Painting with plastic eggs

I saw this post on Teach Preschool, loved it, pinned it, and then was foolish enough to think I could pull it off from memory.

I forgot the tip about using liquid starch. But I didn't have any liquid starch handy anyway.

Also, my particular eggs did not have holes. How lame is that?!

Not a big deal because the children enjoyed themselves just fine.

CB was in a paint brush mood and BBD just wanted an egg to "rock n roll".



CB decided to make "spring pictures" for all 17 of her classmates and a couple of other dear friends. Each one needed to be properly packaged in an envelope complete with sticker stamps.

That girl is a giver.

{This will be revisited next year with liquid starch and holes.}

Our egg trees and an unlikely enemy

My plastic eggs were hijacked while I was attempting to be crafty and decorative.

The guilty parties were awfully cute so I decided to wait my turn.

BBD: {truly stymied} Where are your eggs?

Note: the overflowing basket in his possession.

The imaginative play that took place with the stolen and empty eggs was intriguing.

The children are convinced that the Eater Bunny himself is after their ill gotten gains. I guess a life of crime can make you paranoid.

BBD: We gotta hide from the Easter Bunny quick! We gotta hide our eggs!

CB: We’re gonna hibernate our Easter eggs!

It can also lead to misusing large words. {case precedent: inconceivable! You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means--if you do not get this reference I am disappointed in you}

After the children went to bed, my crafting got to continue and the next day they helped {actual help in CB's case, "help" in BBD's}.


I was pleased that Booger Butt Destructo's involvement, aka swinging eggs around like a mad man, only resulted in a single casualty.



And... Wah-lah!

CB: I think the Easter Bunny is pretty much real.

We had attempted to lure the Easter Bunny out into the open with baby carrots. It wasn't until later a family friend educated us on why our exploit failed.

To catch the Easter Bunny, you need

Jellybean bait.

ps
Making the eggs is so easy...

to make the eggs:
*cut varying lengths of different ribbon
* seal the edges
* tie a knot in one end and hot glue it to the top of a plastic egg
* the other end of the ribbon is to be tied around a branch

Homemade Puffy Paint

We tried out homemade puffy paint. At home and at school.

It was a hit.



My children made pictures to give their great grandfather for his birthday.

The schoolers thought walking down to the microwave to cook their paintings was weird but great. They were thrilled to show off their creations.

The recipe:
as found on Sandy Toes and Popsicles

ingredients:

1 Tablespoon self-rising floor

1 Tablespoon salt

Food coloring

Enough water to make a paste

directions:

then you mix them all together and whala! you have your paint. use paint brushes or cotton swabs to paint on cardboard. it works best brush paint on thickly. when you are finished microwave your painting for 5-10 seconds, do not microwave for to long. (i may or may not have started a fire) and that's it. homemade puffy paint.

Some notes from our experiences:
* Ours tended to get a little crispy if we did the full 10 seconds. We averaged about 8. Less if the paint was applied thinner.
* Mixed a batch in a bowl and then spooned it into an ice cube tray and the children chose the colors to make. This worked well.
* A few brave souls requested to sample the paste. All agreed it was yucky.

A little bit of chalk

goes a looooong way!

Glue

It all started when I left a bottle of glue on the living room table...

While my husband loves me despite such behavior,

my children love me because of it.

They took it as a sign that something should be glued. by them. right now.

Sure, this might look like any ole puddle of glue with a button stuck in it...but it is not.

"Mom. Look. It's my favorite!"

CB gave her creation a "hair cut" by trimming the feathers. It was later revealed in a dramatic telling that "He is an evil puppy. He knows how to fly." He is also capable of untying his leash, causing mischief (such as peeing on the carpet!), coming back and tying himself back up.

In the cards

The girl has entered into the world of card games.

She quickly moved from Go Fish to Old Maid and then Crazy Eights. She makes her mama proud.

Looking for ways to make card games extra special?

Add a little love
CB: Do you have any "love you's"?
M: Yes! {blew her some kisses}
CB: Sweet! I'm putting down my "love you's" pile!

Add a little silliness
CB: Do you have any...{dramatic pause}...tickles?

Add a little brother
This turns things into more of a contact sport. And gives the sibling the edge of being able to concentrate while her opponent is unsuccessfully trying to fend off a card swiping Booger Butt Destructo.


Add some crackers
You read that right. Go Fish makes brother hungry.

Add a pillow
The girl has a difficult time holding all of the cards and being able to view them easily. So we propped a large pillow from the couch between us so she could have a private area to spread out her cards.


Add a little trash talking
Okay, so this one back fired...

The girl "challenged" {her word, not mine} her Daddy to a game of Crazy Eights.

I reminded her of the man's tendency to trash talk and she planned on just staying calm.

Turns out, he kept his comments to himself.

The girl, not so much...

"Oh, really?! You're still not going to win!"
"Oh, yeah! What do you got? Huh, what. do. you. got?"
"Let's see if you can beat that!"
"Take that, Daddy!"

um, he won

Anyway, what is truly important, is that you enjoy yourself.


even when your Daddy wins. {We are still working on that last little part...}

Forget

"Did you forget what you were doing, Mom?" my husband asks me at the sight of a nearly unloaded dishwasher.

Yes, in fact, I did.

As I was minding my own business, I was forcibly called to action by a thwack to my rear.

My yelp of surprise was followed by mischievous giggling.

It was on.

I took off after my feisty assailant.

I was handed a weapon by his very own father.


Many rounds were exchanged.



The sister tried to save the family from destroying themselves by creating a scarecrow super villain.


M: Ah!! Where are all the bullets?!
BBD: I got some!

Word to the wise, if BBD tells you to "reach for the skies", don't do it. Take cover and arm yourself at the first opportunity.

Furthermore, I totally recommend that you