Merry Christmas and a Happy Birthday?

Sometimes I feel claustrophobic with Christmas, my birthday, and New Years back to back. It like a never ending celebration. This year I was reminded that Christmas cards can also double as birthday cards!

In all seriousness, it would be weird having a birthday without a Christmas tree in the living room. There are pros and cons be being born at this time of the year. When I was younger I never really liked it, but it really has grown on me.

Earlier this month I had a bonding experience with my hairdresser. She informed me that her birthday is right next to mine, and then we started a conversation about birthday presents wrapped in Christmas paper. Small talk is great isn't it? "I'm fine with snowmen or snowflakes, but don't you dare wrap it up in Santas!" She actually saves a special roll of Christmas paper for wrapping her friends presents. "They need to know how it feels, right?"

I don't know - I was always taught to NOT repay evil for evil. Haha! I almost told her that...but I refrained.

On a side note: You can wrap my presents in whatever paper you want - I'm used to it! ;)

Christmas Farm Craft

Supplies: newspaper, markers, glue, sequins, blue construction paper, green construction paper, tree cookie cutter (optional), white paint, paint brushes (small), smocks, wooden dowel

I handed the kids their supplies and let them be creative! They loved adding the snowflakes to their paper. The finished products were really fun to look at. :)

I traced the outline of the trees on green paper using a Christmas tree cookie cutter. I precut most of our crafts before hand, but this could definitely be used to help kids practice cutting with scissors.

Lucy made a "trees for sale" sign on her paper. What a little entrepreneur! She was also the only one to line up her trees in a straight row. I asked her if she wanted a snowman like the boys, but she decided that her farm was for trees only. 

We ended the night by reading Christmas Farm by Mary Lyn Ray. This is a cute book about a woman named Wilma. Instead of planting more flowers, she places an order for sixty-two dozen balsam seedlings. The illustrations were wonderful, and the kids enjoyed finding out how many of the trees survived the harsh winter conditions. This was a perfect bedtime story! 

There Aren't Words...

I'm sure you have heard about the awful events that played out last Friday. I have been meaning to post about more pleasant topics, but I'm afraid this cannot be overlooked. 

I can't get it out of my mind - I work around children the just like the victims, and drive past flags the President ordered to be set at half staff. These things serve as reminders of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary.

On Friday I was driving home from an Orthodontist visit when my Christmas music was interrupted with the news. What was my first thought? "Here we go again..." 

Shortly after I got home I realized how heartbreaking the images were! We live in a world where children cannot even go to school without the risk of being shot.

Lucy was feeling sick yesterday. After a long day at school she was starting to cry. Then, she blew her nose and saw blood. Blood?! She started freaking out. I explained to her what was happening as we got a tissue. "This is what you need to do, stay calm! It will be okay."

 

But how can you explain to a child (of the same age) what was happening when they were in Sandy Hook during the school's lockdown?  There just aren't words. I cannot imagine the images that they saw and the sounds that they heard. This isn't something that a child should have to deal with, and yet it happens to be on many plates this Christmas season. Three days after the shooting, I was glad that a tiny nose bleed was all we were dealing with.

Once again we are reminded, as a nation, to appreciate our lives and loved ones. "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." James 4:14

Many of us are searching for answers during this difficult time. 

We live in a sinful world, and it is slowly drifting farther and farther away from its Creator. Events around us are certainly not going to get better. Peace on earth happens to be a very distant element until the Prince of Peace returns.

Lord, teach us to number our days, and help us remember that you are the One in control.

I will be keeping so many of you in my prayers. What else can you do when you can't sleep at night?

Psalm 4:8 is a verse that helped me sleep when I was little. It still brings comfort to me today. "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety."

And in despair I bowed my head

There is no peace on earth I said

For HATE is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Then rang the bells more loud and deep

God is not dead, nor does He sleep 

(He is The Lord)

The dark shall fail, the light prevail

With peace on earth, good will to men.

Reasons to Smile: November 2012

Finding joy in the little things!

• Plush turkeys that I made for my cousins - these little guys are made out of children's gloves and scrap ribbon!
• Sunsets on the drive home from our Thanksgiving festivities
• Giving thanks unto the Lord, for He is good 
• Hershey Kiss Acorns were a big hit at church and at our family gathering. I'm glad I made a double batch!
• Visits from Guinness when I am working on something in my room
• Bright green grass at the end of November
• Watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade 
• Eating fruit pizza is one of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions. Somehow the baking of this yummy treat has gotten passed down to me over the years.

Little Eyes Are Watching

Wherever you go, you can bet your boots that you're an example. I had a nice reminder of this yesterday when I showed Lucy my "new" boots. She had some fun trying them on. There was a little person parading around the house inside boots that went past her knees. "If I can walk around the whole room wearing these that means they fit!" Lol

When her mom got home from work they needed to quickly go to the store. I don't mind waiting for them to bundle up. I understand that it can be hard to get out the door with little kids, and a ride home is always worth the wait! I was ready for her to stick her arms in her coat when she ran into the foyer frantically looking for something. She came back into the kitchen wearing her black boots. It was the cutest thing ever. It's been a couple days, and she is still faithfully wearing her boots everywhere! 

Here's the thing. I'm always an example. People are watching in every situation, AND they know how Christians are supposed to act! Chances are more than one person will hear about it later on and learn from my example in some way. 

1 Timothy 4:12 tells us to be an example of the believers. Have you ever been told that it's not all about you? Well, it is true! My example doesn't just represent myself - it represents all believers and ultimately Christ. It's in my name. The term Christian literally means "to be like Christ" or "little Christ". 

This verse gives us six ways that we can be examples: in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, and in purity. These are all places that we could start paying special attention to. It would be easy for me to expound on each of these areas, but we won't go on any rabbit trails today. :)

We can't shy away from the fact that we are examples, but we can make the choice to be good or a bad one. Little eyes are watching, and the scary thing is they want to be JUST LIKE YOU!

"Setting the Turkeys Free" Craft

I didn't think I would be able to check out this book 7 days before turkey day, but there it was sitting on the shelf! It did have holds placed on it, but the librarian allowed me to check it out anyway. Sorry to the little kids who were waiting for the book! I returned it as fast as I could. I promise.

I gave the kids their cutout handprints, tissue paper, glue, sequins, construction paper, markers, crayons, tin foil, and toothpicks. This was a nice craft that didn't need too much overseeing. I let the kids decorate their turkeys however they wanted without giving them too much instruction. 

This is what the table looked like when the kids were done! I think I've finally found something messier than when the kids eat Nature Valley bars for their snack...Besides the sequins on the floor, it cleaned up pretty fast. 

Note: L was feeling tired today. She gave me this look when I told her to remove her thumb from her mouth. "When Mom sees this picture she is going to find out that you were sucking your thumb!" ;)

Cute? I think so! These birds were customized all the way down to their gobblers.

"You can use one of the paper gobbles or color your own, but you have to make one. What's a turkey without a gobble?" -Me

"Hey! The Turkey Without a Gobble! That would be a funny book!" -Gabe

I decided to use the vacuum after I finished sweeping to speed things up. Super tired Lu volunteered help clean the kitchen! She was pretty proud to show me how fast she could make the piles disappear. "I told you I am good at this, Angela!" Please excuse the tongue...She smiled for the first picture, but this one happened to be less blurry.

I wrapped up the vacuum's cord and pushed the chairs back to their rightful spots. My helper didn't have to wait too long for me to read the book, and we both were reminded that many hands make light work!

A Thankful Heart is a Happy Heart

Let me start by telling you that I enjoy our library. It's pretty big, and sometimes it feels like home. I say that because I am comfortable there. We used to go to story time, attended their special nights, and I loved checking out their awesome books. Okay, the last thing is still true, but there hasn't been a lot of time for me to read. 

I do find the time to check out some children's books for my job. It's nice to pull out a book when the kids are starting to get wild. It helps calm things down until their mom gets home. We had a funny moment on Tuesday when Noah said, "What would Angela do without that blue backpack?" It's true. My trusty backpack holds the much needed entertainment.

I was filling my bag up with stories about turkeys and pilgrims when I spotted their cute Thanksgiving display. I called the staff the next day to ask if I could share it with you guys. I had to laugh at how many times I was transferred with my question. I finally contacted the person who made it. I guess leaving phone messages is actually useful. Even though I hate doing it.

So without further ado here are a few things that my community is thankful for. A special thanks to Sara 

for allowing me to take a few pictures of my favorites!

A big shoutout goes out to all Foster Parents and couples who have adopted children into their family.

This may not have been the way that you dreamed of starting a family, but God knew the exact child that needed you. It makes me smile to think about the many children that have been placed in loving homes Thanksgiving.

I wasn't shocked to see that someone already wrote that they were thankful for family, friends, and love.

Who wouldn't be thankful to have these three blessings in their life? I was glad to see that they were included in the party of leaf gratitude. This meant that I could write something else because someone had already gotten it out of the way. ;)

This leaf was at the top of the tree, and I'm so glad that I didn't miss it. When it caught my eye I almost burst out in laughter.

It makes me smile to see little kids that aren't afraid to be thankful for things that adults might overlook. Little things can be just as important as the big things. I think its perfectly acceptable to be thankful for cake.

Then we have the mothers who are thankful to be their kids teachers - on good or bad days this is true. It is a tremendous responsibility. I know I am thankful that my mom was able to homeschool her two kids from preschool through high school. 

If you are given this opportunity it's a blessing in many areas. Whether you're the teacher or the student.

Lastly, we have my leaf! I stood there for a while thinking about what I would write. These branches had a lot of things hanging from them. There were some notes included about God, but I wanted to add something that might have been missing. A personal relationship with Christ! 

A few nights ago I was thinking about when I placed my trust in the Lord as my Savior. I'm thankful for God's simple plan of Salvation. It is real, available to us, and even a four year old can understand it.

A thankful heart is a happy heart. May your heart find reasons to be thankful this Thankgiving and every day!

#letsgetpraisy - 2

2. "If you get lost you can always be found." is taken from Home by Philip Phillips or Luke 15:4-6

I know this is a popular song - it has been on the radio a lot recently. I even woke up to it this morning. Hopefully it hasn't already been taken by the time I post this! At least it gave me an excuse to draw some cute sheep on our chalkboard. Haha! (I didn't have the heart to erase them after taking this picture)

Join us @ The Let's Get Praisy link up!

#letsgetpraisy

Jamio Nato is hosting a competition this week and I'm jumping right in. I've never participated in a link up, but there's a first time for everything!

We are linking together and say, the gospel is everywhere. Last week she posted this post showing us a few examples. After reading her post, I've been closely listening to some of the lyrics out there. I'll admit that it's pretty fun! You should give it a try.

If you would like to join us, head on over to: The Let's Get Praisy link up

Each quote needs to have their own post. I thought about only posting one, but it was too hard to choose. Spamming my blog with the Gospel? That's not really a bad thing. So here is my first submission!

1. "I will stand as your light through the darkest unknown." this quote is taken from Never Alone by Jesse Bonanno. It's a good song...you should go listen to it! This truth is also found in 2 Samuel 22:29.

Good luck to everyone, and may the best quote win! *ahem* I would love to have your vote! ;)

Smile

I consider myself to be a happy person.

I love to laugh.

I enjoy smiling. 

Who doesn't? 

But then I might be having one of those days. Something is bothering me, and that smile isn't on my face. 

Last Sunday night this was the case. I got out of the car without saying goodbye to my dad who happened to be arguing with me on the way there. I went straight to the room where our youth group meets without greeting anyone in the lobby. My youth leader asked how I was doing. "Good." I said. Now I was upset, AND I just told I lie.

I tried to think of something good to dwell on. I was looking forward to hearing the lesson. One of the college students was going to teach tonight. He knows how to make things fun and interactive. During his last lesson he mentioned worshiping God with our smiles. I sat there in my seat paging through my book. I remembered this point, but I pushed it out of my mind. I wasn't in the mood to smile, okay?

Fast forward an hour. We skipped game time, and took our points from the past week. I said 23 memory verses perfectly, and we didn't have a quiz tonight. Will started the lesson by saying that it is possible to have complete confidence in God. We turned to Hebrews 11:4-40, and looked at the names listed in God's "Hall of Faith". The one thing that set these men and women apart was the faith in God that characterized the way they lived. 

"We can walk around with a big smile on our face. People might think that's a bit creepy, *laughs* but when we have confidence in God it brings joy! Who knows maybe you can even turn your smile into a witnessing opportunity." -William O' Malley

Ouch. I started to think about they way I was acting. Sure, a few people successfully made me smile or laugh since I got there. I was slowly turning my attitude around, but what about before? If I can't be joyful around fellow brothers and sisters in Christ how am I going to act when I'm around those who may not know Him as their Savior? Would that attitude further God's word or hinder it? 

So, here's what I'm going to do. Smile more. I'm not talking about fake smiles that hide what's really inside. I'm talking about wearing a real smile on my face. A smile that tells people that I trust God to be faithful to do all that He has promised. As the book that we are studying boldly states, "God see ours hearts, but there is only one way that men can know that we have faith - through our lives."

I'm thankful for friends and teachers that aren't afraid to share the truth found in God's word, but it doesn't stop there! You can look at their lives and see that it's true, and that is important too.

Mail Baskets

In September I ran to Goodwill hoping to find some sort of basket for each kid. What did I find? Three baskets with ribbon handles for 75 cents! They even have school supplies on them. Perfect for after school care!

I finally introduced them to the kids last week. I came up with bunch of scavenger hunt clues that took them all over the house. The baskets were waiting for them with the last clue.

My plan is to start using positive reinforcement with each kid. Instead of always calling them out for what they are not doing right, I want to catch them being good.

"I'm going upstairs to check if I got any mail!" This is usually the first thing that I hear when we walk in the door. So far the kids are loving it! Today I snuck a strip of 5 fall stickers inside their envelopes. Who knew something so small could make them so happy?

There's also another prize in store for the kids. On the last day of school I plan on taking the baskets back. The kids understand that if they take good care of their basket they will receive a small toy. This was just my idea of keeping them from getting crushed, colored on, etc.

It's nice to already see some results. We'll see if they still enjoy them after the fun factor of having something new dissipates.

Reasons to Smile: October 2012

Finding joy in the little things!

• Walking under yellow trees 
• Free cookies from the electric company to say thank you for listening to their wood chipper for a week
• My "deer in the headlights" look complete with sticks for antlers
• Bedazzled Cornucopias! I felt sneaky taking a picture of them at Hobby Lobby 
• Pumpkin Hide and Seek - I saw a lot of smiles as the kids found the pumpkins that I hid around the house
• Ghost Poop - I had fun teasing Lucy about her bag of marshmallows
• The way Guinness runs under the cutting board when he hears me grating cheese
• Baby pumpkins are the cutest

Pumpkin Patch Art

Last month we made some crafty pumpkin patches using our fists. I got the idea from two Rachels that can be found here and here! The kids were a bit disappointed that their pumpkins didn't look like the example picture that showed them. I guess our tempera paint was a bit runny. Even though we had different results, I still think they look great! 

We read How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara and The Very Best Pumpkin by Mark Kimball Moulton

Noah surprised me by painting a fence at the top of his paper. "If you don't have a fence people can steal your pumpkins!" he explained. Of course his siblings thought that was a great idea.

Here is Gabriel's artwork. He likes to make his art different from everyone else's. The pumpkin on right has multiple stems. "This pumpkin is rolling really fast. That's why it has so many stems!"

Last but not least we have Little Lu's picture. She made big pumpkins and small pumpkins. I tried to convince her to connect them with squiggly vines, but she insisted on making the cutest leaves on each stem.

Winter Preparation

I have been making plans about how to entertain the kids this winter. Last Saturday I took a trip to our local thrift stores, Hobby Lobby, and Dollar tree. I walked into these stores with a few specific items on my mind. I knew I wanted to check them off my list. I gave myself a five dollar spending limit so I wouldn't get carried away. It's funny how I try to convince myself to buy cute things that I really don't need. Pssst, Annng, not everyone's junk has to be your treasure. I was quite proud that I put several things back on the shelf. Anyway, this is what I've got so far!

Red and White Tinsel Poms - $1.50

12 Snowman Gift Tags - $1.00

4 Plastic Tongs - $1.00

Wooden Spoons - 49 cents

Ikea Silicone Ice cube Tray - 49 cents

Felt Christmas Trees - free

Christmas Tin - free

Christmas Stickers - free

Stick around to see how I turn these materials into games that might actually be fun and entertaining! I'm sure I'll have a few volunteers to help test them out.

Sound Asleep?

This is what I woke up to on Monday morning. I was quite puzzled after seeing my iPod sitting on top of a plate. I faintly remember digging in a cupboard, and going to lay back down. Welcome to a night with Ang. I guess I'm into sleep walking now.

Some nights I'll wake up frantically and think that something is in my room. I've heard this described as having a night terror. I'll lay in bed not being able to move a muscle. A few times I have even started to cry out for help. I usually wake up after turning a light on. Then, I realize that it was only a dream. Keep in mind that I am still sleeping as this is happening. It's like I am semi-sleep walking, or dreaming with my eyes open.

Crazy huh? If either of these things happen a few nights in row you won't feel very well rested. Trust me. I have tested it out. Perhaps the weirdest part about it is that I can usually remember what happened.

Whoever I marry will have fun sharing a bed with me someday. He better be prepared to snap me out of one of these dreams in the middle of the night. Haha!

This is what I went through to get the small plate that ended up on my nightstand. I'm really surprised that our measuring cups are still intact. I'm still wondering how I managed to stay asleep as I opened the cabinet and moved glass objects...

Pick-a-Pumpkin

Wow! It's been forever since we have carved pumpkins as a family. We headed over to Sendik's on Jonny's birthday to find two perfect pumpkins. In the past we actually purchased our pumpkins from a local farm. This year we missed out on a hayride, but this was still pretty fun. After taking our sweet time looking at the piles of pumpkins, we finally left the store with these pumpkins in their prime.

Aren't they beautiful?

 I started to write down funny quotes from the evening. Maybe I was just starting to get a case of the late night giggles, but every other sentence seemed to be hilarious to me. 

Jonny: The better pumpkins are kept inside. (tips from the pumpkin stocker)

Angela: Of course! You wouldn't want a pumpkin from outside.

Jonny: Yep, there's that smell.

Angela:  Where? *inhales* Oh, it just hit me like a wall...

Angela: I think every kid should feel the inside of a pumpkin at least once.

Jonny: It's a learning experience!

Jonny carved the Royal Crest from The Legend of Zelda

Jonny: Ahh, I got some under my nail! I need gloves or something. I'm so used to wearing them at work.

Angela: Are you going to need gloves to change your baby's diaper?

Jonny: Yes.

Angela: No, you just have hold your breath and get the job done.

I carved Snoopy, but quickly found out that I made the outline too wide. In order to keep it from caving in Jonny had to insert some toothpicks for support.

Angela: It's kind of like Cake Boss. He can use pvc pipes and that's not considered cheating.

Jonny: *snap* Uh oh. I just broke his nose off.

I had a fun night with my one and only sibling. I don't get to spend as much time with him not that he's working full time. I enjoyed our time together, even if I had to gut most of his pumpkin and clean the whole kitchen by myself at 2:00 am. :)

Sweet Taylor

This little girl is amazing! I don't know the Hall family personally, but during the past few months I have really grown to love their daughter. Taylor has a cancerous tumor near her spine called Neuroblastoma, it is aggressive and stage three. Throughout the rounds of Chemo, that sweet smile has not left her face. It has been wonderful to see God at work. Her tumor has shrunk 93 percent, and her bone marrow biopsy came back negative! There is no cancer in her bones!

Taylor and her family have been having a lot of fun together this week. This is the longest she has been without chemo since her treatments started. She has lots of energy and is back to her cheerful, giggly, happy self.

It's sad to think that she isn't out of the woods yet. The surgeon said the tumor still has some major arteries in it. If one of those were to be cut Taylor could die. He said that it will be extremely risky. Neuroblastoma tumors are worse than other ones because instead of pushing things away, it grows around them.

Her surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday on October 30th. Allow her sweet face to be etched into your mind and pray, PRAY, pray for her often!

What to know more about Taylor? 

http://www.facebook.com/PrayingForTaylor

http://lifeinthehallhousehold.blogspot.com/

I Needed a Sunset

Do you ever feel the need to spend a few moments to yourself? Deadlines seemed to tower over me, and some disappointment was abruptly thrown into the mix. It felt like the last straw. I needed a walk to one of my favorite spots ASAP.

This is what I saw at the end of stone the path. Wow. God knew what I needed. This shouldn't surprise me. I sat down at a picnic table to enjoy the view. I was almost overwhelmed by the beauty that stood before me. It was impossible to not feel God's presence as I looked at the sky. Now that He had my full attention, we had a nice conversation.

He promised that he would not give me more than I could handle. He also reminded me about Ephesians 4:32. I needed to change my focus. I made a mental note to keep my chin up. People are going to disappoint me, it's a part of life. What happened wasn't fair, but neither was the price paid for me on the cross. I took my focus off of myself, and put that energy into practicing forgiveness. Seventy times Seven times, right Lord?

I serve a God that can change blue skies into awesome waves of color! I headed towards home as the sky grew dim. The oranges and purples faded, but the peace that I found remained.

The Birthday Boy

My brother was born twenty years ago today. This means that I no longer have a brother that is a teenager. Wait, how did that happen? Let's introduce you to him using some old pictures. He would love that! ;)

Jonny and I have had many adventures together over the years. He knows how to have a good time.

In the past he was chicken around a lot of people. We both have a tendency to be shy. I would say that his social skills have improved dramatically over the years.

Jonny isn't afraid to get the job done - even if that means getting his hands dirty.

My brother is strong. No, I am not talking about his muscles. He has another kind of strength. A strength that only comes from the Lord. Psalm 28:7

You can depend on Jonny. There will be ups and downs in life, but you can trust him to be there for you.

He might not like to admit it, but we enjoy being with each other. We know how to make each other laugh. How many times have we said the same thing at the exact same time?

Happy 20th Birthday Jonny! I'm excited to see how God is going to use in the years to come!

A Group of Hobos

While driving with my dad we had this silly conversation. If you're a bit confused after reading the title above this post, I understand how you feel. I was confused too.

Dad: *Laugh* Look at that group of hobos!

Me: What? Hobos? Where?

Dad: In that flowerbed across the street.

Me: Oh. Those are called scarecrows, Dad.

Dad: Oops, I told you that I was tired tonight.

This is how inside jokes are made. If you ever see a scarecrow with my dad I give you permission to call it a hobo. After this night, I feel the need to do it all the time.

Sweetness and Test Results

Our fridge is properly displaying a piece of artwork that Lucy gave me yesterday. I slipped it into my backpack right away. It needed to come home with me.

There is a tree with changing leaves and some grass. Oh, and I cannot forget the green and yellow sun! I think it's funny that she drew my hair blowing in the wind. Although, my hair normally isn't that contained when I am walking kids home from school on one of those windy days.

The drawing is cute, but the second page is waaay too adorable. I can hardly handle it. I guess she was listening when I told her that my road test is tomorrow. She was excited to hear that I would be able to drive if I passed my test.

Lucy asked me to write what she said on a fresh piece of paper. This is the easiest way for a five year old to write something in their own words.

She diligently copied each letter onto her card, and she even left a finger space between each word. What a fun way to practice her writing! 

I managed to take this picture of her working on it, but only if I promised that I wouldn't peek. What she was drawing had to be a surprise.

After she finished coloring, we took the stapler out. You should know that this little girl loves to staple things together. It was a small reward for a job well done! 

We worked as a team picked up the markers, and she handed her drawing to me. I even was lucky enough to get a hug.

Isn't her message so sweet? I love that she added a P.S. telling me to be careful! Driving is a dangerous task.

The DMV called this morning asking me if I would like take my test an hour early. I jumped on the opportunity. Less traffic on the road? Sounds good to me!  

Guess whaaat? I passed! A big thank-you goes out to everyone that prayed for me. 

I only had a few points taken off for not exaggerating my scanning at intersections. The examiner also doesn't want me to angle my vehicle's lane position when I turn right. (This is how my driving school taught me) She told me that she has gotten a lot of nails in stick her tire doing it that way. Lol! 

Most people skip the parallel parking part of the test, but I had weird feeling about it for a month. Somehow I knew that I wouldn't be let off the hook.  I was told to parallel park behind a wide car on a hill. I tried not to panic as I proceeded through each step. She said that I parked perfectly. I guess many hours of practicing really did pay off! 

Handprint Spiders

I can thank Pinterest for this cute idea! Now that October is here I can break out the fall crafts! I was brave enough to paint 4 little hands before bedtime. The hands belonged to children ranging from 3-8 years old.

Supplies: newspaper, smocks, paint brushes (we used a foam brush), black paint, white paint, an old pencil, a permanent marker, orange construction paper, a bowl, sponge, and paper towels

Step 1: Find a willing volunteer that is ready to paint their hand. Make sure you cover the whole hand with a sufficient amount of paint. Caution: This step can cause giggling! The paint is cold and the brush can tickle.

Step 2:  Make your handprint! We turned our construction paper upside down to make things easier. I pushed each hand/finger down firmly. I also made sure the paper stayed on the table when the kids were ready to lift their hand. Before pressing their hands onto the paper I instructed them on how to keep their fingers spread apart. For the smaller kids we practiced with their clean hand first.

Step 3: Use a smaller brush to fill in any orange spots inside your hand print. This was Noah's favorite part. 

Step 4: Wash, wash, wash! Whenever we are painting with our hands I always prepare a bowl of warm soapy water before we start. This keeps the mess in one place, and saves time when I am cleaning up. Dry their hands after the job gets done. Warm water can be a fun place to play!

Step 5: Wait for your paint to dry. This is the perfect time to repeat the process with the next child. Once the spiders were dry, we gave them two eyes using the eraser of an old pencil. After this step they quickly came to life!