How to Use a Garage...

In our house, we are short on wiggle room. So, rainy days can be tough when we have a lot of energy. I am not sure why this took me so long to figure out... but back out the van... and you have a GREAT room for play. Granted it is a seasonal room for play. Nevertheless, we have had some fun in the garage lately. Callie has been holding a bi-weekly 'Basketball Conference', in which she performs her skills for us. She makes prizes and sets up a stadium and everything. But, it's big enough to ride bikes in there too. USE your garage. Don't move. Get creative with space. Sell stuff and simplify. No need to scrape for a higher mortgage.

How to Make a Moccasin

This was one of those accidental, perfect projects. We have been reading about Kirsten, the American Girl, from her series and have been fascinated by Singing Bird. We also have read Little House on the Prairies which quotes, "The only good Indian, is a dead Indian". In which we have the opportunity to discuss how some people judge others wrongly. In our house we LOVE indians... or should I say Native American's. Just because Columbus had his geography wrong doesn't mean I have to continue the tradition. Anyway, we were reading in a 1980 edition of Child Craft today about all the different Native American groups. They are all VERY different. THIS particular moccasion was one worn by the Chippewa people, who called themselves "Anishinabe" or First Men. Other Indians called them the Ojibwa, which means, "to roast until puckered up". The name was not about food, the name was about the moccasins these people wore. The shoes with the puckered toes. I think they are rather stylish. And VERY easy to make. There are lots of patterns online. Ours was in a book so I cannot post it. :) Fun fun!

How to Paint a Cookie Sheet

This is just a fun way to switch up art time if you have it as often as we do. We get all our art ideas, well not ALL of them, from a great book we found on Amazon.com. It's http://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Great-Artists-Hands-Children/dp/0935607099/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240276317&sr=8-1. All you do is paint a cookie sheet... well, the kids paint a cookie sheet and when they are done, press paper on the painting and gently peel it off for the mirror image on paper. It's fun!