Arts, Crafts, and Missing Immokalee

I feel a need to do some new arts and crafts next week, and I have basically run out of ideas for popsicle sticks. Although, the cat and giraffe magnets came out wonderfully. I was going to get a picture for you but I had to return them to the kids before I got the chance.

Anyway, I really found some cool crafts that I think everyone should do with their own kids or kids they know. I don't know if I will use these ideas, because it's kind of hard to explain some things to the counselors if I can't be there, but they are good, cheap ideas nevertheless.

Sidenote: I am totally digging this Sculpey stuff. Obviously I had heard of it, but I thought it was way too expensive. But it just so happens that you can get a 30 color sampler box for $25. So if you have an older child that is getting beyond the Play-Doh point, and would like to actually keep some of his/her projects forever, then I highly recommend Sculpey. I've had a blast experimenting with it myself, and there are some very clever ideas online. I'm thinking about making some Christmas ornaments out of it. Sadly, I have lost many of my artistic abilities. I tried to make a birthday present for my sister, Sara, today, and it really leaves much to be desired. I may get her some Sculpey and she can make her own birthday present.

Here are some cheap, fun craft ideas:

Marbled Paper with Shaving Cream and Food Coloring: This is one we've actually tried here at camp, and it is amazing. It's so simple and makes the coolest, coolest paper.

Bubble Prints: There are easier ways out there to do bubble prints, but these are the coolest! This would be a good project for kids 6 or older, and you could talk about bubbles, air, etc.

Plaster of Paris Air Fresheners: This is something I've never seen or heard of, but I would be quite happy if Maryn brought me a little air freshener she made herself. So cute. This one would also be for older children, and it may take quite a bit of work on the parent's part.

Plaster of Paris Handprints: I'm sure most of you know how to do this, yet may hesitate because you don't want plaster of paris all over your baby's hands. But, as I learned today, you can put a piece of SaranWrap over the plaster and make your child's handprint through the plastic. Plaster of Paris, apparently, can burn little ones' hands if left on for very long.

Missing Immokalee
Most of the parents and children here at camp have been a dream. I just love them. But this week, I really got slammed by one of the parents. Fortunately, another parent couldn't find enough kind words to say to me today, and it made up for the slamming I got earlier. But, I was just reminded of the sweet, sweet families from Immokalee.

There were many parent/teacher conferences, translator in tow (sometimes), where the parent sat across from me, listening intently, nodding and smiling, or frowning with concern, and just eager to hear and listen to everything I had to say. If I said little "Jose" or "Karina" wasn't listening in class, they were quick to make suggestions, ask me to give them suggestions, and sure enough the problem was usually solved quite easily.

I know this is a stereotype, but I just really miss my Immokalee parents.

Where the Wild Things Are

I found one of the wild things...in the bath tub!

Here she is with one of her favorite toys: Markers!
She loves to throw them around, tap them against each other,
mix them around and take them out of the box. She played
with these markers for a full 15 minutes straight today.

Mmmh...Watermelon!

Here's Maryn eating watermelon tonight at our luau and water carnival.
I think she likes it. Almost as much as she LOVES eating lemons!

Teething

When I was reading the book Stepping Heavenward, the main character spoke of lancing babies' gums when they were teething. I was hoping this wasn't as bad as it sounded, but apparently, in the 17th century, this was a common practice. Since the beginning of time, it seems, teething has been blamed for all sorts of infant distress, and was blamed in many infant deaths every year. Lancing of the gums was seen as a way to get it overwith, I guess.

I found this article a bit fascinating. It comes from the British Dental Journal and is called "It's Only Teething: A Report of the Myths and Modern Approaches to Teething." According to this article, the only real symptoms of teething that have been proven in studies are drooling, sucking, loss of appetite and day time restlessness. Fevers and ear rubbing (Maryn's common symptoms lately) cannot be attributed to teething, apparently. Neither can diarrhea or rashes. However, it does say that if there is significant teething distress, the baby could have Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). I don't know what I believe, but I don't think Maryn has had too much teething difficulty. But I guess a herpes virus might make sense.

Anyway, the article is interesting. It talks about how teething has been treated through the centuries. Including LEECHES. Imagine putting leeches on your baby's gums! Tying amulets around babies' necks (that's a good idea, eh?), and having them chew on corral. Blech. But the one that really gets me is the lancing of the gums. What in the world were people thinking?

I wonder if someday people will look back on photos of Maryn chewing on a frozen washcloth and ask, "What was her mother thinking?!"

A Lovely Day for Water Play

Eating grass.

Dumping out the water...

Thinking about dumping out the water...

John's Birthday

Last night, the staff had a barbecue and at about 9:00 we set up a projector and watched the movie August Rush on the side of a house. Maryn was sleeping next door, so I was able to actually attend. It was better than going to the movies, AND it was free.

So we were sitting under a million bright stars. Young 18 and 19 year old couples were sitting around us. It was romantic.

The movie was about an orphan, parenthood, family, music, faith, and dreams.

It all took me back to a night where I was sitting beneath the stars with a bunch of my high school friends, the summer after graduation, when we were in Haiti. I believe that night we were supposed to be praying and singing to God. I, let's be honest, was probably thinking about guys.

I thought about these young people last night, and the way they must pretend to barely know each other when campers are here. On Saturdays I'm sure they can't wait to talk to their boy/girlfriend, hold hands, have a few romantic moments (hopefully not too romantic). Ohh, there are so many things to do and think about in marriage. Especially with children. One can just look at their spouse one day and wonder...how much time has past since I held them? Would I spend ten years searching for them if they were lost? Would nothing in this world separate us?

Last night, I just thought a lot about where I've been, where I am going, what I have lost, and what I have gained. Nearly ten years have passed since that night on the roof in Haiti. So much can change in a decade. I pray the next ten years, I will chase. I will search. I will love. Not just the little ones that run in and around and through my feet, my house, my yard. But the one who lies beside me each night, takes out our trash and holds my hand on long car rides. He is a part of me as much as any other part of me, yet he is always the first to be neglected or mistreated. He is forever patient, kind and hard working, yet I am quick to correct every fault and mistake I catch. I am like a sand sifter. All the soft parts fall through and the rough parts I collect and save (Love keeps no record of wrongs). Praise God that he does not treat me this way in return! Praise God that Christ doesn't treat me this way, either, and that my very own husband is an example of God's redeeming love for me.

I love you, John. Happy Birthday.

Photos Finally!

Maryn is very good at eating crackers creatively with her SIX teeth
(4 on top, 2 on the bottom). She just got her 4 top ones THIS past week!
It was a great week for us. Note sarcasm.

Barbecue by the lake with camp staff tonight!

John grilling up some food.

Maryn hanging out with her "uncle" Chris.

Maryn hanging out with Antony and Sam.
You can't see everyone in this picture, but there is a circle of people
surrounding Maryn, almost all eyes on her. She's loving it, naturally.

We got a new camera! I am now able to snap pictures much faster and catch Maryn in action. She doesn't have a chance to make a goofy face or look away. I am LOVING it! It's actually John's birthday present from his dad and Donna. Thanks, guys! I'm sure the whole family and all the friends are thankful, too. More pictures of Maryn for everyone. :)

Friday Funnies

I apologize for the delay of my Friday Funny. Our internet hasn't been very good for a while. I will be trying to take more pictures this weekend as well. Somehow my camera is never in the right place lately.

Anyway, here you go. I am going to assume this funny wedding procession did not occur in a Southern Baptist Church...

Nature Deficit Disorder

Nature Deficit Disorder

This article takes me back to the days when:

1. My friend Danielle and I would spend the weekend outside exploring her woods, playing in the fields, running free. Catching salamanders and crawdads. Creating "houses" out of stomped down long grass.

2. Drew and I would spend hours in the sand box, creating the wildest and most imaginative things and games.

3. Staci and I would play restaurant behind her house, making burritos out of large leaves and ground up buckeyes.

4. Ben, Sarah and I would explore "The Great Indian Valley," searching for dead things and trying to revive them in our own hospital.

Craft (Or Popsicle) Stick Crafts

In honor of an especially rainy day here in New Hampshire, I give you some rainy day craft ideas...

Here are some craft ideas we’ve been doing with our day campers. They are all very easy and can take up a good amount of time if you want to draw it out for an hour or so, or they can be done in as little as fifteen minutes. They all use a very limited amount of inexpensive supplies, the main supply being craft sticks. You can buy craft sticks at Michael's, JoAnn's and other craft stores for as little as $5.00/1000. If you prefer something a little more carbon-copyish, you can also buy little kits here. Usually craft sticks glue together just fine with Elmer's School Glue, but Glue All works a bit better, and Tacky glue works really well. If you use Tacky glue, it's easier for little ones or big groups if you pour some into a paper bowl/cup and allow them to paint the glue on with a simple, cheap paintbrush.

About Magnets: We glued magnets to the back of the picture frame and the cat. You can buy magnetic tape for about $3-$4, but it often doesn't work very well. A better deal are these types of magnets that are much stronger, but need to be glued on with hot glue. They cost about $5-6 for 50! And they are very good, although I always have to make sure I glue the right side down...

Picture Frame: Lay seven popsicle sticks or JUMBO craft sticks (which are much better for Pre-K kids) flat on newsprint and glue together by gluing along the sides and pushing together. Then lay four more to make a square, or picture frame. For more color, the sticks can be colored or painted before gluing. Last, glue some decorations around the sides such as foam shapes, small puzzle pieces, shells, sequins, etc. See samples here and here. I do mine a little differently than these samples because I like my picture frame to have a back on it. I'll try to post a picture later.

Cat Magnet: Decorate a large craft stick for the body, and four small popsicle sticks as legs and glue together. Cut out an oval from card stock for the cat’s head and triangles for ears. Twist two 3 inch chenille stems together and attach to body using Tacky Glue or a hot glue gun. See sample and more complex instructions here. Of course, this little cat could be easily made into any cat in the cat family (tiger, lion) or many other creatures, such as a bear, dog, giraffe...

Tic-Tac-Toe (Camper Favorite!): Use a 6x6in. square of card stock or cardboard and decorate with stamps, stickers, crayons, markers, etc. Gather four popsicle sticks and decorate with crayons, markers or paint. Glue the craft sticks onto card stock as a tic-tac-toe board. Then, paint rocks two different colors to use as Xs and Os, or paint Xs and Os on the rocks. One could also use shells, foam shapes, cut paper, pom-poms or seasonal items such as card stock cut into egg shapes for Easter, stars for Christmas, and so on. All pieces can fit in a Ziploc bag as a fun travel game, occupying the kids for even longer. See more instructions and a sample here.

Who are you and what have you done with my child?

Allow me to introduce you to our new baby girl, who is not so very much like a baby anymore, with her four teeth, weighing a whopping (haha) 17 pounds, eating grilled cheese sandwiches, and tearing into anything and everything within sight. I can hardly get a picture of her. Nevertheless, I have posted a few pictures of her here, throwing things about and yelling. She definitely does understand "No," or perhaps just my tone of voice while saying "No," and "Maryn Louise..." She will crawl away from whatever danger when she hears me use this tone, only to turn around and get right back into it again.

She hasn't been too happy with her pureed foods anymore and is wanting, of course, to feed herself all the time. So I've done a bit of asking around and we're trying to find ways to feed her nutritionally without spending a fortune. Our latest bright discovery is wheat toast with anything on it--melted cheese, hummus, jam.

While feeding a ten month old really isn't that difficult, it is a bit harder at camp, since we don't always know exactly what will be for lunch and dinner, and I would be in the way if I went back to the kitchen to cook every meal. And neither John or I has time for that, for sure. So, I guess we'll just work on using up the rest of our purees that have been frozen, and slowly move into finger foods. I think we will also try veggie burgers broken into little bits. I have heard that is a good option, as well as some soft little pastas. She had some steamed zucchini the other night and she loved that. But of course, her favorite is bananas. Bananas, bananas, bananas!

Today we went to Peterborough, which is such an adorable little town. But a lot of the people dress like hippies, which seems odd to me. I kind of think that dreadlocks on a white person is gross. White people's hair just wasn't made for that sort of thing, for sure.

water baby

I decided to go swimming in the lake. With my clothes on. It was hot, Maryn wanted to swim, and I don't have a swim suit that fits my post-pregnancy breastfeeding body. So we sat down on the grass for a while. So hot. I looked down at my Nike shorts and tank top and thought--yeah, I can go swimming in this. I looked at Maryn. Cloth diaper, sundress off. She can go swimming in that. And so we did.

When I jumped in, the water felt ice cold. I thought, no way is Maryn going to go for this. The coldest her water has ever been is 84 degrees at the end of her bath. But Libby, a counselor, handed her to me, and though Maryn's face showed initial shock and resistance, she started kicking and flapping with glee in a matter of...oh, one second.

Her little grunts and 1 second shivers (which she does whenever she is excited) were priceless. Our day campers couldn't stop saying, "Maryn, watch me! Maryn, watch this!" And "Peekaboo," as they came up from under the dark, murky water. They splashed and giggled and jumped. Maryn was thrilled. She kicked, she flapped and she even tried to drink the water, trying to dive right in.

After swimming, Maryn experienced her second shower ever because we don't have a tub in our house and she had sand all over her. She enjoyed it even more than the first time, making every effort to get her face close enough to stick out her tongue to catch the spray, both arms reaching out as if the grab it all to put in her mouth.

Maryn also took a bath today. And I think we may be giving her baths every day, since Maryn is only satisfied when she can feed herself, and therefore gets bananas, peaches, etc. in her hair and down her arms. She loved her bath as usual, except she now can't seem to sit still.

Just before bed time we were outside, and it started to sprinkle. It was still warm, so we stood in the rain for a little while, Maryn's tongue outstretched, of course. When we went back under the porch, Maryn started whimpering, reaching out for the rain. So we danced in the rain a while longer.

Walking and Canoeing

tAlec, counselor, doing the "fat man in a little coat" dance.

Getting ready to go canoeing!

Maryn's first pair of real shoes. Not the slippery slip on things.
All day she wa

"The placement of these things is not very efficient for chewing.
Could we please take them off now?"
We added her walking shoes to the toy box.

Oh, how annoying!

I am exhausted this week and it seems that everyone else here is, too. I heard there was going to be a "third week slump" at camp, and here it is. I hope there's a fourth week hype coming.

I have been having such amazing Bible studies, and the book A Chance to Die, as morbid as the title may sound, has been remarkable. So I feel like I should be having a grand old time, feeling enthusiastic and uplifted. Quite the opposite. I feel that when I ask for God to change me, I end up going through a valley soon after. But it always turns out for the better.

Obviously God is trying to reveal things that need to change in my life. Minor annoyances are just driving me nuts. Our couches are itchy, so itchy I think I am allergic to them. I spilled my new lotion all over the place, Maryn doesn't want to take her afternoon naps, and the eggs mess with my digestive system. These aren't such big deals. Obviously things could be worse. Much worse. Ugh! Why am I like that? Why can't I just stop it? Now I'm annoyed for being annoyed. Argh. How annoying!

One time a friend told me, "You know what your big issue is? You get annoyed too easily." Well, first of all, thanks a lot. Second of all, that was about 7 years ago and I haven't changed much.

I'll try to put up some pictures soon! I haven't been carrying my camera with me much lately. But I will try. Promise. :)

Teri is CRAZY!

My friend Teri was on a family vacation and drove through Arkansas, so you know, of course she decided to just randomly stop and see the Duggars! She went to Josh and Anna's car lot and then went to Jim Bob and Michelle's HOUSE! And they loved her (of course, who wouldn't?)!

Go see her pictures! The Pences' visit to the Duggars.

Long and boring post. But excited. Forgive me! I have been deprived.

Waiting for closing circle outside the dining hall.

The counselors working with me this week: Michael, who is from Massachusetts, Antony from England and Veronique from France. They were great to work with and loved Maryn and our campers.

Maryn happy that she successfully pulled all the books off the second shelf
for the third time today. It's her favorite thing to do!

After the campers left today, John, Maryn and I headed to the used bookstore, the mall, and Texas Roadhouse. Unfortunately, the used bookstore was closed so we went to the Christian bookstore instead. I had planned on getting some light summer reading, but just couldn't pay full price for fiction. So I bought the book I've been hoping to read for a long time "A Chance to Die" (a biography of Amy Carmichael) by Elizabeth Elliot. It's about time I start reading some biographies of our Christian brothers and sisters, and this seems to be a good place to start. I am totally not wanting to read something so moving, deep and spiritual. As I stood there in the store thinking (praying) about it with the biography and another book in my hands, I knew God was telling me to go with Amy Carmichael. I hope it inspires me somehow--or something like that. I will keep you updated. Though I did argue with God that another Francine Rivers book may be just as inspirational. I kind of stomped back to John and said, "Well, I guess I'm getting this one."

At the mall (THE MALL!!!! YAY! I was so happy to be there. In civilization!), Maryn got to ride in the cutest little kid cart with a steering wheel. She was so excited, driving everywhere and trying to honk the horn. But there was no horn. I guess she's just used to a horn being on toys with steering wheels. She got a new pair of walking shoes at The Children's Place for $4.00. The kind of white shoes like I used to have when I was a baby. John got the game Settlers of Catan with his birthday money. It's a game everyone and their mother has been telling us to get that cost an outrageous amount of money that I hope somehow God will grant me the patience to play, since I know it's important to John... I got two more huge bottles of my special favorite best in the world Redken Extreme shampoo that allows me to skip a day of hair washing.

We also went to Target and the Disney store and a toy store... Now that Maryn is mostly fitting into 12 months clothes, I am DYING in every baby department. The clothes are the most adorable things I've ever seen. I want to buy it all. So, to warn you all, just don't even go into the baby sections. Because you will undoubtedly come out with something for some baby you know or think might come along in the next year or so. Fortunately, our selection is seriously limited by Maryn's diapers (requiring larger bottoms) and her crawling (no dresses). And the fact that I am now trying to avoid onesies. Partially because of cloth diapers. Maryn's torso is so tiny and she has a big booty with the diapers one. Also because onesies are just kind of a pain.

The toy store! So cute! I want to buy everything there, too. This toy store had a ton, a ton, of Melissa and Doug stuff. Most of it was not for babies, of course, but I just want all of it. It's all so cute and nice looking...you know...because the toys are wooden and cute, fresh, kind of vintage looking. I do have some Melissa and Doug stuff and I love all of it.

A Day in the Life of Amanda, Wife, Mommy and Day Camp Director

The sunset last night

6:30 Alarm went off. Alarm was turned off. No shower today, thank you!
7:00 Woke up. Nursed and got Maryn and myself ready, with John's help.

7:35 Breakfast: Arrived at breakfast early because both of us were signed up to "hop" (set, clean, serve tables). Donna helped us find someone to help us out so we could sit together. We took turns feeding Maryn. I decided not to eat pancakes and bacon for the 20th time so far this summer since I just can't eat like that so early, and instead ate a granola bar and a banana. I miss my toaster!

8:25 Day Camp Check In: I scooted out of breakfast early with Maryn so I can get our day campers checked in, with the help of my three counselors Antony, Veronique and Michael. They played games with the kids while I tried to sort out paperwork sorts of things, camper medication sorts of things, and kept Maryn from eating every rock, crumb and ant on the floor.

9:00 The day campers and the counselors headed out towards the day camp room to get things in order and play some games while I cleaned up our paperwork and Maryn's toys. We stopped by Donna's building (the health center) to deliver paperwork. Then we visited the dining hall to see if they had saved boxes like I asked (they didn't) and to remind them to make s'mores for today's camp fire.

9:30 Stopped by day camp room to make sure things were going smoothly. They were. Dropped Maryn off at Donna's so I could do some dumpster diving for boxes. I found lots and started taping them up since they had been broken down. I decided halfway through they were too big.

10:00 Back at Donna's. She suggested shoe boxes, since she randomly had 10 of them at her house. They were for the kids' pet rock houses. Their arts and crafts activity for the day was painting pet rocks and creating "houses" for them. I played with Maryn and Bekah (health center assistant) while Donna ran to get the boxes from her house. Then I ran all the boxes over to the counselors and tell them what to do with the boxes...

10:30 Nap time (half an hour late) While Maryn is napping, I wrote counselor evaluations, checked email, folded diapers, drank a Coke. You know.

12:00 Lunch I usually help set the day camp tables, but we were late because of Maryn's late nap. But everything was fine. I plopped Maryn down in her high chair so John could take care of her at the staff table, and I went to eat with the day campers. We had a big group this week, so we needed the extra hands.

12:30 Water Carnival While the little kids got changed, I drove down to our house to get Maryn in her swim suit and sunscreen. I also stopped at the craft cabin to gather up the kids' pet rocks and pet rock houses, put them in our car, and hurried home. The kids got changed and down to the field very quickly today! I was quite proud. The little kids got paired up with the Counselors-in-Training, a group of teenagers here at camp for three weeks or something like that, so they were a big help with our fourteen day campers between the ages of 4-11. We had some wanderers this week, so that was really great.

2:00 Nap Time! But Maryn was too excited after getting all wet and having the fire truck come, too. Meagan came over to baby sit so I could get the clues hung up around camp for the day campers find-your-snack hike. And so I could pick up the s'mores from the kitchen and bring them back down to the waterfront (which is near our house). But I didn't have the car because John took it to go get fireworks....so Meagan brought a golf cart down for me but its battery died...so John's dad (John) picked me up in his golf cart and let me borrow it for a while.

3:00 Leadership Meeting Apparently, it takes a really long time for kids to follow all those clues around camp. I waited at the waterfront picnic tables until they got there. I realized I had forgotten napkins, so gave them some baby wipes. The kids were really thirsty so I brought them some water as well. Fortunately, the leadership staff decided to have the meeting at our house so Maryn could have her nap. But Maryn did not nap. But we had it at our house anyway, thank goodness. Because I don't think I would have made it anywhere else.

4:00 Day Camp Check Out I drove myself and Maryn back up to the main lodge (all these places are kind of far from each other, keep in mind) to check out the day campers, but they were so exhausted and walking so slowly that they were quite late. But it was okay because the parents were late, too.

4:45 Day Camper Evaluations/Debriefing: I meet with the counselors at the end of each day to discuss how things went and the next day's activities. Today we had to write little evals. on all the campers, which took a while because we reminisced about every kid since my sweet counselors loved the kids so much and missed them already! We talked about our week and some of the high points and low points.

5:30 Dinner: I am really tired from writing this.

6:00 Maryn time, play time, pajama time, etc.

7:00 Maryn fell fast asleep. Exhausted!

7:30 Talked to mom on phone, watched John put on wet suit so that he can go out in the lake to shoot off fireworks. And watched Geoff rig up some old nasty wooden boat with an "anchor" (a concrete block tied with some rope) to ride in. I have no idea, and I did not ask. And while I was talking to my mom on the phone, a little mouse poked its head out from under the porch 2 inches from my foot to say hello. Hello, little mousy!

Maryn also woke up screaming around 7:30 because of teething issues. I think her bottom teeth are hitting her sensitive top gums where her top teeth are coming in. So I've been letting her have a pacifier. I gave her a paci when she woke up and she went right back to sleep. She looks just like a little cherub in her bed.

8:00-9:30 I tried to clean up but obviously, I have been distracted by YOU! Thanks a lot!

To sum it all up: My job this summer is to run around like a CRAZY PERSON!

Friday Funnies

Evian Roller Babies

Seminary Reading

John received his first books for seminary today. I think they are all for his New Testament class. Here they are, in case any of you are interested:

An Introduction to the New Testament by D.A. Carson

The Testimony of the Beloved Disciple: Narrative, History and Theology in the Gospel of John by Richard Bauckham

Backgrounds of Early Christianity by Everett Ferguson

Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel to the Whole Person by the Whole People by Will Metzger

How to Give Away Your Faith by Paul E. Little

Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI

What a great family fun section, Amanda!

Well, I am quite proud of my "Family Fun" links. So far, I have Snow Day, Tea Party, Hawaiian Luau, and a bunch of other ideas. If you have some ideas, or some books/movies/activities/crafts to add to any of these posts, please do! And if you ever want to see any of these ideas again, you can just click on "Family Fun" at the very bottom of my blog. So handy, isn't it???

Curly Qs, Camp, and My Amazing Husband

This is our baby walking...with the help of the coffee table, of course!

Maryn turned from the camera as I was taking this photo,
but I got a good picture of her little curls coming in.
Aren't they precious?

Maryn was all banged up yesterday. She fell down and hit her eye, which almost gave her a black eye, and she scratched herself on her nose. The scratch came from her new thing: "Clapping" her hands. I say "clapping" because she still doesn't really get it. But she tries. And she hits herself a lot when she does it.

Another new thing is her obsession with books HAVING to be on the FLOOR. If she sees books on the coffee table, the couch, or the shelf, she will immediately pull all of them off. She won't pull other things off, just the books.

Camp: I love Wednesdays. Because by now the counselors and the kids (I have new counselors and kids each week) are in the swing of things and know what to do. It makes my job easy-peezy. Mondays are miserable. Tuesdays aren't too bad. Wednesdays and Thursdays are great. Fridays aren't much fun because I have to write evaluations on all the counselors and go over their evaluations with them. They get evaluated every week, which I think must be miserable for them.

My Amazing Husband: I was laughing so hard last night I was crying. He thinks I'm crazy. I love him.

Family Fun Days: Snow Day

Snow Day

I loved doing some of these activities with my first graders in Florida since the phrase “Snow Day” comes up in a lot of books, movies, and other places. When kids grow up in warmer climates, they don’t fully understand the excitement of a snow day, so these activities play out that scenario. Home schooled children might enjoy this, too, when it really is a snow day for the rest of the county/town. Here I have added ideas for a REAL snow day and ideas for a fake snow day.

Teasers:

The night before, look out the window and mention how snowy it is out there and that school may be cancelled tomorrow. Possibly put “snow” on the windows (fake spray snow or paper snowflakes) or any other snowy clues.

Fun! Awaken children at normal time in the morning and listen to the “radio” (a pre-recorded video or audio of yourself and your spouse performing a newscast) to listen for their school’s name on the cancellation list. Cheer and shout for joy when their school’s name is called and give the kids the option of going back to bed, watching cartoons, or doing whatever they want for an hour (or two…).

Crafts:

Make paper snowflakes.

Preschool: Penguin Paper Craft or Polar Bear Paper Craft (both practice cutting circles) and lots of other penguin coloring pages and activities can be found here.

Activities and Books:

Make “snow” (We used a slushy or margarita machine).

Arctic Animals: Discuss how fat on animals such as the polar bear keeps them warm. Spread kids’ hands with Crisco and dip their hands into the snow. Kids will notice how their hand doesn’t get cold! Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? is a good book to go along with this for preschoolers.

Animals: You can do some learning extensions after your snow day about hibernation, migration, and other activities of animals during the winter. Once kids start thinking, they will wonder what squirrels, fish, frogs, and other animals do during the winter. There are many, many books about animals during the winter, such as Bear Sleeps In and Squirrels All Year Long by Melvin Berger (non-fiction).

The Mitten by Jan Brett and other related books: This is the best winter time book! You can find a million activities to go along with it online. Other good books to go along with it are The Hat, also by Jan Brett, and The Old Man’s Mitten by Yevonne Pollock. These books are all based on a traditional tale (a Russian tale, I believe). Check out www.JanBrett.com They also all have interesting woodland animals in them that will spark the kids’ interest (badger, mole, fox, hare, rabbit, bear, mouse). A springtime book based on the same tale is Mushroom in the Rain by Mirra Ginsburg, which the kids always love and can re-enact with an umbrella. Kids love to re-enact all these stories and they love hearing all the different animals’ voices as you read (but you have to be pretty creative in thinking of at least 7 voices to use!).

Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats: Everyone seems to love this classic story of a little boy on a snowy day, who tries to save his snowball.

Lucille’s Snowsuit by Kathryn Lasky: This is a must for snow days! In this story, little Francine’s older brother and sister have a snow day, but Francine spends all of their play time just trying to get her snowsuit on. After reading the story, dress up your kids in their snow clothes and play in the snow (or “snow”). You can have a suitcase relay with winter clothes as well. For Florida children, this is a good time to practice winter clothes vocabulary they don’t often hear (mittens, ear muffs, scarf, snowsuit, parka, boots, gloves).

Real Snow Play Ideas:

Snow Drawings and Prints: Give children items to make interesting designs and shapes in the snow, such as a potato masher, containers, sand toys, etc. You can also make a print with an item and see if younger children can guess what made the print (practicing one-to-one correspondence).

Spray Painting Designs in the Snow: Drew and I did this when we were little! Use spray bottles of water with a bit of food coloring and use it to decorate the snow. When Drew and I did it, we made a big snow dinosaur and painted him green and orange. A newspaper photographer came by and took our picture for the paper!

Snow Off Game (a good way to get rid of energy on snowy days!): Divide your group or family into two teams and divide a snowy area in half, making a line across the middle. One team gets on each side of the line. At a signal, everyone starts throwing snow over to the other side. After a given amount of time, give another signal and everyone must stop. The team that succeeded in get the most snow off their side wins!

Meals and Snacks:

After playing in the snow (or “snow”) make sure you warm up your little munchkins by giving them some hot chocolate with marshmallows! And serve a warm, soothing lunch, like chicken noodle soup.

For dinner, serve a favorite stew and biscuits, chili or soup or other winter time favorites (hot cider, casseroles, Christmas cookies, homemade bread, etc).

Songs:

The Penguin Song

Leader: Penguins, Attention! Penguins, Begin!

Have you ever seen
A penguin come to tea?
When you look at me
A penguin you will see!

Leader: Right arm
~Continue the song until you are dancing like a penguin~ (add left arm, right leg, left leg, turn around)
At the end it's PENGUINS ATTENTION! PENGUINS DECIST!

Winding Down

Movies:

The First Snow of Winter: Rated G, a cute little duck gets lost during his family’s migration

The Polar Express, The Santa Claus movies, and other Christmas shows/movies

Journal: Take a lot of pictures, especially of the kids in their snow clothes. Record each family member’s thoughts, favorites, or hand drawn pictures to the family scrapbook or journal.