Throw a kids craft party this Summer

I was browsing Pinterest this morning and saw this awesome watermelon shark. As I pinned it to my DIY board, I realized all these ideas (on my board) were the ingredients for a fun kids party. I am so glad I have a girl. Click on the link to the board above to see the watermelon shark and some other fun ideas.

Kids Fabric Design Contest

I read about the Spoonflower kids contest just in time to mention it to Gabrielle. She drew a few rough sketches of designs. Some featuring squirrels and the things they like - trees and nuts. Some stripes and geometric designs. She was asking me which idea would make a good fabric design. I suggested she just draw and color something she really loved to draw like she was making a picture for a friend. After that, we could figure out how to turn it into a fabric. I love what she did. You know I am going to order her flower in the field fabric. If you click on the contest to see all of the great kids entries, keep your mouse hovering around the green arrow to get the photos to show up. You can vote for as many as you like. Seeing kids designs reminds me to keep having fun and make what I love.

Listen to Your Mother Video - See me read

This is 2 stories I wrote for writers group and have published here. I was chosen to read them at this event. I just wish the videographer had been in front of me instead of so far off to the side. Oh well, enjoy the view of my hair.

Lists

I wrote this a few years ago for a newsletter. It has become one of the favorite stories I have told at writers group. With the kids heading back to school this week, I thought it was a good one to share here now.

It was late September, the kids had been back to school for about a month, and I was
relishing the quiet hours between 9 and 3. Time to work uninterrupted. If the weather was good, I could even get an extra half an hour in as I sent the kids walking to school and let them see themselves home. Why am I unprepared for the onslaught everytime they walk through the door at 3:15?
"Mommy, do you need to go to the store?"
"Sure." I answered, "You can come with me."
She wants a cookie, I thought. I can take a break from this in a while and take her.
Gabrielle offered, "I'll help you make the list." This was her way of getting me off of my project and out the door faster.
"Go ahead, hon." This was my way of staying on my project and helping my first grader become more independent.
"How do you spell asparagus?"
Oh, great! I can focus through a lot of background, but spelling requires all of me.
"Why don't you just write down the first letter of the things we need, and we will remember when we get there?" My idea satisfied both of us. Aisle by aisle in my mind, I named the things we needed, and Gabrielle marked their initial.
When we got to the store, my plan seemed to be working: "A" asparagus, how could we forget? Another "A" for apples, "M" mushrooms, "B" bread, but then she came to a "W." We stopped.

"W," "W," what did we need that started with "W?" Watermelon was out of season. We stood in the aisle between the bakery and the produce wracking our brains. Suddenly, Gabrielle turned toward the deli, and with her finger in the air declared, "I know, wunchmeat!"

Related Iems

Trade for Labor

We all probably have our tricks to get the kids to do some work around the house. Christian is putting grommets in 44 luggage tags for me today. In exchange, I finished this beret pin for him and I'll be buying more minutes for his cell phone. My kids know nothing is free. We barter a lot around here.

The thank you gift

The thank you gift
Originally uploaded by studiocherie

This is my wonderful, creative daughter. Her special talent is the creation and personal delivery of special thank yous. On this occasion - a single fragrant rose, wild flowers and a turkey feather made a touching bouquet. You see, the little kitty who adopted us followed the kids to the library the other day, and she was not waiting for them when they came out. We already had a photo montage of the cat because she is just so beautiful and so loved - that was posted and carried door to door the next day. On the morning after the posting and door knocking - at 6:30AM - Diana called. Our cat had found refuge in her garden, hidden among the foliage near the bird feeder. Diana's thank you included a sweet kitten card I bought from LaurenBPhotography in which my daughter wrote, among other things, "sorry about the birds."

After School Snack

The other day I made these jello parfaits and spead a blanket in the back yard for a little after school picnic with the kids. It was wonderful to stop working for a while, step outside the house, and relax with the kids, giving them my full attention and listening to them as they recounted their school day. It set a harmonic tone for the afternoon and evening, and was well worth the 15 minutes of prep and half an hour of break time. Gabrielle and I were so full from our treat that after the boys had wandered off, she and I lay on the blanket holding hands and staring at the sky. In that blissful state, we watched some baloons floating higher and higher and wondered, from where had they escaped?

I love my kids

As I was calling the family to dinner this evening, Caleb came bouncing up the stairs from the family room, asking "Mom, are you lactose intelligent?"