"What are we doing tomorrow, mommy?"

Or next tuesday, saturday? I get this question a million times a day and its usually followed by "Can I have a friend come over?" SO to help keep some peace in our house, I came up with a weekly magnet board. Since she's only 5 a basic wipe-off board was not a solution for us, even though she can recgonize many words...especially the names of her friends...I did not want her lack of reading ability to get in the way of my "great" idea for peace.

Off to the craft store for ABC stickers and 'sheets' of magnet - they come in 4x6" and then to the office supply for a MAGNETIC wipe-off board. Ok, here's where my OCD creative-ness, four years of art school and 10 years of being a graphic designer come in. On the computer I created labels - which would become the magnets, just stick 'em to the magnet sheet & cut - one for everything in our life that we do & for everyone that we see often...grandma & papa, mimi, uncle roger, the cousins, her friends, dance class, gymnastics, even a "special day" for the fun things that come up during the year like going to the zoo - I found pictures for everything/everyone and then wrote out the word too...to help with "reading". Then school started and there were more magnets to be made...gym day, library day, no school - google art saved my day for getting images for things like these.

The idea is: every sunday we "fill-in" her calendar for the week. What's going on at school. Who is coming over. Whose house we're going to. Now, she can check HERSELF if tomorrow is gym day, whose coming over to play on wednesday or what we're doing on saturday.

Yes, this has really helped control the number of times I hear "what are we doing tomorrow" because now my answer is easy & simple "Go look on your calendar!" I think it puts whats going on in our lives more in her control. She's definatly the type of personality that needs to know whats going to be happening next.

Bad Dreams? Catch them!

It amazes me that little ones should even have bad dreams...I just think its cruel & unfair. And I always wonder with my 5 year old, what are they about? I'm always afraid to ask as not to remind her of them. Our Mimi (or grandma) has a dreamcatchers in her bedroom...now your kids can make thier own!

Dreamcatchers are an authentic American Indian tradition, from the Ojibway tribe. Ojibway people would tie sinew strands in a web around a small round or tear-shaped frame and hang this "dream-catcher" as a charm to protect sleeping children from nightmares. The legend is that the bad dreams will get caught in the web.

Make your own Dreamcatcher

materials

4" embroidery hoop
tacky lue

4 yards yarn

jingle blees, feathers, beads

craft foam

how to

1. tie a loop of yarn at the top of the hoop at a hanger

2. knot one end of yarn at the top of the hoop & glue to secure

3. stretch the yarn across the hoop to the opposite side and wrap twice around the rim. Continue until you form a "web" leaving about 5" of yarn; knot and secure with glue.

4. cut yarn to approx. 18"; fold in half unevenly and tie to the bottom of the hoop.

5. decorate with bells, feathers and beads.

6. with craft foam, create a name plate; with a hole punch, punch holes in the corner and attach to the center of the web.

Kid Friendly Sparklers...Of Course its a Craft!

Ok. So I hate to admit it, but I'm not usually the mom who cuts craft ideas out of parenting magazines, take a trip to Micheals for supplies and then actually sit down & do a craft with the kids. I wish I was that mom more often. Not sure why I'm not. I love crafty creative things - I went to art school after all - and my daughter loves doing them. But somehow the mountain of laundry & list of un-answered emails calls my name louder (or Maybe its the guilt of what to do with the craft once its done!)

But this week, I was that mom! In our little city the 4th of July is a full weekend of celebration. Mary's favorite holiday right behind the gift giving ones of Christmas & her birthday..."red white & blue day" as we call it in our house! So when I saw this super cute craft for "kid friendly" sparklers, I thought Mary would not only love to wave these at the parade, but would love making them!! During a playdate with her favorite little girl friend, we made our own sparklers! It was easy for my 4 1/2 year old & not as messy as one would think with glitter & glue...I give it an A+.

1. take 5 or 6 pipe cleaners & cut them in half for one sparkler

2. dip each end in glue, then in glitter; lay to dry

3. gather the stems together, taking one to twist in the middle of the other. bend & flare out the "arms" to resemble fireworks

we glued our's onto thin wooden dowels so they could be "waved" in the air.

Hope everyone has a wonderful (& safe) 4th of July!