Spring is just around the corner

Mr Freeze opened yesterday. If you aren't from the area, this isn't a big deal. But in Perrysburg, this is a sure sign Spring is near. Mr. Freeze is the best (and affordable) ice cream in the area. Yesterday was cold, 40-60mph hour wind and the line to get a cone was down the street. Yes, Spring is near. Mr. Freeze has opened :) I'm not quite that crazy, we made an ice cream cone out of french toast and bananas at home to celebrate. We also made bird feeders!

A few days ago, after a walk down the street, Gavin cam home with a pinecone and I've been promising him for days that we would make a birdfeeder with it. You know, roll it in peanut butter and then birdseed and hang it from a tree.

But then a coworker posted a link on a much cuter, more fun way to make bird feeders. We weren't even working together that day. It was meant to be. So we did it.

We had everything at the house we needed except some corn syrup. (which I not that long ago pitched in the garbage because it had been sitting for years and thought I'd never use it) It's cheap. And now I'll keep it until the bottle is gone. Teach me to throw things away.

What was needed:

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup water

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

3 TBS corn syrup

4 cups bird seed

cookie sheet

nonstick cooking spray 

cookie cutters

(I pre-measured the flour, water and bird seed so Gavin could easily pour it in)

Stir everything but the bird seed until well combined in a large bowl.

Then add the birdseed

And mix well.

 Spray cookie sheet with nonstick spray and pour the seed mixture onto cookie sheet.

Flatten out the seed mixture.

(I left it to firm up for about 45 min before attempting shapes)

Maybe we didn't measure or mix correctly, but it wouldn't hold a shape at first.

Use cookie cutters to cut different shapes from the seed mixture. We used straws to make a little hole in each one.

(The scraps were not wasted. We tossed some in the bird house out back and some in the yard)

 After drying overnight, we are ready to string some twine through them and hang them from some branches to welcome our bird friends back for warm weather.

The Letter K

K is for kangaroo

I've been slacking on my sandwich sprucing

So today we had a ham and cheese dragon...with some extra cut-outs of cheese and a couple crackers.

Easy peasy, this one.

Busy having fun in Busytown.

I read a review about this game a few weeks ago and thought it sounded like good investment.

It was $19.99 on Amazon. I don't have time to search stores, but I'm sure it's available at Toys R Us, Target, and the like.

Richard Scarry's Busytown!

 It turned out to be a phenomenal investment.

The game is easy to understand. It's 6 feet long. It's not one player playing against the others...it's teamwork to the end. It does teach taking turns and following directions.

The object is simple. Get your cars to Picnic Island before the pigs eat all the food.

 First player spins and may spin a "move", "pigs eat" or "golden bug" spot.

If it's a "move" spot, then player moves that many spaces. (1-4)

"Pigs eat" means you take away one of the pieces of food from Picnic Island. (The game starts with 6 pieces of food there)

"Golden bugs" are fun. When spin one of these, you select a bug card and see what is on the back. Then you grab a handful of magnifying glasses and flip the sand timer. While the sand falls, you search all over the board for the object located on the card and put a magnifying glass on it. When time is up, you count how many you found and EVERYONE gets to move that many spaces.

All players must be on the ferry before the ferry can take off for Picnic Island. So no one can get there first. You don't need exact number of moves to land on the ferry, and if you get there first, you wait for everyone else and keep helping them by finding objects from the bug cards when necessary.

 It's fun!! I recommend it highly. We have played it every single day lately. Several times.

The Letter J

J is for Jaguar

The Letter I

I is for Island

(More specifically, a pirate island--Jake and the Neverland pirates is a current favorite show)

Valentine's for school

I went with practical versus sweet this year for Gavin's class Valentines.
I remember Valentine's Day as a kid being so much fun, especially all the great goodies that we got during our class Valentine's Day party. I look forward to future years of creating a special Valentine box! Now, while I didn't go with sugar this year, I did go with a favorite thing.

Play-Doh.

I saw a 24-pack of regular sized Pay-Doh on sale at Target for 12 bucks and I grabbed it!

We copied a template and added Gavin's name to create 2-inch round circles.

They had to be 2-inch because that is what size hole punch I have. They also fit the tops of regular sized play-doh cups perfectly!

Gavin picked out a special color for everyone in his class.

But at the end of the day, I didn't attach names to them.
He can pass them out on his own....and change his mind if he will.

Aren't they cute!!

Real cute, isn't he?
I asked him for one picture with his valentines.

A little better...
And turns out the best I was going to get.

He can't wait to get to school today!

(Many schools in the area were closed today due to snow.
His shirt choice was completely coincidental.)

From Mom

Dear G,

You are the most amazing, handsome, brilliant little boy. But you already know that because I tell you every single day how wonderful you are and how happy you make me. You made me a mother when I honestly had no idea what I was doing. I still don't. However, your infectious smiles are proof that sometimes I kinda know what I am doing. Your new obsession with hugs and saying "I love you, Mommy" is welcome to stay forever. I'll never tire of them or hearing those words.

Some days are tougher than others. While we miss Daddy terribly while he is away, YOU are my trooper. YOU make it easier, even when I'm not the Mommy you deserve because I'm tired and overwhelmed. Those are the days I feel being your Mommy is the hardest because I never want to let you down. But those days where I am cranky, short-tempered and way to amendable to the idea of TV, sneak in sometimes. I hope those aren't the days that you remember. I hope you remember the afternoons/evenings where we play legos, play-doh, read stories and cuddle. I hope you remember the trips to the pet store, afternoons at the park and when we dance like lunatics around the living room to Fresh Beat Band. And you remember that we cook all kinds of fun food and paint and glue and create things. I truly hope that these are the days that stay in your memory.

You and your Dad are the best, most wonderful, most exhausting, most breathtaking things that have ever happened to me and I love you. Always.

Love,

Mom

**At daycare this week, parents were encouraged to write a "Legacy of Love" letter to their child/ren that would be displayed in the halls in honor of Valentine's Day. This was mine**

Heart Explosion!

While my attempt at an "explosion" of a craft failed. 

A little boys heart exploded with happiness to try it with his Daddy :)

Once again I cut out a heart with Con-tact paper.

Next step was to paint the entire paper with glue.

 Next we filled these little brown bags I had in a drawer I saved from somewhere with punched holes. 

(knowing someday they would be perfect)

 Let me add that Gavin and I spent one evening punching holes. Then I punched some more at work out of some sweet hot pink post-its.

Daddy blew up the bags and Gavin went in for a swing....

But these poor little bags must have slits in the bottom because they wouldn't hold the air to give us the dot explosion I was aiming for :(

 Soooo, we just dumped them and shook them out.

 

 Genius.

Glad I got a Dyson for Christmas.

 Our happy heart explosion.

(sadly, much of the modge podge dried amidst attempts to "pop" the little brown bags.)

Resist painting

A little void in our Valentine

I cut out a heart from contact paper.

Kinda looks a little broken....but that is just me trying to stick it down to fast.

Opening up the perfect paint colors.

And painting our hearts out.

Not missing a spot. This valentine is for Daddy.

We miss him.

After sitting for ten minutes or so, I peeled the contact paper off.

(before it was hardened on by the paint)

It came out better than I anticipated.
We have a little void with Daddy away so much, but his heart is here. And it's perfect.