Count Down Chains

My sister is teaching early morning seminary this year. Just thinking of it exhausts me and she has five kids 10 and under. I don't know how she'll manage but she will because she's super Kristie. She texted me after her first day of class ended today that she survived and therefore only has 179 days left. Of course that made me think she most certainly needed a count down chain for the year.

We made her one that we can mail but then everyone else needed one for their upcoming events. Madison for her birthday in a month, Jacob for his in December and Ashlyn until her school begins again. It made for a fun morning of craft making and working together.

First Grade UN Day Project

Each child must decorate their plain skin toned doll (they painted to match their own skin). The costume should be from your heritage and culture. Maddie decided she didn't want a cowboy this year so she chose a pioneer woman which actually fits exceptionally well considering we have a touch of mormon pioneer stock, though as Grandma Robinson always reminded us we were the smart ones and waited until the transcontinental railroad was completed across the beautiful USA.

Madison was great with ideas then I had to invent paper patterns of everything out of my head. From the dress to hair to bonnet and apron she was really involved. She did her very first ever needle and thread sewing project. She stitched the skirt together on her doll and I showed her how to gather it to make ruffles. She was incredibly impressed with how awesome it looked. She also learned how to braid yarn hair and was very pleased with the success. She also tied the red hair bows and designed the dolls arms. She wouldn't glue anything in place though because we used a hot glue gun and I kept burning myself with it so she was too scared to touch it.

My Mask

This is the mask my kids made me today. Maddie made the paper part and Ben made a chain of elastics so I could wear it.

"I'm About Super-ed Out"

Though there were many a quote offered by Mitch Miles, that one is my favorite. Marti was doing the Super Saturday craft extravaganza in 2006 and had stuff all over the entire main floor of the house for weeks on end. Mitch remained silent. Until he was asked about it one day when we were over for dinner. With a very tight lip, he simply responded, "I'm about Super-ed Out."

That's how I feel right now. I'm completely super-ed out tonight. I did it solo in 2007 and it about killed me. Hundreds of dollars of widgets and junk were purchased so that everyone could have a great evening of fun together. I worked endless hours until the middle of the night often. My back and my body hurt. I made countless trips to Wal-Mart, AC Moore and Michaels buying and returning, using coupons and the like to save everyone money. The night turned out great. I made a mental "lessons learned" list and filed the experience away in the far corners of my mind. The only thing I remembered for sure was DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN! Way too much for one person to do.

Last year the gal in charge of the women's group delivered a baby about four weeks before I had put it on the calendar. She was wiser than I and cancelled it for the year. This September I was put back in the womens group and started to wonder if maybe I should consider doing it again, the old memories started to come back. When I was released from my job with the youth, I felt very much directed to stop all the extra stuff in my life and focus on my family. I made a firm decision to NOT get involved and to never suggest it to anyone.

We finally got a new leader for the enrichment committee (or whatever we are calling it these days). First item of business was a request from our president that we...have Super Saturday. And get this. Have it in four and a half weeks. Eeeekkkkk!!! Super Saturdays take two months minimum to get ready. But like a good little girl..."I will go...I will do...a super saturday" Isn't that the way the children's song goes? Anyway, here I am again. And I'm all super-ed out.

But since the work is already mostly put together and done, here is what we're doing.

Handmade cards $4 for 10

Personalized Hand Soap Dispensers (or Antibacterial Stuff) $3

Beaded Bookmarks $6

Nativity Story Cube $10

www.sayitonthewall.com

(roll the 4" cube, teach kids about part of the story that comes up)

Don't forget to sign up and come. Hopefully in three weeks I'll be recovered enough to enjoy crafting again.

Craft Time with Mom

I've been trying really hard to do fun things to interest my kids lately and spend time with them. Making pin wheels was a HUGE success. They loved putting glue all over the place and cutting and choosing colorful paper they liked. When they were dry and finished, I realized how bad they really were. They just wouldn't stay together no matter what I did. The push pin would come out of the pencil eraser the second they picked them up. After much frusteration on my part for endlessly having to fix them and frusteration on their parts that they kept breaking, I was ready to throw them out.

Mommy logic: Those things suck. They always break when they get picked up and they don't even turn in the wind. They are worthless pieces of junk on my kitchen counter.

Kid logic: That is the coolest, prettiest, funest thing I've ever made. I cut it out with my own scissors and glued it all by myself. I am amazing and this pinwheel proves it to the world. I'm keeping this forever. I wonder if my husband/wife will want it in the living room for everyone to see, 'cause I'm definately keeping it that long!

In the end, I struck a compromise with them... I bought $0.99 pin wheels at Wal-Mart that are shiny and nice. We stuck them in their flower pots on the patio. They spin like mad all day long and reflect cool light patterns on our ceiling inside. Everyone is happy.

One of my other recent craft flops was making easter eggs from yarn dipped in glue and wrapped around a balloon. I said "craft" and "balloon" and they couldn't have been more on board with the idea. I set up everything, plastic covering the floor, diluted glue in plastic bowls, lots of precut Easter colored yarn, hand selected balloons in their favorite colors for covering. We were set. I showed them what to do with the first piece of yarn and we were off. Or not. They both dipped one yarn piece in the glue and didn't like how it felt. Too cold and sticky and gross. Ben got one yarn on the balloon and Maddie none. She just kept going to wash her hands the second they got a little anything on them. She soon gave up and Ben, after observing me for a while, asked if he could just not do it. He said, and I quote, "This craft is NASTY, Mom!" Maddie caught on and I as I sat on the kitchen floor, ALONE, for the next 30 minutes putting stupid Easter yarn on a pink balloon, they kept repeating to each other in another room how nasty my craft was today. Oh well. I finally finished, popped the balloon and was pleased with my work. It looks cool. Now I guess I get to put all my hard work in the trash.