Valentine Play

We're still working on some Valentine crafts today but this morning we woke to a thin layer of snow outside. The girls always really want to play in the snow but within 5 minutes are complaining of the cold and ready to come inside. This time mama was prepared and last night I put an empty plastic tub out on the back porch to catch some snow for a little inside snow play.








They had a blast playing with snow for the next hour. Building animals, making shapes and eating lots and lots of it before it finally melted.





We also had a Valentine station set up this weekend so they could make Valentines as the mood hit them. I took one of our 6 count muffin tins and filled each compartment with different papers and supplies.



It's always easy to tell which art belongs to Kinsley because everything is usually in a straight line.

Today we're going to be doing some pages from this Pre-K Valentine pack from Over the Big Moon! It is full of fun pages and there are things both girls will be able to do which is nice.

Toilet paper roll heart painting

I love Deborah over at Teach Preschool and have gotten so many great ideas from her blog, like this heart stamping activity.





Easy Peasy. Gather up your supplies:

Toilet Paper Roll--I cut one roll in half since that was all I had empty
Paint (we used acrylic)
Paper



I taped the papers down to the table to keep them from slipping but mostly to keep Kaitlyn from throwing hers into the floor.





I spread a layer of the acrylic paint into a couple small glass bowls to help keep the mess contained. You could just as easly spread it on a paper plate or piece of waxed paper.




Then take your toilet paper roll and squish it into the shape of a heart. I wrapped it with scotch tape to help it hold its shape but that wouldn't be necessary for older kids.



Then you just turn them loose and let them go!








Kait quickly tired of getting paint on her fingers and opted for a brush. (not that it was any less messy)



Kinsley decided to use a brush and fill in her second page of hearts.





We ended up with some terrific Valentine art for the house and the girls had a great time painting with something just a bit different.

Boys and birds

Have you made these birds yet? It is such a fun and easy pattern. Great for a last minute baby gift since they go together so quickly and easily.



I've made them for every new member of our family since Kinsley and they've been a big hit with all of them. I made a few changes, adding a bell inside and a ribbon tail and they've become a fun toy. My girls mostly use theirs like missiles now but at least they are still being played with.

I also finally made the tie applique shirts that is seems like everyone else has already made. I've had them bookmarked forever and I don't know why they kept getting bumped down the list.



Much more comfy than an actual tie and super cute too. I printed this template , from Crap I've Made, to make mine. She has a picture tutorial too if you're new to applique.

Winter week

Brrr. What a cold morning to start our week. I was beginning to think that Winter was just going to skip us this year but today we are reminded that winter isn't quite over yet. I think it is one of those days to stay in warm jammies and stick close to the fire. We have a lot more cleaning out and organized ahead of us this week (neverending it seems) but we're also going to be working on some valentine projects.



Little miss Kait is finally starting to take a (very small) interest in our crafting though she still prefers to try and eat whatever supplies we may be working with. It will come in time I'm sure.





We need to get better paint brushes though, something a bit more sturdy and reliable for small hands. I'm not sure if I should just pick up some nice 'adult' brushes from the craft store or go for some of the thicker ones designed for kids. I'll likely end up doing both, a set for each girl perhaps.

Seuss Party...Part 2

Everyone had such a great time at the boys' birthday party. Somehow it managed to be pretty stress free and none of the kids had any major meltdowns so it was a success. Obviously the boys didn't understand why there was a party but they liked it anyway. Especially the cupcakes!







And what good would a Seuss party be without some matching outfits. The boys, of course, needed to be Thing 1 and Thing 2 although we weren't quite sure which one should get which number but since Andrew is technically a few seconds older he got number 1.










But of course babies need bibs. Even if we didn't remember to have them wear them during the cupcake eating process. Whoops.


















The Seuss fabrics were all so cute that I couldn't resist making the girls some party dresses as well. Kinsley picked the yellow fabric for hers and Kait got the Cat in the Hat. She walked around saying "hat mama! Hat!" and pointing to her dress. I made the dresses a bit bigger than their actual size thinking they could wear them some this Spring but it turns out they have grown since the last time I took their measurements and Kait may not be able to wear her dress again. She's growing way too fast.

Seuss Party...Part 1

Yea! We're back in business, back home and all technology working properly. It's about time. The girls and I took a mini vacation and went to help get things ready for a very special double birthday. My nephews turned 1 last week and we were all ready to celebrate! They are quite the little miracles and even though they had such a rough start they are doing incredible now and have turned into quite the little handfuls. My sister certainly has her work cut out for her.

We did a Dr. Seuss/Thing 1 & Thing 2 party and it was fun, colorful and perfect for them. To keep from completely overloading this post with photos I'm going to keep this post to the party details and do a second post of the kiddos and party fun.






The incredible birthday banner came from The Moxie Shoppe on Etsy and we couldn't have been more pleased with it. She made the cupcake toppers too! My sister actually decided to decorate the boys' bedroom with the party supplies after it was over.








We had everyone at the party sign a book for each boy as a keepsake from the party.



















My sister made each of the boys a plate too. They are so much fun and I love how decorating the ceramics seems to have taken off lately. It's a great project for just about any occasion.