy (it's wooden and made in Vermont). I thought it would be perfect for Molly, as we are beginning PreK at home this year.

When it arrived in the mail, we were thrilled with it! Not only did she quickly learn how to sound out the letters and read many of the words on the toy, but she also kept asking me if I wanted to play the "game" with her.



Yes, there we were, working on early reading skills, and she was thrilled because she was calling it a game!

Since I was already ordering from the shop anyway, I decided that I would finally order the Crayon Rocks that I have seen so many blogs rave about. I always thought they looked neat, but couldn't commit. But, if I was going to be ordering, why not?

We loved the Crayon Rocks as well! Not only are the cool and vibrant colors, but they come in a pouch with a three different color options. Molly was thrilled to have a purple pouch! Apparently this made them seem extra special, as she has been pulling them out to show every single visitor we've had at the house since they arrived.

We also ordered the Wikki Sticks Alphabet Cards to work on during school time as well. We haven't opened them yet, but considering how cool everything else was, I just know that they will be awesome as well!

I can't wait until we place another order from Let's Explore!

In interest of full disclosure, I was not asked to write this nor compensated for it. I just really enjoyed the things we ordered, and wanted to pass along the word!

All photos from Let's Explore ~ Creative Fun for Curious Kids