I LOVE IT!!

Well, we are finally ALMOST finished with the play room.   I thought I was done once, but I was wrong...    Two of my dear friends have moved out of state recently, and both of them had bookshelves they were getting rid of.   I can't pass up a good bookshelf.  And a free or cheap one from a friend is even that much better!!  So with a few coats of paint, and a little Pinterest inspiration, I turned three cast-off bookshelves into Play Room Perfection!!!

 

 First, we painted the three bookshelves a nice
"Lego Blue" color.  We brought them in the basement & got them positioned where we wanted, then screwed them together & used brackets to anchor them to the wall.   We wanted the two end shelves to stand up like traditional bookcases for storage, and the 3rd one we laid down to create a window-seat type sitting area, which AJ was more than happy to demonstrate.   Hunter insists that is not the only good sitting space....

Here it is after we got our stuff organized into bins & boxes, labeled, and put on the shelves.   We are putting some of the boys books here too, but keeping the majority of the books in their bedrooms.  The small wooden shelf is one my father in law made years ago that is perfect for those Lego storage boxes by Iris.  I am going to paint or cut letters on my Cricut for a quote I want over the shelf.  It will say "PLAY is the highest form of research. - Albert Einstein" 

Gotta love labels on boxes!  I printed labels off the computer with pictures of what is in each box and the words to help my learning-to-read 5 year old know where things go.  Eventually there will be a nice soft cushion on the bench part to make it a cozy spot to curl up with a good book or the latest Lego Club Magazine! We just have to go pick out the fabric.  Both boys want Lego fabric, but alas, I cannot find it

This corner has chalkboard paint on the wall, which the boys have really enjoyed.  They use that wide windowsill for displaying some of their favorite Lego builds, and store chalk and things on the Crayola shelf they got from Aunt Jenn.

This wall is where my Gramma and I have been painting Legos on the wall.   They aren't quite finished yet, but you can get the idea. 


It is definitely a Lego inspired room, but that is what my boys are really into!   We love the bright colors, without it being overwhelming. 


So, I think I will call this my Jane & Jill shelf, in honor of those friends who made this whole project possible!

Quotes to live by...

I have been thinking about quotes a lot lately.   I have pinned several on my pinterest boards recently, and I love finding the quotes on photos, or quotes with interesting fonts.  Albert Einstein is one of my favorites.  He has SO many good quotes on a variety of topics.  While searching for something totally unrelated, I ran across a quote attributed to him that I had not heard before, and really liked it. 

So I made this...

AJ and his Daddy have always shared story time at bedtime.  It is their very special time of the day.  This photo was taken back in 2007, when AJ was 4. Now, both boys enjoy story time with Daddy right before bed.  Anyway, when I found this quote earlier today, I immediately thought of this photo.  

The true wisdom here is not in the reading of fairy tales, which I do think is important, but it is in the time spent together.   Did you know that the average working father spends less than one hour a day with his children?  One hour.  That makes my heart break.  But it also reminds me of another great quote I read this week...  "Don't marry a man unless you would be proud to have a son exactly like him."  I am blessed beyond measure to have a husband who considers his family, his marriage, his sons a priority.  He takes the time to read bedtime stories, have tickle fights, and wrestling matches.  He recognizes the teachable moments and takes advantage of them.  He makes learning fun.  He does so much for our boys, and I am grateful. 

I feel a celebration coming on...

The little man turned 5 yesterday.   Wow...  it is hard to believe he is 5 already, and will go to Kindergarten next year!!!  I have been busy getting ready for his birthday party in a couple of weeks.  He wanted to have a Team Umizoomi birthday.   Great little show on Nick Jr. for kids focusing on early math skills, but there is nothing, and I mean NOTHING out there party-wise.  In fact, the only thing I have ever seen in the retail market with Team Umizoomi on it are some Pre-K math kits with workbooks and a DVD.

Super-Mom to the rescue!   Thanks to several google searches, pinterest, and some personal creativity, we have a pretty rockin' party coming together!!

Party Favors:
I printed labels with images from Team Umizoomi, and stuck the labels around bottles of bubbles, cans of play-doh, and wrapped them around a small chocolate for all the kids.  I also made a bottle cap necklace for each of the kids with a Team Umizoomi photo in it.

To make the necklaces, I used printed images, a package of bottle caps, a 1" circle punch, and Glossy Accents.  (Diamond Glaze & Crystal Lacquer are the same thing.) 

Punch out the images and glue them inside the bottle cap with a bit of Glossy Accents.  Then cover the entire image with a good layer of Glossy Accents.   They will take about an hour or so to dry completely, depending on the humidity where you are.  Punch a hole in the top of the bottle cap.  Make the necklace by putting a jump ring in the hole and attaching the bottle cap to a string, ribbon, or metal necklace.   Cute & easy!  Mine are not quite dry yet in the photo, so they still look a little "foggy".  Once it is really dry the Glossy Accents is completely clear. 




Games:
I used more printables from the Nick Jr website for the games.   We are going to have different stations for each of the characters.  Milli's Measurements, where the kids will get to measure themselves on a height chart & compare.  Who is tallest?  Who is smallest?  Geo's Shapes, where the kids will get to make pictures with shapes (think Tangrams or Playful Patterns).  Bot's Bellyscreen, where the kids will take their photos on a green screen.  I will put their faces in Bot's bellyscreen and mail the photos to them after the party as their thank you notes.  We are also going to have a scavenger hunt for various shapes & numbers.    At the snack table, kids will find shaped snacks and part of a pattern, where they can finish out the pattern with their snack shapes.




Cupcake Toppers:

Hunter wanted cupcakes for his birthday, so I found some cupcake papers with polka dots that match the color scheme, and made these adorable cupcake toppers using some scrapbook paper & printables from the Nick Jr website.

First, I cut scrapbook paper into 2 inch strips.  (You will need 2 strips for each rosette.)  Using a scoring plate, I scored every inch, then flipped them over & scored on the 1/2 inch.

After the strips are all scored, I attached the ends of 2 strips together.  Put adhesive on the "valley" end of one strip, and attach it to the "mountain" end of another strip.

After you get all of the strips glued together, accordion fold them along your score lines.  (Remember making those little fans & stuff as a kid?  Same technique.)

Here is my pretty rainbow of folded strips.  :)

If you are making cupcake toppers like me, glue a toothpick to one end of the strips at this point. If you are making medallions to use on cards or a scrapbook page or other project, skip this step.

Now, you need to glue the ends together, just like you did when making the long strips.  Glue a "valley" end to a "mountain" end. You will end up with a circle like this.  (For you cupcake people -- one of your ends will have a toothpick sticking out of it, which is not shown in this photo.)   





Now, take your circle and flatten it on the table.   I filled the center hole with hot glue.  If you do this, it really strengthens the medallion.  (Remember, I am making cupcake decorations for a bunch of 5 year olds!  I wanted them to be super sturdy!!)  If your medallion is going to be attached to a card or something, filling the center is not necessary.  If you DO fill it, I would suggesting using a non-stick craft mat under your work area.  

Cut out whatever you are using to decorate the center of your medallion.  I am using printables from Nick Jr. that fit my Team Umizoomi theme.
Decide if you only need an image for the front or if you want an image for front and back, based on what your project is for.  For my cupcake decorations, I wanted an image front and back.
I also suggest gluing your decorations to the flattened medallion with hot glue if they will be handled a lot. If not, most any adhesive will work fine. 

Here are my finished cupcake decorations!
Umifriends on the front, and the number 5 on the back.  The finished product is about 4" across, which is pretty big for a cupcake, but the little man said he wanted them big, so that's what he got!  :)

The big party day is still a couple of weeks away, but I will be sure to post some photos afterwards!

Momma's Little Monster

I have always hated those t-shirts for kids that say "Mom's Little Monster" or "Here Comes Trouble" etc.  Tell a kid they are a monster, or trouble, and guess what?  They believe you.  And they live up to that belief.  (geeez I sound like my mother....)

But THIS little monster is ADORABLE!!!!!   Found the idea on Pinterest, my new obsession, addiction, whatever you want to call it, there are some really great ideas to be found on there!

So, I took a pair of Hunter's jeans that he blew the knee out of, and magically transformed them into these super-duper-cute monster jeans.   And the best part??  HE LOVES THEM!!!! 

I used a pair of jeans, complete with hole in the knee, a piece of t-shirt scrap left over from a t-shirt quilt I made, a piece of felt scrap left over from AJ's Native American Diorama, (which I still need to post photos of...), buttons, a needle & thread.  I used embroidery floss because I wanted it to have that big, wonky, uneven look.

First, I stitched the felt to the t-shirt scrap.  I did this part on my sewing machine because I wanted it to be on there really well. 

Next, I cut the white felt into triangles to look like teeth.  I took this part, and put it inside the pant leg, glued it in place with fabric glue, then stitched around the perimeter of the hole.  Add a couple of buttons for eyes, and presto-chango... plain old holey jeans are magically transformed in to super-cute Monster Jeans!!!  RAWR!!

Scout, our Elf on the Shelf

Back in November, my Grandma got the boys an Elf on the Shelf.  She thought it would be so much fun, and that they would love looking for it every day.   I was a little hesitant at first, but after doing some looking around online at all the funny things other people's elves had done, I realized how much fun it could be!  Now that the holidays are over, all the decorations are packed up & put away, I wanted to share a few of the funny things our elf, Scout, did this year.  Sometimes he was a little bit mischievous...  :)

 

 

The boys were sad to see Scout go, and sad that they didn't get to tell him goodbye on Christmas Eve.  So Scout got special permission from Santa to come back on Christmas morning to tell them goodbye, and leave a letter for them.   

 

 We will be waiting for you next year, Scout!!

The Tooth Fairy and Friends

My friend Shelley posted on her blog about her 9 year old daughter losing another tooth, and asking "the big question." Someone commented that when kids find out the tooth fairy & santa clause aren't exactly who they thought they were, it is the end of an era. How true. But that prompted me to want to write about the topic as well. Just because one era is coming to an end doesn't mean it has to be all sad.

AJ asked when he was 6. He had just pulled his 3rd tooth. He came in & handed it to me as he was getting ready for bed. I said something to the effect of "aren't you going to put it under your pillow for the tooth fairy?" He told me he knew it was me & daddy who took the tooth & left the money. He said "I know the tooth fairy is not real. Just like I know Santa Clause is not real." We'd had the Santa discussion when he was 4. FOUR! So early in life for a kid to be so serious, and at the same time, so smart. I took the opportunity to make a special memory - with the tooth, by pulling out his baby book & showing him the tooth chart where I had written in the dates when his teeth came in. I had also saved all of the teeth he has lost in tiny baggies & attached them to that same page with the dates he lost them. He thought that was pretty cool. Now when he loses a tooth, he wants to put it in the baby book. A new special memory. :)

With Santa, we talked about how the story of Santa came about. We talked about St. Nicholas, and about giving toys to kids who don't have new toys for Christmas. We talked about the opportunity we have to be Santa for someone else. We have done that every year since... He wraps presents for other little boys who are in need, and we deliver them to the porch, ring the bell, then hide to watch the family find the gifts, complete with tags saying "From Santa". He loves this tradition. Sometimes he wraps up his own toys he no longer plays with, sometimes we go to the store & shop for our special family of the year. One year we actually ended up delivering toys to a family who lived next door to my grandmother. Sometimes we do it by ourselves, sometimes we do it with another family. Each time, we make a special memory.

The truth finding phase is indeed the end of an era, but it is also a chance to make other memories that can be just as special.

Our Weekend in Tulsa

We took the kids to Tulsa this weekend to see some long-time friends. My hubby & these guys were like the 3 musketeers from about 6th grade on, and the other two musketeers moved to Tulsa in October. We have really missed getting together with them. When we all lived close, we spent a lot of time together. The guys were all in each other's weddings. I remember when the 6 of us would go out for dinner, then meet at one of our houses & play games until midnight or so. Now, between the 3 couples we have 3 boys & 2 girls. The oldest is 4 and the youngest is 14 months... what a houseful when we all get together!!

We left Friday afternoon, and of course had to stop at the McDonald's that goes over the highway. If you've ever driven from Joplin into Tulsa, you know exactly which one I am talking about... it is pretty cool, but for a 4 year old, it was REALLY cool! We got some popcorn and chicken nuggets & sat by the windows so we could watch the traffic zoom by underneath us. Now does that sound like heaven to a kid or what?? When we got there, everybody got together at a Mexican place called Abuelo's that was really good. Now for me, that is saying something because I don't care for Mexican food. Well, in truth I like it okay, but let's just say it doesn't like me. We were already geared up for Mexican though, because I had been telling my husband about this place I had been in Tulsa when I was in high school that was really fun, Casa Bonita. Unfortunately, we learned that they are out of business, which was really sad. They had little flags on the table, and if you needed your server, you just ran your flag up the little pole, and they would come by. The atmosphere was great too -- several different rooms, each with a different theme. One had an indoor waterfall & was decorated like you were sitting in an open courtyard. I still remember their sopapillas served warm with honey... mmmmmmm........ After dinner we went back to the house & got all the kids to bed. The adults stayed up talking & playing board games, Wii, etc. until 4:00 am. I cannot even think of the last time I was up that late! We all agreed it was probably because we had not seen each other in so long & we had a lot to catch up on. I vote that we get together more often so we don't stay up so late next time!! Our kids were up at about 6:30 Saturday morning, and the rest were up by 8:30. Ugh!

The two girls had their first ballet class on Saturday morning, then that afternoon we took the kids to the Tulsa Zoo. They loved the petting area and riding the carousel! Everybody loved the train too, except the baby -- he was great with it until we went through a tunnel, which he didn't like at all. It was pretty crowded, I guess because the weather is finally getting warm. We were going to eat dinner at an Italian place called Jonny Carino's, but when we got there, we discovered it was Prom night! The wait for a table for 11 was almost 2 hours long... and with 5 young kids who missed their naps, we all agreed that was not going to happen! We ended up at another Italian place called Carrabba's. There were some Prom-goers there too, but we got in within 15 minutes, so it was perfect. I think everybody had a great time, but we were all exhausted at the end of the day! We left Tulsa at about 9:00 pm, which put us home at midnight. Praise the Lord for getting us home safe on so little sleep! Then we were up early for church on Sunday, since DH is on worship team and I am doing drama for children's worship. Naps for all on Sunday afternoon!! All in all, it was a good weekend. It was great to see everybody again... we will have to do this more often. Minus the 4am part...