Gymnastics

The girls just completed a 5 week beginners gymnastics class that they took together. It was a great way for them to experience gymnastics without a lengthy commitment and have a whole lot of fun trying out the equipment! Here are some pictures from their class.

Heidi

The kids and I just recently finished reading the book Heidi which was part of Kami's school program. I promised them that once we finished we could watch the movie so they could really see the landscape of the Swiss Alps and mountain meadows. During our study of this book we discussed what the food must have been like for the characters in the book versus what they are used to. The kids asked if we could have a "Heidi" lunch on the day we watched the movie. Here is a picture of our homemade bread (ok - just half since it smelled so good we couldn't resist!). Heidi's grandfather served her melted cheese on thick slabs of bread with fresh milk. (Not sure if she had apples but we needed to add a little fruit to this lunch). Yummy!

Finger Painting Friday

I stumbled across a homemade recipe for finger paints and couldn't wait to try it with the kids. For those of you looking for a great rainy/snowy/sick day project this one is for you!! This is a super simple recipe and could be used for a variety of purposes - practicing cursive writing or printing letters, mixing primary colors to make endless other colors, opportunity for artistic expression (big title that means it is messy fun!). Here are some pictures of our finger paint Friday! (recipe for finger paint to follow pictures)

Finger Paint Recipe:
1/2 c. corn starch
4 Tbsp. sugar
2 c. water

pour all ingredients into medium size sauce pan and cook over medium heat stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken (takes about 10-15 minutes so be patient). Remove from heat and separate into smaller containers. Add food coloring and any "scents" such as kool-aid or vanilla extract and stir. I opted not to add "scent" or flavor since Drew was going to join us and I didn't want him to eat it. I used freezer paper for the kids to paint on since the backside of the freezer paper has a thin plastic lining and would prevent the paper from becoming too soggy.

They Grow Up So Fast

Chip off the old block eh? True male bonding time. (I'm glad the reality of this won't actually begin for many many years....I just love having my little boy little right now).

Thanks for stopping by!

History

Can you guess what we are studying in History? Take a look at these pictures (above).....If you guesses ancient Egypt and mummies you guessed right! All you need are a few rolls of toilet paper and a willing "mummy model" and you've created your very own mummy. Can you guess who the last picture is? Yep - it is me! The girls giggled the entire time they wrapped me up and then enjoyed taking pictures of their mummy/mommy. Isn't school fun!

Etsy

Most of you know my favorite "hobby" over the past several years has become sewing. I started off teaching myself how to sew using the $10 1969 Singer sewing machine I picked up at a friend's garage sale. After the electrical cord was prepared and I thoroughly read the manual I just sat down, determined to learn how to get the heavy beast working (oh and by heavy I mean HEAVY!!!). After mastering the old 69'er I longed for lighter machine with an automatic buttonhole function. I was getting tired of the detachable quirky one the old Singer sported. So my awesome husband surprised me a few years back with a much lighter basic new Singer to keep me going on my hobby. What has kept me sewing as well as kept my attention is the huge variety of fabrics, projects, ideas, etc.....that can be accomplished by sewing. I just love it. I am by no means a master of this hobby but I can see that there has been some improvement over the years, especially after the first year. By the way, I originally picked up sewing while pregnant with Kami so I could learn how to make maternity pants to fit my quickly growing 3rd trimester belly. After a few attempts at making pants with one left leg and one right leg (I tossed out the two left legged pair!) I felt such a great sense of accomplishment and joy (tight pants put a squeeze on the ole joy factor) so I kept on sewing.

Moving on....

Years later the completed projects started piling up and I just kept making more things. What to do what to do?? So I decided to try the online route and set up an ETSY shop. For those who don't know what Etsy is it is a social commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items as well as art and craft supplies. These items cover a wide range including art, photography, clothing, jewelry, edibles, bath & beauty products, quilts, nick-knacks and toys. .... I strongly recommend you spend a few minutes (or more) browsing the great handmade items on Etsy's website http://www.etsy.com/. Also, if you get a chance please visit my shop a http://www.sapucha.etsy.com/ and send me any feed back - good, bad or ugly! Oh and by the way the new thingy on the right side of this blog is a little widget showing some of the items in my shop. I just learned how to create this little widget guy and I kind of like it :)

One last tidbit....

Sapucha? you ask what is Sapucha? (pronounced: Sah-poo-cha.). Well, when Kami was a little toddler she used to come up with "make up words" and she would use her make up words to name toys, people, etc. I just loved this one the best and I thought what better use of a handmade name for a shop selling handmade item.

the first snow of the seaon

The first snow of the season is so exciting especially for the little ones! The kids went to bed well aware that the forecast called for snow, which I reminded them could be just a dusting or a dumping and not to be too disappointed if it was the first. Well they certainly weren't disappointed the next morning and by 9am all three kids and myself were fully suited up in snow attire (with PJ's underneath) tromping through the snow. It may have only been a few inches but to them it was pure winter wonderland. For Drew this was the first time he actually understood what the snow was however he wanted to part in the snowsuit and boots. He has quickly caught on and is becoming more cooperative when getting ready to play outside during the winter. Here are some pics of the kids enjoying the first snow of the winter season! Enjoy!

Substitute Teacher

I'm a little behind with my blog postings but this one I thought needed to be done. In early November I had a wisdom tooth pulled out which required Gary to take a day off from work and stay home with the kids as well as be the teacher for the day. Before his first day of teaching school I made sure the kids' school work was in order and easy to follow as well as some science experiments. My kids just love doing science experiments - usually because they are messy and totally hands on! This would be no different. The object of this experiment was to show how some fairly "weak" materials, uncooked spaghetti noodles and marshmallows could be used to build a stable/strong structure. Here are the results and the scientists (prior to the demolition and eating of the marshmallows). Ok, well Drew had to be bribed with a few marshmallows before construction was completed hence the sticky face.

Dishwasher in Training

Since Drew always wants to do what his big sisters do why wouldn't he want to help mommy with the dishes! I guess you can't start them too early eh? Plus not only does he rinse the dishes well but he also adequately soaks the floor allowing for a little pre-rinse soak before I bust out the mop. During this round of dish washing he was so distracted with the job at hand he didn't even notice (or squirm) when I trimmed his hair. He looks so much older with his new cut! Enjoy the pictures.

Halloween 2010

Sorry for the super belated post with Halloween pictures but I figured better late than never, right? The Allen family ame over to trick-or-treat with the kids which has sort of become an annual tradition. The kids played, ate pizza and got ready for a night out in the neighborhood. This was Drew's first time going around the neighborhood and he caught on quickly! This year the kids designed their own costumes and helped me to sew them. We had a blast working together on this project and were very happy with the results. Kami was a cowgirl, Rian was a mermaid and Drew was a cowboy. The pictures I took weren't the greatest but I think they give a little idea as to how the kids looked. Enjoy!