Easy To Make: Chocolate Covered Fruit

Ingredients:
• 1 pkg semi sweet chocolate chips
• Fruit! You can do: strawberries, apples, bananas
• waxed paper

• Directions:
1. Wash Fruit & dry VERY well.
2. Cover a cookie sheet with waxed paper
3. Put chocolate into a glass bowl.
4. Put in microwave on high for 30 seconds.
5. Remove from microwave and stir for a second or two
6. Repeat the above step one or two more times.
7. By the third time, you should see some of the chocolate beginning to melt.Remove at this point and stir and stir until the lumps are gone. It's better to let the warmth of the melted chocolate and the bowl melt the other chocolate rather than over microwaving it. If in doubt, err on the side of under microwaving.
8. Dip the dry Fruit into the chocolate, swirling them around to coat well and then place on the waxed paper.
9. set aside for about 2 hours to let the chocolate harden

You could also do a Chocolate Fondue with the chocolate. Ideas for that: Graham Crackers, Marshmallows, Angel Food Cake (Cut into little chunks), Raisins, Rice Crispy Treats, or just use the fruit!

Valentine Bags!

A couple of years ago we started something really fun in our home at the first of February. I made each person a big heart bag. I used string for a hook, and two hearts stapled together for the purse. Then I wrote the person's name on it. We told everyone to think of kind things that someone has done for you, or what you love about them, or what you think they are good at. Then we told them that every time they should write that person a note (Little kids: Color a picture or have help from mom and dad). Then the Sunday before Valentine's Day (or after which ever is closer) everyone gets to look in their bags. NO LOOKING BEFORE THEN! Each bag hangs on the outside of their room. If you have multiple children in the same room, then you just let them choose an inside door to hang theirs from. Anyway it is really fun!

Heart Hunt

I am really looking forward to Valentine's Day! I wanted to do something fun for my kids. I found this game and thought it would be a perfect family game for Valentine's Day. I thought for those of you that are room mothers, preschool teachers, etc. you might like this game also.

Heart Hunt
Cut out of red, white, blue, yellow and green paper hearts of all shapes and sizes, then cut each heart into four pieces and scatter these all over the room, on the floor, chairs, tables, behind pictures, etc.
Allow a certain length of time for the hunt, and when all the pieces have been collected, request each guest to put his pieces together and see how many whole hearts of the same color he has collected.
White hearts count 1
Blue hearts count 2
Yellow hearts count 3
Green hearts count 4
Red hearts count 5
The one scoring the greatest number of points is the winner of hearts and deserves a prize. A booby prize may be awarded the one who has only broken hearts.

January 26 is..... the Chinese New Year!

Go to this link below to find out what your animal is from your birth date. It also has crafts, info about the holiday, stories, proverbs, word searches, coloring pages, and food ideas!

Below is a picture of a chinese Dragon you can make with your hand prints. They cut them out, but I think it would be fun to just use paint to make the dragon, and do everyones hands in the family!

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/chinese-new-year/

January 26, 2009 is on next Monday so you can have quite the fun night if you take a few minutes to plan!

Talking to Kids about a Serious Illness

In December my mother was diagnosed with Cancer for the fourth time in her life. I felt a need to talk to my kids, but didn't know where to start. I realize that others might be in this same situation, so I decided to post this article I found on the internet. (FYI: I am glad I researched a bit, because when my daughter started to have problems I was able to help her)

When someone is seriously sick, the whole family is affected. Adults have a hard time. There is a lot of stress in taking care of the house and hospital visits. There is a lot of emotional stress, worrying about the sick person and trying to make medical decisions. Kids are upset. They worry about their loved one and have stress from the changes at home. Parents can help kids. They can talk with them about the illness and how they manage it as a family.Kids often know something is going on. They may overhear people talking, or see expressions, or notice tension or stress. Tell your child about the illness. Younger children can be told in simple words about the illness. Tell them the truth. Older children can understand more medical words and details. Tell you child what will happen during the illness and the doctor's and families's plans. Tell your child the doctors are doing everything they can to help the sick person. Don't be afraid to say, "We don't know yet". That may be the most honest answer.Let your child visit the sick person when possible. This may be good for both of them.A young child might think that they somehow caused the illness or that it is their fault because they had bad behavior or bad thoughts about the sick person. Young children might also worry about their own safety and health. They may worry about their caregivers: "ho will take care of me if Mommy dies?" "Will I get this disease and die too?" Tell your child it is not their fault and they did not cause the illness. Let your child know that they will always be loved and cared for.Adults will be stressed and worried and tired. Kids may feel upset, ignored and fearful. Some kids may worry and start to lose weight or have trouble in school. Older children may feel angry at the changes. Family counseling may be helpful. Kids may also have behavior problems, bedwetting, thumb sucking, trouble sleeping, become very quiet and withdrawn or think they are very sick themselves.If the sick person is your child's brother or sister, your healthy child may be jealous that the sick child gets so much attention from the parents. Try to understand their feelings. Try to spend special "alone time" with your healthy child and always tell them you love them. Try to keep a normal routine at home. children like to have order and know what will happen each day. They will feel safe and secure.Some children will have to help out more around the house with chores. Some kids will have to help with cooking, laundry and cleaning. Sometimes it will be important to let your child be free and just have fun. Everyone needs to help out but give your child chores that are easy for their age. If other adults offer to help out, let them. Other adults could help with household chores, taking your child to baseball practice or just going to the park with your child.If the person that is very ill may die, talk to your child about death and what you think death is like. Let your child say goodbye to their loved one. And let your loved one have a chance to make a wish or give a word of blessing. This "goodbye" will help in the future months as your child deals with the sadness.I nform your child about the illness. Tell them what's happening.L et the child visit the sick person.L isten to your child's feelings.N otice if your child has too much responsibility.E xpect stress to affect your child's behavior.S tay with normal daily routines.S oothe or comfort your child with love and security.

Happy New Year!

So I am so sorry that I haven't been posting much. Christmas and Family got the better of me. I will try to do better. Anyway my idea for today is making New Year's special. So here are some of our traditions that you can do with your little ones. The first thing we do is on New Year's Eve we get together as extended families and play games and eat appetizers all night. We sometimes make it to 12 and other times we move all the clocks forward and tell the kids its 12. Then the next day with just our little family, we do Fondue'. Haven't heard of it? Its fun. You can buy pots in a cooking section. You can do cheese, chocolate, or oil. This one was oil with meat, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, artichokes, and anything else you want to try.

You can find tons on the Internet about fondue'. After that we do a year plan. We pick two things to do in every month of the new year. We also write down all the fun things we did in the past year. We then have everyone (even the baby) pick out three goals for the following year. we place these in their room so they can look at them. This is how we do it, and it makes it easy for little ones. I think my kids get it when we are talking about all the months and fun things we did and how now we are starting over.

So that's what we do! Fill free to make a comment and tell us what you do. The more ideas the better, so we can have a Very Happy and Successful start to 2009!

Snowflakes

Want to make some fun Snowflakes? This is for all ages.

http://www.papersnowflakes.com/

Fun things to d!o in the snow

Build a Snow House

Don’t worry about a roof, unless you have several feet of snow piled up. A roofless snow house is easier and you don’t have to worry about collapses. Build up walls for a snow house, a snow castle, or an igloo. Then build some furniture and play an outdoor version of house. Make paths to connect the houses and shovel out streets and sidewalks for a whole snow village.

Slippery Tug-of-War

Everybody grabs their saucer sleds and divides into two sides. Take hold of either end of a long rope and pull. Try to pull your opponents over to your side without sliding toward them.

Snow Shapes

Wet, dense snow is like sand, in that it can be formed into shapes. Bring out your sandbox toys, buckets, Tupperware containers and other molds and make a snow castle or anything else your imagination comes up with.

Snow Bodies

Lie on the ground and form a snowman shape around you. Then try a mermaid’s tail, an angel with wings, a butterfly and other characters. Make sure your kids are bundled up well for this one!

Snow Paint

• a water bottle with sprayer for each color
• food coloring (different colors)
• water
• snow (of course!)

JUMP SNOW HURDLES
Lightly pack a bunch of basketball-size snowballs and then use them to build a course of hurdles to jump over in a round of follow the leader.

ROPE TOW
Team up for a slip-sliding variation of tug-of-war. Tamp down a wide, shallow trench in the snow to serve as the midline. Then, take up positions at the ends of a long, thick rope and let the tugging and towing begin. Whichever team pulls the entire opposing group over to its side of the trench wins.

FLAG IN A SNOW STACK
Tie a white cloth to the end of a short stick or around the bowl of a wooden spoon. Then, give each child a chance to hide it by staking it anywhere within a predetermined set of boundaries. Keep track of how long it takes for the rest of the group to find it. Whoever hid the flag that takes the longest time to spot wins the game.

STRIKE OUT
For this pitching contest, first mound up snow to create three bases and a pitcher's mound. They should each be about 2 feet high and 20 feet apart. Next, build a tin can pyramid on each base. The challenge is to knock down the stacks in order from first to third base by throwing snowballs from the pitcher's mound. The child who succeeds with the fewest pitches wins.

HAT TRICK
Once you've built a plump, frosty snowman to stand sentry in your front yard, make a game of topping him off in style. Take turns trying to land a hat on his head by throwing it Frisbee style from 10 or so feet away.

GET ON A ROLL
Pair up for a contest in which the object is to finish with the biggest snowball. The contest ends when the teams can no longer roll their entries or when you run out of snow.

POWDER-PUFF FOOTBALL
All you need are two teams of three or more people to play, along with a spray bottle filled with a mix of water and food coloring to mark the playing field (a large rectangle with a centerline should suffice). The teams line up at opposite ends of the field (the North and South poles) for a kickoff. Once someone on the receiving team catches the ball, he tries to move it back across the defense's goal line by running with it or passing it to a teammate. Play stops if the person with the ball is tagged by an opponent or slides out of bounds. The teams then face off again on the spot. After four tries, or a touchdown, the ball goes to the other team. The game ends when either team gets cold.

Reindeer Snacks

I have done it both of these ways and thought you might want to try one of them. Last year at Christmas time my daughters class made special reindeer food. In snack sized zip lock bags they mixed oatmeal, red sprinkles and green sprinkles. They used tablespoon measures and let the kids pour everything into their own bags. They also printed off a little tag to attach to the bag that read: "Reindeer Food - Sprinkle outside on Christmas Eve for Reindeer." It was really fun to get out there with your kids and help the magic stay alive.

The other way is you take a lunch sack decorate it like a reindeer and fill it with snacks like pretzels, m&m's, raisins, Chex Mix, peanuts, dried fruit, etc. Any kind of trail mix will work. Then on Christmas Eve you put it right by Santa's plate of cookies. Its just a little variation to the Carrots!

Another fun Website

I found this website and it is really fun. It is all about kids making stuff and its easy! So go to this link and scroll down and you will find cooking stuff, crafts, holiday stuff, and coloring stuff. They had some really fun ideas for Christmas!


http://www.make-stuff.com/kids/

Custom Bingo

O.K. I went to one of my favorite sites today and I found something really cool. Go to this link and it will help you make custom bingo cards. It takes you through this process:

Step 1: Size and how many squares

Step 2: Theme (Balloons, Bugs, Holidays, School stuff, Etc)

Step 3: Black/White or Color

Step 4: Just pictures or words too (would be good for reading)

Step 5: Title (any 5 letter word)

Step 6: Print boards or call sheet (for multiple boards you just press refresh and it randomly moves all the bingo pictures for a new board)

Anyway it is fast and easy and I was really impressed with it. So try it out and be a fun mom, scout leader, activity day leader, aunt, teacher, primary teacher, etc.

http://www.dltk-cards.com/bingo/bingo1.asp

It's Family Time With Santa!

For about five years now we have been doing something that is called It's Family Time With Santa. It is a DVD you can buy that is a countdown until Christmas. It won't let you skip ahead either! Anyway it has a theme for each day: Service, love, kindness, etc. It shows all about Santa: Santa snow skiing, Santa on a sleigh, Santa at home with Mrs. Clause. The overall theme is spending time with your family and slowing down your Christmas Season. On the website you can print off a calendar that they can color each day also. Anyway my kids really love it and look forward to watching it each year. I thought your kids might like it also, so here is the website:

www.familytimewithsanta.com

One of my favorite Christmas books

Need a good book this Christmas? This is my all time favorite. I think it is so clever. The guy who wrote this is: Jerry Pallotta. You can order this book through scholastic or any book place on-line (I'm not really sure about where you can buy it in an actual store) Anyway it is really cute. He has another Christmas book also out.

If you own this book already I found on his website a little extra fun for this book.
Find the mouse in every illustration.
Find the hidden reindeer in every illustration.

Good luck!

Anyway he has lots of really cute books and each one has secret pictures hidden, and he tells you about them on his website. So check him out!

http://jerrypallotta.com

Christmas Story A Day Until Christmas!

For years I have been collecting Christmas books. When I got a few I started putting them in a stack. I would read one or two each night until Christmas. When we finished reading it, we took turns placing it under the Christmas tree. From then on the kids could "re-read" that book at anytime. I always make sure we get at least one new book a year. Then last year my sister in law told me that she takes it one step further. She re-wraps 25 of her Christmas books and they open one each day of the month. We tried it and loved it. This year I did it again. The kids still just love it. I find it gets us all in the same room, spending quiet moments together. Anyway that is today's idea for you!

All I Need to Know about Life I Learned From a Snowman

* It's okay if you're a little bottom heavy.
* Hold your ground, even when the heat is on.
* Wearing white is always appropriate.
* Winter is the best of the four seasons.
* It takes a few extra rolls to make a good midsection.
* There's nothing better than a foul weather friend.
* The key to life is to be a jolly, happy soul.
* It's not the size of the carrot, but the placement that counts.
* We're all made up of mostly water.
* You know you've made it when they write a song about you.
* Accessorize! Accessorize! Accessorize!
* Avoid yellow snow. Don't get too much sun.
* It's embarrassing when you can't look down and see your feet.
* It's fun to hang out in your front yard.
* Always put your best foot forward.
* There's no stopping you once you're on a roll.

CHRISTMAS SONG QUIZ II

1. The apartment of 2 psychiatrists.

2. The lad is a diminutive percussionist.

3. Decorate the entry-ways .

4. Sir Lancelot with laryngitis.

5. A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z.

6. Present me naughty but dual incisors for this festive Yuletide.

7. The smog-less bewitching hour arrived.

8. Exuberation to this orb.

9. 288 Yuletide hours.

10. Do you perceive the same longitudinal pressure which stimulates my auditory sense organs.

11. The red-suited pa is due in this burg.

12. Stepping on the pad cover.

13. Uncouth dolt has his beezer in the booze and thinks he is a Dark Cloud's boyfriend.

14. Far back in a hay bin.

15. Leave and do an elevated broadcast.

16. That exiguous hamlet south of the holy city.

17. Behold! I envisioned a trio of nautical vessels.

18. Listen, the winged heavenly messengers are proclaiming tunefully.

19. A joyful song relative to hollow metallic vessels which vibrate and bring forth a ringing sound when struck.

20. As the guardians of little woolly animal's protected their charges in the shadows of the earth.

21. Frozen precipitation commence

22. Monarchial triad

23. Oh, member of the round table with missing areas

24. Boulder of the tinkling metal spheres

25. Vehicular homicide was committed on Dad's mom by a precipitous darling

26. Wanted in December: top forward incisors

27. We are Kong, Lear, and Nat Cole

28. Cup-shaped instruments fashioned of a whitish metallic element

29. Oh small Israel urban center

30. Our fervent hope is that you thoroughly enjoy your yuletide season

31. Parent was observed osculating a red-coated unshaven teamster

32. May the Deity bestow an absence of fatigue to mild male humans

33. Natal celebration devoid of color, rather albino, as a hallucinatory phenomenon for me.

34. Obese personification fabricated of compressed mounds of minute crystals.

35. Tranquiltiy upon the terrestrial sphere.

36. Have hitherward the entire assembly of those who are loyal in their belief.

CHRISTMAS SONG QUIZ II ANSWERS

*1) Nutcracker Suite
2) Little Drummer Boy
3) Deck The Halls
4) Silent Night
5) Noel
6) All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
7) It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
8) Joy to the World
9) 12 Days of Christmas
10) Do You Hear What I Hear?
11) Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
12) Up On The House Top
13) Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer
14) Away In A Manger
15) Go Tell It On The Mountain
16) Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
17) I Saw 3 Ships
18) Hark The Herald Angels Sing
19) Jingle Bells
20) As Shepherd's Watch Their Flocks At Night
21) Let It Snow
22) We Three Kings
23) Oh, Holy Night
24) Jingle Bell Rock
25) Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
26) All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth
27) We Three Kings
28) Silver Bells
29) O Little Town of Bethlehem
30) We Wish You A Merry Christmas
31) I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
32) God Rest You Merry Gentlemen
33) I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas
34) Frosty the Snowman
35) Peace on Earth
36) Oh Come, All Ye Faithful *

Happy Thanksgiving All!

I am so excited for the holidays to come. I hope you have a great holiday. I can't wait for Thanksgiving. I am one of those people that loves to have Thanksgiving come so I can put my Christmas decorations up. My husband makes me wait until then. I have already counted 5 trees that people already have up in their homes. I am so jealous. I hope you try some of the ideas that I have listed or try a website for different ideas, so you can have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Games!

Chopstick Pass Along:

WHAT YOU NEED:
Chopsticks
Unshelled walnut
Acorn
Cranberry
Pea
Small plate HOW TO PLAY: Give each player a set of chopsticks and place an unshelled walnut, an acorn, a cranberry, and a pea on a small plate next to the oldest player. She begins by using the chopsticks to pass each object, from largest to smallest, to the person on her right, who receives it with chopsticks and passes it along to the next player. The object is to try to get all four objects back to the starting plate without dropping any of them. Players unable to manage the chopsticks can use a teaspoon instead.

Where Did the Turkey Lay Its Egg?
The leisurely pace of Turkey Day can be challenging for small celebrants. Keep spirits high with this fun game. Try it post-dessert -- adults can play while collapsed on the living room sofa.

WHAT YOU NEED:
Hard-boiled egg

HOW TO PLAY: To start, one guest leaves the room while a hard-boiled egg is hidden. The others then call the seeker back and direct him toward the egg, saying "gobble, gobble" instead of "warmer" and "giblet, giblet" instead of "colder." Once the egg is found, a new seeker is named, and the game repeats.

Paper Golf Game
The simplicity of this game is its charm. Since everyone has the same handicap--eyes closed--they can be competitive with the likes of Tiger Woods.
WHAT YOU NEED:
Paper
Marker

HOW TO PLAY: 1. Create a "fairway" on a standard-sized piece of paper--a shape that is the boundary for the tee-off area and hole. Draw a small circle (the hole) at one end of the fairway. 2. Place the marker point down at the tee (the other end of the fairway), close your eyes and try to draw a line to the hole. Lift your marker and open your eyes. That's your "shot." (If you strayed outside the boundaries, add a stroke.) The next player then tees off on the same sheet.3. As with actual golf, the player farthest from the hole shoots first, and your score is the number of shots it takes you to reach the cup. Play nine holes or even 18 like the pros.

Table Ideas for Thanksgiving!

I have always loved to help my kids do something special with the table for Thanksgiving. Here are some ideas of things I have done in the past:

1. Place mats: I love to do place mats with brown paper bags. You can make turkeys on it, by using your kids hand. Paint each finger a different color. Then put it on your place mat and make a print of it. When it dries you can use markers, or something to draw a face and make a turkey. I also love to dress my kids like a pilgrim or Indian and put their picture on it. After everything is dry and glued on then wad it into a ball. Then smooth out and it looks like leather. Ink the edges with a stamp. Then laminate. Eat with it on Thanksgiving Day!

Don't forget the Date, and Name of your kid! This will always be a great memory for you.

2. Name Cards: It is so easy to print name cards for all of your guests (or grandmas guests) for Thanksgiving dinner. Then give each of your children a stack and let them decorate around the name. It will keep them busy while you need a break!

3. Individual Centerpieces: Sometimes we decide to make each person a little take home treat or thought. One idea is taking a sugar cone and steaming the end of it with a boiling pan of water, and turning it so it curves up like a cornucopia. When it dries you fill it with Runt candy, candy corns, etc. Put one at every persons seat.

4. I have also done this mix a few times:

Thanksgiving Blessing Mix

Bugles: Shaped like a cornucopia or Horn of Plenty, a symbol of our nation's abundance.
Pretzels: Arms folded in prayer, a freedom sought by those who founded our country.
Candy corn: Sacrifices of the Pilgrims' first winter. Food was so scarce that settlers survived on just a few kernels of corn a day.
Nuts or seeds: Promise of a a future harvest, one we will reap only if seeds are planted and tended with diligence.
Dried fruits: Harvest gifts of our bountiful land.
M&Ms: Memories of those who came before us to guide us to a blessed future.
Hershey's Kiss: The love of family and friends that sweetens our lives.

I put them in a bag and then printed up a cute card with the blessing above. It took a little bit of time. If you don't have time, you can have it already done for you by going to this site:

http://organizedchristmas.com/thanksgiving-blessing-mix

5. Thanksgiving Turkeys: I also love taking big pine cones, sticking or gluing feathers in the bigger side, then winding a pipe cleaner like a snail for half of the pipe cleaner and sticking that into the smaller end of the pine cone. Glue a small eye on that and you have a turkey center piece.

6. Other Center Piece Ideas: Indian homemade stuff, pilgrim homemade stuff, Indian corn, Drum, etc.

It doesn't matter what you do, but I do think it makes Thanksgiving special and it gets your kids to do an activity, and it will make them proud of Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving Craft - Turkey Treat Holder

This turkey can be stuffed with sweets or nuts and placed at each place setting. An easy and fun craft to keep the kids entertained on Thanksgiving day!



You'll Needcraft foam sheets; brown, orange, red, yellowsmall terracotta potscissors craft glue, glue stick or glue dotsplastic wiggle eyes, Candy or nuts, for filling Cut four feathers, brown oval body and heart shaped feet for each turkey.Attach the feathers to the back of clay pot. Secure the plastic eyes and a beak to the brown oval to create your turkey head. Then glue that piece to the front of the clay pot. Glue the pot onto the heart and fill with treats.

Four New Websites!

I found a website for Grandparents to go to with ideas. I'm not a grandparent and I liked it so you might also.

another one is a family member that is selling Tu'Tu's. If you would like one go to: Want a Tu'Tu'?

The Third is called organized Christmas.

The Last is Amazing Moms.

You can find all of these in "My Favorites" section.

Musical Chores!

It's a game called Children's Miracle Music. It gets families to make their beds, clean the house, eat their breakfast, get dressed, brush their hair, wash their dish... all in only 41 minutes and 58 seconds each morning. The most impressive part is that they do this HAPPILY and QUICKLY and without ON WORD FROM THE PARENTS! The game also includes getting into bed at night without any nagging. You can see how it works by going to:

www.ChildrensMiracleMusic.com

I have been using this and it is really helping my kids become responsible, reliable, helpful, and loving. And we are getting to bed on time and getting to school on time. Check it out!

Halloween Mystery Dinner!

On Sundays we always eat a nicer dinner. But this Sunday we had so many leftovers I couldn't bring myself to make more food. So I came up with this idea. First I made my kids go play. Then I would put a different leftover on each plate, and wrap it in foil. I would also put a different drink in each cup and wrap in foil. Then I wrote a number on the foil. When all the plates were ready I called the kids in. I turned on some Halloween music (because its Halloween). When the song stopped I would pull a number out of a hat. Whoever was in front of that number got to sit down. When everyone had a plate, we all unwrapped our food. Everyone was surprised. Did everyone love what they got? Probably not. But they were so excited about the game that they didn't care. Also all my kids begged to do this every holiday. My husband and I laughed, because we really just wanted to get rid of leftovers. Anyway this is your idea for today! I think this would also be fun at lunchtime. Do different sandwiches on eat plate, etc.

Colored Rice!

If you went to college you learned lots of useful things. When you choose a degree in early childhood, you learn a lot of crazy things......like how to color rice.

So here goes!

1. Take a freezer bag (needs to be a freezer bag because they are heavier).

2. Fill it with white uncooked rice.

3. Peel the wrapper off one crayon and stick it in the bag.

4. Microwave for 1 minute. Yes Microwave!

5. Take out and start to kneed it (keep bag closed, and watch out it will be HOT)

6. If crayon isn't melted enough put in for 30 seconds and kneed again.

7. The crayon color will melt onto the rice and then you can do a project with your kids.

So what could we do with colored rice: One idea is to fill in a bottle and do one of those I- Spy things. Another idea is to take glue and glue large amounts onto card stock. Lastly you could take a bottle and use lots of colors and do something like a layered sand bottle thing! Anyway I remember sitting in the campus kitchen with my professor teaching me this. She was a really funny lady and I have lots of memories of her teaching me CRAZY things.

Have a fun day!

Halloween Musical Chairs!

My Mom always has a Halloween Party. It is so fun that trick or treating is a let down for my kids. They carve their pumpkins (with their 20+ cousins), we eat dinner (this year is a soup contest), we play games, and we eat treats!

One tradition at my Mom's Halloween party is to play Musical Chairs. We always are in costume and play the Monster Mash. For years we had tears when someone got out! Now we don't. Everyone that gets out gets to sit in the Pumpkin chair. They put a plastic pumpkin on their head and then all the Aunts and Grandma give them their treat. We always have special treats-not just candy (Pop, Rice Crispy Treat, Socks, Rings Etc) They sit there until the next one gets kicked out and then they can eat their treats or just watch. It works really well- at least until they get that age when they realize they can lose and get their prize.

Ghost Hunt!

Every year since I started my own preschool I have done a Ghost Hunt. I did it for preschool and then started it at family parties, and I also do it for just fun with my own kids. All you do is take one cotton ball, one tissue, and some string and make a little ghost. Then you draw a little face on it. After you have them made you put them in a bowl or a Halloween bucket. Before the game starts make all the kids go outside while you hide the ghosts. Some are hard to find, some are easy. Make sure you count how many you have. Then start some spooky music and have them come in and hunt. I always have two rules: 1. No Running and 2. You may only take one ghost at a time. Once they pick it up they walk to the bowl and drop it in. It is really fun and simple and has no winner, which means no tears.

Pumpkin Seed Snack!

Cajun Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Double or triple this recipe, depending on how many cups of seeds you have. Toss a salad with these seeds, sprinkle over a chicken dish, or serve as a snack.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 scant teaspoon Cajun seasoning, or to taste
paprika, for more color, if desired
a little salt, depending on saltiness of the seasoning
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon melted butter or vegetable oil
PREPARATION:
Rinse seeds well and get as much of the pumpkin pulp off of them as possible. Some of the small pieces are going to adhere, but they won't hurt the seeds at all, and might even add a little more flavor. Pat dry with paper towels. Don't let them dry completely on the paper towels, because they might stick!
Toss pumpkin seeds with seasonings. Combine butter and Worcestershire sauce; stir into seeds until well blended and coated.
Heat oven to 300°. Roast, turning from time to time, for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until nicely browned and crunchy.

Sugar and Spice Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
(do the same way as above, except for ingredients)
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon melted butter or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, or more, to taste
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice

Regular Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
(do the same way as above, except for ingredients)
2 cups pumpkin seeds, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons Canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
(I add a little season salt & Garlic also to this mix)

Skillet Toasted Seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
Optional: Salt, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, or other seasoning of choice
Preparation:Rinse pumpkin seeds. Use your fingers to remove all the pulp. Drain pumpkin seeds and discard pulp. Spread out on paper towels on a cookie sheet to dry overnight. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed, dry skillet over medium heat. Add pumpkin seeds. Shake and stir the seeds constantly as they are toasting to prevent burning. When the pumpkin seeds begin to get golden, start to pop open, and release their aroma, they are done. Sprinkle hot toasted pumpkin seeds with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, cayenne pepper, or your choice of seasonings. Toss to coat.

Fall Leaves

One of my favorite things to do with my kids is go to the canyon (or a park) and pick pretty colored leaves. Then place them on wax paper and do a design with them. Then give them yellow, orange, and red crayon shavings and let them decorate their leaves. Then I put another wax paper on top, put a towel on top of that (at least two layers thick), and I take a iron and melt the crayon through the layers. It takes awhile but when you are done it is so pretty. I have had preschool moms frame it and put it above their beds. Anyway kids love it and parents too! Have a fun day!

Are Things Tight?

Not a preschool or kid thing, but it helps the family.

With this economy the way it is I found a website that says they will cut your grocery bill in half. Anyway I went to it and it was interesting. She says you can save at least 50% by spending about 30 minutes a week. Anyway check it out if you are interested! I will put it in my favorites section, under Coupon Moms.

Witches Brew Snack Mix

I do this almost every Halloween with my kids. I find that it is great a parties also. Because it has more good stuff than candy it helps with the sugar rush. I like to let the kids help me and I tell them as I pour it in what each thing means. I serve it in a witches kettle ( black pot) use 1 cup of each ingredients listed below. Also I delete things I don't want to buy or things I don't have. You will find that it is a perfect Halloween treat. Also I have about 30 nieces and nephews and when we do this we usually come home with extra if I use all the stuff.

triscuits--cobs webs

cheese curls--earthworms

red hot candies--blood drops

salted peanuts--snake eyes

candy corn--chicken toe nails

fritos--butterfly wings

hazel nuts--owl eyes

blanched almonds--cats eyes

M & M's--colored flies

raisins--ants

dried apricots--lizard gizzards

shoestring potatoes--bat bones

sunflower seeds--cats claws

Adoption

So we are trying to adopt our 5th baby. If you have any

Halloween!

Now is the time to make or get your Halloween Costumes! Beat the rush and get it done this week! I have finished all of my family. We are doing the Wizard of Oz. Because we were early I even found some cheap red shoes in my daughters size. They were the last ones! Anyway just a suggestion. I Love Halloween, and for me Halloween is all about the costumes!

Dinner Party Games!

I was helping my sister find dinner games for her son that is going to Homecoming this week. Listed below are some that I found. If you have Dinner parties often, or have a high schooler you might want to copy these into Microsoft word so you can have them for later use. Anyway this is what I found, please add anymore into the comment section.

1. "psychiatrist"
One person is selected as the psychiatrist; she has to leave the room while the rules are explained; when she returns, she's told she has to diagnose the problem of all of the other participants. The "problem" is that each person thinks he is the person to his immediate left (the participants sit in a circle), and will respond to questions as that person. The psychiatrist must diagnose the problem by asking individuals questions about themselves--any questions. The person must answer as if he is the person to his left. If the answer to the question is incorrect (e.g. the person pretending to be you says his favorite food is bbq chicken, and you're a vegetarian), the person who's being impersonated yells "psychiatrist," and all of the people stand up, scramble positions, and sit back down in a circle, whereupon questioning resumes. The game is over when the psychiatrist can correctly diagnose the problem (state the rules of the game)

2. Who What Where: Pictonary, Draw a card for each thing and then draw it.

3. Celebrities Charades

Round 1- Description
Round 2- 2 word Phrase
Round 3- Pantomime like Charades

Each round lasts 3 minutes. Different Celeb. Each time.

4. The Celebrity Couple Party Game

Summary and Supplies: As far as icebreaker games for small groups go, this is one of the liveliest and most fun ways to start a party. All you need is a good knowledge of celebrity couples, a pen, and a stack of post-it notes.
The Game
· Before the party begins, take the time to write out the post-it notes. On each note should be written one-half of a celebrity couple. For example, one might say Brad Pitt and another Angelina Jolie.
· As each person arrives at the party, you (or somebody else assigned to do it) should stick one celebrity post-it note on their back without allowing them to see it.
· The goal of this icebreaker party game is for each guest to find their celebrity match-- by finding out which celebrity they themselves are. To do this, each guest may ask the others yes or no questions about their identity until they figure out who they are.
Alteration: You can also instruct guests to treat each person as the celebrity name on their post-it to help speed up the process. The wacky conversations and sometimes physical antics that stem from this are pretty fun to watch!
Note: This is one of those great icebreaker games for small groups of any kind-- even those that don't follow celebrity gossip. So don't limit yourself to real-life celebrity couples. Change it up by adding couples such as "Yogi and Bobo," "Romeo and Juliet," or even "milk and cookies" -- there's no limit to how silly you can make your guests look.

5. The “No” Party Game

Summary and Supplies: This is one of the most rowdy icebreaker games for small groups you can play-- and the competition can get vicious, so watch out! This is a great one to play during a cocktail party or while guests nibble appetizers at a dinner party. To play, you need one necklace (such as a lei or beads), or tag on a string or clothespin for each player. In this example we'll use leis.
The Game
· Each guest is given a lei when they arrive and is instructed to put it on.
· The goal of the game is to collect as may leis as possible by stealing/winning them from other guests. To do this, you must get another guest to say the word "no." Yep, that simple.
· To get a guest to say the word "no," the players must ask questions or make statements which would make the player give a negative answer. If a player (the answerer) forgets to go around the word "no", he or she must give their lei to the person who got them to say it (the asker).
· If you have lost your lei, you may continue to play, ask questions, and collect leis.
· The winner is the person who has collected the most leis by the end of a predetermined period. They can win a prize if you wish, such as a bottle of wine or leftover dessert.
Note:You can choose whether or not to allow the word "know" to be used for this game-- both ways are fun. It's pretty interesting to see the lengths lei-less players will go to get leis from winning players-- especially as the game progresses. The hilariously convoluted things your guests will say in order to keep from having to say the word "no" make this one of the best icebreaker games for small groups.

6. Message under a plate

Summary and Supplies: This is one of the easiest free party games to liven things up around the dinner table. All you need is a bit of imagination, a pen, and some small strips of paper. (Or, if you prefer more elegant dinner table games, some blank business cards or card stock and a printer-- you can do this on the computer).
The Game
· Write or print a different phrase on each of several small pieces of paper. Place one card under each of your dinner guests' plates. Make the phrases usable but strange. Ex: "I am a space cowboy," or "Have you tried ostrich eggs?"
· Before dinner, ask everybody to read the card under their plate-- they're not to read it aloud or share its contents with anybody. Instruct your guests to use their phrase or question as naturally as they can in conversation.
· You can decide to make this a race-- whoever manages to use their phrase last loses. Or it can be a competition between guests. The goal is for each guest to figure out when another guest is using an assigned phrase. If they're able to slip it into conversation naturally without anybody noticing, they win.
· You can also choose to assign guests several phrases-- increase them in difficulty as they go along.

7. Mr. Freeze
Summary and Supplies: This game works best for larger groups. You can play this at the dinner table for a dinner party, or while guests are standing around having cocktails. No supplies needed.
The Game
· To play, nominate (or have the group nominate) somebody as Mr. Freeze. During the course of the evening, that person should completely freeze-- even if he or she is in mid-sentence. As time passes, other dinner party guests should notice and freeze, too.
· The goal is to get everybody to freeze. The last person to notice and "freeze" loses. You can also make this a drinking game, requiring the loser to down the rest of his or her drink and become the new Mr. Freeze.
· Not one of the best dinner table games to play at a restaurant-- the waiter may have trouble taking your order!

8. Apples To Apples

9. Balderdash

10. Cranium

Two New Websites

I just added two new websites. The first is called flylady and the next is called Family Corner. Check them out. Flylady can be a little cheesy in some places, but it really helps you get organized. Family Corner reminds me a lot of Family Fun. Anyway hope you enjoy them.

My Favorite Kids Poems

I just thought I would share two of my favorite poems for my kids to memorize. They are fun to tell Grandma or just to give your little one a talent. They are.......

I never saw a purple cow,

I never hope to meet one,

But I can tell you anyhow,

I'd rather see than be one!

and

There's too many kids in this tub,

There's too many elbows to scrub,

I just washed a behind,

I don't think was mine,

There's too many kids in this TUB!

Potty Training

My son just finished potty training. I am so excited. When I started I had decided I wanted to make jars that had treats in them for each task I wanted help with. So I used the images above, colored them, attached them to containers and it worked really well. He had different treats in each container also. When he went Stinkys he got a stinky treat, when he did water in the potty he got a water in the potty treat, and when I put him on the potty if his real pants were dry he got a dry pants treat. My son loved the variety and did really good potty training. This might not work for you but it took me a long time to find these pictures so I thought I would post them for others if they need them.

Have A GREAT day!

Just a quick thought

I went to parent teacher conf. last week and one of the teachers said something that made me think a little. I was talking with my daughters resource teacher. We were making a plan of what to do for my daughter who is about a year behind in Math and Reading. I told her that I had decided to start teaching her piano, even though it might be too hard for her. She surprised me by telling me that she thought it was a great idea. She told me that it will better fuse the Right and Left brain into working together. It would require both to work at the same time.

Now I know the benefits of music on babies and in the womb. I have looked at many of studies about it. I also have researched in school how the brain is affected by things. But never did I think Piano would help my delayed child. Amazing. So we are going to start. She also suggested I play classical music for her while she is doing her homework.

Anyway I guess this is another good reason to have your kids take piano.

What Do You Tell Them?

I had a very interesting experience yesterday that I have never had before. When I was in Elementary school the biggest tragedy was the Challenger. Do you remember when the Challenger went down? I remember singing the Christa McAuliffe song, and doing an American program to honor her. I remember feeling so sad that this had happened- the worst of that time period.

Anyway back to present time my daughters came home yesterday talking about 9/11. I have talked with my older daughter about it, but never my eight year old because I always felt she was too young. I guess I should have though because it was even talked about in the Kindergarten classes.

I think all of my kids came home with lots of questions. They couldn't understand why someone would do this. How can I explain that, when I don't understand it. I did my best, but it got me thinking back to the Challenger and how simple that seemed compared to this. I also thought of death, divorce, losing a pet, or really any loss. It made me want to find out what I needed to do in these situations. I found this quote that I really liked:

"Helping a child cope with loss is perhaps one of the most important roles an adult can play. In effect, you are helping that child develop skills that can last a lifetime."

Holy cow! Skills that can last a lifetime-I want to give them that. In my Safety area I have a couple of Healthy kids websites. this is one and I really liked how they kept it simple for kids. It helped you see how you could help them open up and talk about changes and loss. Also if you click on your feelings on the right hand side they have more topics like: Anger, Being teased, Cancer (when you know someone who has it), Telling Lies, Being Lonely, and dealing with grief- to name a few.

http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=287&id=1649

Anyway I saw this quote for kids about changes and really liked it. I hope you also take the time to prepare your kids and During a tragedy to not forget these little kids that might need a little TLC and help understanding.

"Life is full of changes. Nothing stays exactly the same. People and things come into and go out of our lives. We can remember them as we get on with living each day and looking to the future".

Fall Fun!

So here is my idea for today. I made this a long time ago for preschool and I have always loved it. All you have to do is print this up and have a bottle of glue. You go for a walk or hike and look for all these things. Some are stretching it because of the letter, but it is really fun for the kids. Anyway in the next month this could be a very fun activity to do.