Sunday, May 28, 2006

Where did May go?

I just can not believe this month is gone? Where did the time go? Time just keeps moving faster and faster.


So what has May brought us?


Not really much of nuttin. Kid gets out of school Friday. Looking forward to summer. Much needed rest. Finally got all long term projects and reports finished. Couple more tests this week. Nothing like working up until very last minute. Kids baseball season in full swing. Though had more rain-out games than actual played.


Well I was all set to do this BIG update .. and I can think of nuttin. Just a busy month of nothing.

Friday, May 5, 2006

Birthday Boy

I can not believe 11 years ago today ...




I brought this wonderful soul into the world.



Happy Birthday!!

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Rains .. it Pours


All in a day of the crazy house ....

  1. DH forgot to leave my $ so I could take to bank for kids tutition.
  2. The laundry room backed up, I just had this done 5 March.
  3. The insurance company needs info brought over to them.
  4. The niece pooped her pants. *thud* I dontalikepottytraining
  5. The new addition is DRIVING me nuts!!

All in 30 minute time frame!!


Now I am waiting on sewer people.


Have to got to Insurance Office


I am NOT going back to DH office to p/u $ that can wait til tomorrow.


Calgon ... Take me away!!

Loss of brain cells

*Oy* That is all I can say with the latest of my brain laps. Like I did not have enough on my plate, and then to go add:


I am completely NUTS!! I tell ya. But I got so wrapped up in son .. he just had me writing checks and out the door before I could use the brain I was given. *sigh* I am not sure what I am going to do. Almost a week later and she is still here. I had a couple people interested in taking her but they backed out. I keep trying to tell myself .. maybe this is the way it was meant to be. Maybe there is a purpose. I could return where she came from, but I am too cheap to lose my $$.


I just can't see it. I think I made a HUGE mistake. But since every time I try to find her a new home .. she stays. Driving me INSANE. Like I needed that help. I have a son, husband, niece, and teacher doing that on a full time bases. Why? Did I add another? haha ...

So here she is .. the newest member of this crazy household!!

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Time for another TREK

We are having a TREK day.


I am taking neice & kid to zoo. Ride the train. Have a ball. Enjoy the day!! I will post later how the day went.


Enjoy the day!! You just never know!!


-----


They day was good. Until I loss my brain cells and brought home another thing to add to the craziness of this household. SHould have stayed at the over packed zoo longer and NOT went to Wal-Mart that passes the APA.

Sunday, April 9, 2006

Fun Ideas that Won't Break the Bank

When the kids say "I'm bored", make some of these fun and inexpensive crafts! Not ready to spend a fortune on supplies? We've come up with some fun projects you can make with recycled materials from around the house. Here are some ideas to get you started!

MILK JUG BIRD FEEDERS

Rinse out an empty plastic gallon milk jug with lid. Cut a window in the front of the jug, and make two small poke holes for the perches. Insert pencils for perches and fill the bottom of the jug with bird seed.


JUICE CARTON CRAYON BOX

Wash and dry an empty cardboard juice carton and cut off the top. Using bits and pieces of masking tape, have the children tape up the entire carton, covering all sides, the more tape the better. Use crayons to color the masking tape box. The tape makes the box sturdier and will make a great crayon holder for their desk or dresser.

ALUMINUM CAN CRAFTS

Paint an empty and rinsed out tuna can with spray or acrylic paint. Decorate with glitter and glue, pom poms, buttons, lace, or stickers. These make cute holders for barrettes, pony tail holders, paper clips, rubber bands, keys, jewelry, or other small items. Using the same ideas, paint a soup or vegetable can to make a pen or pencil holder.

COFFEE CAN WISH BANK

Have the kids cut pictures from old magazines or draw pictures of something they want. Decorate the cans with glitter, the pictures, stickers or anything else you have

around. Cut a hole in the plastic top of the can for the kids to deposit money. Each time they add money to the can, they are contributing a little bit more to the "wish" item. A great way to teach kids to save money!

COFFEE CAN STILTS

Using two 1-pound coffee cans, turn each can upside down so that the plastic lid is on the bottom. Using a screwdriver, poke two holes, one on each side of the can. Using several strands of yarn braided or twisted together, or some rope, thread through holes in cans. Tie off inside the can. Cans can be decorated if you like.

JAR CANDLES

Save the stubs of candles. When you have several saved, melt them together in a double boiler. Color the wax by adding bits of crayon to the mixture. Pour the wax into glass jelly or mason jars or metal cans. Use cotton yarn for wicks, or

you can purchase a roll of wick at a craft store. Decorate the outside of the candle holder with acrylic paints.

MAGAZINE HOUSE

Using an old catalog or magazine, cut out pictures of chairs, tables, curtains, bathroom fixtures and other furnishings. Spread out a newspaper or large sheet of

drawing paper. Sketch an "open sided" house. Have children place the pictures of the furnishings in the rooms of their choice. They can cut out more pictures to redecorate their house, cut out pictures of people, toys, pets, anything they like!

ALPHABET CATALOG COLLAGE

Using old toy, clothing, and plant catalogs, have the kids cut out colorful pictures that begin with a specific letter of the alphabet. Assign different letters to each child.

Have them glue the pictures onto a piece of construction paper. Discuss the pictures afterward.

PAPER TOWEL RAIN MAKERS

Young kids love noise makers. Color, paint, and decorate paper towel rolls. Cover one end of a paper towel roll with waxed paper and close it off with a rubber band. Pour a handful or two of dried beans (split peas work well) in the open end, close open end the same as the other. Poke toothpicks through the rolls at different intervals to add a "rain shaker" sound.

PAPER TOWEL TUBE HOLDERS

Decorate a paper towel tube with paint, markers, glitter, stickers, construction paper and crayons. This becomes a colorful carrying tube. Roll their pictures up and put inside to take to their teacher, grandparents, friends, or relatives. Some special pictures could be for their Grandparents, a special aunt or uncle, or even for a brother or sister.

PAPER PLATE HOLDERS

Using two paper plates, cut one plate in half and place on top of the other plate (turn the half plate to form a pocket over the whole plate). Use a paper punch to make holes going around the outside of the plate. Use scraps of yarn and "sew" through the holes of the plate. Start and end at the top of the plate so that it can be extended about six inches and tied. Have your children color, paint or decorate their

plates. Now they have their very own place to put prized possessions, notes from Mom and dad, special pictures and more.

PAPER PLATE AQUARIUM

Color an underwater scene on the "eating" side of a paper plate. Glue goldfish crackers to the scene, a couple pieces of plastic plant for seaweed, and using glue and a little sand or soft dirt, make the sea floor. Using a second paper plate, cut a circle in the middle. Cut a circle of blue plastic wrap 1 inch in diameter larger than your hole in the plate. On the "eating" side of this plate, glue the blue plastic wrap so that it covers and overlaps the hole on the plate. Glue or staple both plates together with "eating" side toward the inside. Punch a hole in the top and string a piece of yarn through the hole to hang your aquarium from the ceiling.

TREASURE SHOE BOX

Decorate an old shoe box and lid with construction paper, markers, paint, glue and glitter, crayons, googly eyes, stickers, lace, doilies, or whatever else you can find. Be sure to put the child's name inside the lid. This box make a great box for treasures found out in the yard, on the way home from school, or anywhere else your children "hunt".

SHADOWBOXES

Pain the inside of a shoebox with black or dark blue poster or acrylic paint. Alternatively, you can glue black construction paper inside the box. Using white crayons or stickers, make a night scene with stars and the moon on the black background. Get creative, use small plastic toys to create a scene inside your shadowbox, or make your own with construction paper and glue. Cut out small pictures from coloring books and color and adhere to your scene. Hang a spaceship or shooting star with a piece of string and glue.

CARTOON STRIPS

make your very own cartoon adventure with crayons and a pad of paper. At the bottom of a pad, on each sheet, draw a figure (i.e., a dog). The first frame will be on the first page, second frame on the second page, and so on. Change the movement with each page. When you are finished, fan the pages with your thumb to see the show!

CREATE A STORY

If you have several children together, this can be great fun. Give each child two or three pieces of paper. Have them each drawer a picture and write a sentence. When finished, see if they can put it together to form a story. New pages can be created as you go along. A book cover can be made from two pieces of construction paper, a hole punch, and yarn.

NUMBER FUN

Pick a number from one to ten. Write it on a piece of paper. Ask the children to draw sets of things in that number. If the child get number four, have them draw four apples, four trees, four dogs, and so on. Have them color their pictures with crayons and markers.

ANIMAL JUMBLE

Using construction or white paper, ask each child to drawn a different body part of an animal, but to have their animal be a secret. For example, have one child draw the head, another draw the tail, another the legs and so on. let the children pick the animal they want to draw. When they are done have then put the animal together with tape or glue. Have fun coming up with a name for the animal (monk-dog-lion-potamus).

PET ROCKS

Find smooth, flat or round rocks. Be sure to clean off any dirt or sand and dry completely before starting. Paint with acrylic paints. Decorate faces by using google eyes, yarn for hair, markers, glitter, and any other tidbits you like.

BOOKMARKS

Great for back to school or as a gift to someone you love. Make fun bookmarks with construction paper, markers, paints, and stickers. You can also use glitter, sequins, lace, doilies, buttons, and any other little bric-a-brac you have laying about. Cut strips from construction paper, painting the construction paper will make it sturdier, or you can visit the local library or office supply to have them laminated for longer lasting use. To complete the bookmark, attach a tassel make from strands of yarn.


20 FUN IDEAS THAT WON'T BREAK THE BANK