Art Tuesday: Cutting Bouquets

The great thing about doing art projects with friends is that they come up with things I never would have, and vice versa. I loved this flower-making project because it utilized such a range of visual and motor skills, engaged our preschoolers for a long time, and each unique flower was perfect as it was.

First, we twisted our floral wire bases - even in these, each one was different, yet perfect - there are a lot of ways to make a wire stand!

Then we traced circles on colored paper using cups, and cut them out. Taped one on the wire for a center, and cut slits in the others to make petals. Slide the petals on, tape the base to a paper for greater stability, and voila!

The 3-year-old lost interest after cutting a few circles, but our 4-year-olds held focus and made two flowers each! Here's Ginger's:Here's mine:Then we went outside and cut our own real bouquets from my friend's gorgeous hydrangea bushes and flower garden; we each got to take our bouquet home in a Wendy's cup. Pretty much another perfect Art Tuesday.
Cutting Bouquets
What you need:

• 18-inch floral wire (comes in a long skinny pack from craft stores)
• colored paper
• cup, cookie cutter or other round template
• scissors
• pencil
• tape

What to do:
1. Twist wire into a spiral base so it will stand up.

2. Trace circles onto colored paper with a pencil and cut them out.
3. Tape one circle to the top of the wire. Fold the other circles in half and cut a slit about halfway up from the folded edge. Don't cut it all the way in half! Slide the slit onto the center circle, and gently open the folded circle to spread the petals a bit. Adjust the petals or wire so it will keep standing. Repeat with more petals.

4. Optional- tape the wire base to a piece of paper or cardboard to help stabilize it.

Berries

14 Months

I was just going to write a quickie update on Poppy, then I got a call to go pick up Hazel at the school clinic so this will be even shorter than quickie. Just look how beautiful she is:She loves reading books, being held, saying "Mama!" one million times each day, yelling at the top of her lungs, rough housing, climbing, shoes, getting wet, grapes, pasta with red sauce, fruit snacks, playing with food cans, and toothbrushes.

She does not love milk, being scolded, or sitting still.

She is always cute...but cutest when sleeping or laughing. Gotta run!

Art Tuesday: Squeezing Shapes

This week's art project turned out even better than expected. For "Squeezing Shapes" we squeezed tempera paint onto thick paper, then pressed another piece on top, gently peeled off, and named the gorgeous shapes we made.

Then we read the book It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw. Each page shows a white shape on a blue background, with text following this pattern - "It looked like ________. But it wasn't _________." Then at the end it says that it was just a cloud in the sky. The kids had a great time naming the shapes (squirrel, butterfly, etc.)
Then we went back to the counter and made shapes with white paint on blue paper.
Overall a highly successful Art Tuesday. Some of the prints came out so beautifully I think we will frame them.

Squeezing Shapes
Supplies:

• Tempera paint
• Squeezy bottles if the paint doesn't come in them
• Newspapers for covering work surface
• Thick paper like cardstock, posterboard or watercolor paper (construction paper is too thin)

Cover work surface in newspaper. Give each child a thick piece of paper and whatever color(s) paint they choose. Squeeze paint in a design on the paper. Place another piece of paper on top, lining up edges as well as possible. Press with hands. Carefully peel papers apart. Look at the designs and discuss what you see in them - have the child name the shapes.
Parent rating: Easy
Child rating: Fun

Fashion Week, continued

A few days after that last post, Hazel picked her own outfit, from head to toe. I loved it.(And that blur of white in the background is Poppy trying to make off with Hazel's raincoat while we are distracted!)

Fashion Week

Hellooo. I've gone and made a new Listmania! list. It gives me the feeling of being organized. I think you'll like it:

Picture Books for the Burgeoning Fashionista

We have a few fashionistas around here. Poppy's got a new shoe fettish and likes to get her hair "done" in the morning with her sisters (though she won't keep any bobs in.)

And. I got the girls Fashion Plates - anyone remember those? Like this but the originals, with all the 70's hair and clothes. Paid an arm and a leg on ebay for a complete set. But I love them and so do the girls. Watch our walls for some new decor...

Art Tuesday: Dipping Colors

Now that Ginger is out of school for three whole months, and ballet is over (the recital was adorable!), I am trying to add a modicum of structure to our days. Henceforth, every Tuesday we will be doing an art project. A real art project, not just coloring or gluing. I got a pretty good book, Art for the Very Young. Plus Young at Art is great. And there are lots of online sources as well.

So as often as I remember, or feel like it, I'll be sharing our Art Tuesdays. I expect some will be more fun and/or successful than others. I am not an artist myself at all. But I like creating things, working with my hands, and spending time with Ginger (and in a few weeks, Hazel.) And I love shopping for art supplies. So we will just give it a shot.

First up, a project called Dipping Colors. Easy, fun, cheap - all I could want in a project.

Dipping Colors
What you need:

• paper coffee filters (or paper towels)
• muffin tin (standard or mini)
• food coloring
• newspaper
• water

1. Fill a few muffin cups with water. Color the water with food coloring.

2. Fold the coffee filter/paper towel in quarters. Let the child dip the paper into the colors, watch it spread, turn it, dip another part in another color, etc.
3. Unfold the paper and lay flat on newspaper to dry.Uses: hang the tie-dyed circles from a curtain rod, string or hook for decorations, tape to windows, glue on craft paper to make wrapping paper, or poke a hole through the center and fiddle a pipe cleaner through to make paper flowers.

Child Rating (how much the kid actually liked doing it): ***** (5/5)

Frosting for the Cause: Pistachio-Cardamom Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Look at me, I'm a guest blogger. Several months ago I signed up with "Frosting for the Cause" to write a post, donate my cupcakes, and donate $25 to cancer research. June 3 was my day, and now it's here. I'm super impressed with this project, and mastermind Paula's management of it. I hope you'll go over and check it all out. If for nothing else, my Pistachio-Cardamom Cupcakes with the BEST EVER Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting.

Also, I am fascinated by these Chocolate Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes. Can't wait to try them.

Summertime

I do not care what the calendar says. It got hot last week, so that makes it summer. Then Ginger had her last day of preschool. And today it is NINETY-SIX DEGREES, so that seals the deal. This year we got season passes to the local public pool, but on days we just can't make it that far, this is what we'll be doing.

DM Finds: Stomp Rocket

OK, folks, here is the hottest summer toy that both you and your kids will love: the Stomp Rocket. This one is actually the Stomp Rocket Jr. with glow-in-the-dark rockets.

I was browsing on Amazon for a birthday gift for Hazel's friend, and was seduced by the rave reviews and perfect price tag ($10.50) this little set offered. So we got one for her friend. And another set for us.

It is the BEST summer toy, and here's why:

• Kid-powered (no batteries)
• Requires turn-taking but turns are very quick
• Fun for all ages (Poppy can put the rocket on by herself and we help her jump or sit on the stomper to send it flying - gratuitous giggles ensue)
  
• Can play alone or with others (it's fun to try to catch the rocket when you're waiting for your turn)
• Inherent but unmeasurable competition
• Active!

Cons, though I don't think any of them are a big deal:

• Babies like to chew on the rockets (so what else is new)
• The stand sometimes comes apart if it gets knocked or jumped on - an adult has to put it back together
• The rockets sometimes get stuck in nearby trees, but that offers its own fun trying to get it down (Dads love to get involved in this manly challenge)
• Babies crawling too close to the stomper may get knocked down by heaven-gazers trying to catch the rockets (whoops)
  

We were out in our common area/courtyard the other night doing the rocket and a family who recently moved in came out when they heard the giggles. They have a newly adopted 3-year-old son from Eritrea who is shy and speaks little English. It was fun to see him warm up and smile when his Dad, and later he, stomped the rocket into space.

So if you've got a space for stomping, I'd say go get you one. Unless your kid has a summer birthday and will be inviting my kid to the party...because I'm pretty sure this is our new favorite gift.

And here's a cute picture of Ginger climbing the tree the HOA says we're not allowed to climb. I am training them early to defy authority.

DM Tip: Pony Holders

This is our hair basket:
It contains a brush, water spray bottle, detangling spray, and several zipper cases of elastics, clips and various accessories, all of which are always jumbled, and to which you can never find a match when you need one. When the girls take ponytail holders out of their hair at night, they end up on the floor, in the bathroom, in the laundry - anywhere but back in the hair basket.

But a tip I read recently is helping to reign in the chaos - keeping ponies on carabiners.
It's especially nice for us since we have several sizes of ponies and the little ones are really hard to keep track of.
We ordered a set of six carabiners from Amazon ($6), and when they arrived Ginger helped me load them all up. One empty one stays in the girls' bathroom to receive used ones at night. She thought it was a super fun activity. And I love that everything is a little more contained.

And as a bonus, the case of pony carabiners is Poppy's new favorite toy!