Getting ready for turkey

It started out as just coloring a picture.

Then I had a thought and grabbed a few more supplies.

Painting with some cement of rubber.

Then coating with feathers.

Absolutely, I know what I'm doing giving free range of rubber cement and feathers to a four year old.

Don't even think about it. I KNOW what you're thinking about doing. 

Again. Don't.

Hahaha, joke is on you as they stuck to your hands because you are four, and haven't mastered not getting supplies all over yourself.

How did you get marker on your chest? Or your ear?

Poor word choice on my part saying turkeys have tons of feathers. After asking what tons means, he took me literally.

I was being facetious, young Wilbur.

That'll do.

The same way you pick up paper and shake off excess glitter, I did with feathers. 

Added a head and POP!

 Our turkey is done.

Catching sun

Our picture window has been seriously slacking the last few months. We have just been busy playing outside and doing other things. I'm sure we will get back into it once the weather starts to turn colder in a few months.

The neighbors have even begun to comment we haven't been changing it up lately ;)

(PS, thanks for noticing--makes me happy you all pay attention to our creativity)

So to capture the last few weeks/months of sun, I came across this fun idea.

AND I had a coupon at Hobby Lobby. 

All I had to pick up were some pony beads.

While this had the window in mind for decorating, it was a fun activity.

Gavin was very helpful sorting colors and single layering his beads into the pan.

Yep, that's all there is to this. Put the pony beads into a cake/cupcake/mini cupcake pan in a single layer. Then you bake them in the oven at 450 for about 10 min or so. Just keep an eye on it. You'll know when it's done. Oh...and open all your windows and doors. It will smell like melting plastic. If you have an electric grill...do it outside. I don't. My non-thinking self, did turn my gas grill on and set the cupcake pan on it. Then quickly realized....oh no, my pan is going to BURN. So I took it inside. 

Honestly, the first two "batches" didn't overpower the place.
At first they start to melt slightly....

 When they look like this they are done.
Not that long.
Next I did the cake pan size.

After about 5-7 min

Done---about 10-12 min

But the third set, sent us outside to walk for ice cream.
We walked to Hershey's with some friends!
Gavin learned how to push the crosswalk button.

And wait for the white man to light up that says you can walk.

Superman ice cream!

 Yah....he took two bites and was done. Typical.
 
 There were many toys to play with there.

Afterwards we walked over to Once Upon A Child to check a few things out.

We didn't buy anything, but we had a few laughs before walking home.
 When we got back, the smell was gone. I'm sure some febreeze would have done the trick quickly as well.

Grandpa picked up Gavin from school on Monday and brought his drill and some fishing line.
Because you know...the suncatchers need a hole through them, and fishing line to hang them up. Neither of which I have.

The drill was apparently loud, so Gavin put on his earphones.

(It wasn't loud--seriously--but I love that he did. He also puts them on when I use my hairdryer in the morning)

Strung and hung.

I tried several times...there isn't a way to get a nice picture of suncatchers hanging in a window.
They look pretty sweet though.

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.

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.