Outside Fun!!

Just sharing a few pictures of some outside fun :)  New bikes and scooters!!

April Fools Day!!

So it was nice to do April Fools Day this year.  With Dennis being sick last year and all that - we didn't do it.  Actually - I think we were all literally sick last year cuz we had planned on doing it.

Of course having a bunch of kids with Sensory Processing Disorders ... LOL.... we ended up eating most of it ourselves.  Well I didn't - but Cal and Dennis did - and Kaedyn liked the "hamburgers" ...

The "Magic Drinks" or "Deviation Drinks" came off of Pinterest ...    But basically - you are suppose to paint some food coloring on the bottom of clear cups and let it dry (thin layer of food coloring) ... and then cover up the evidence with ice.  Well, our "food coloring" hadn't dried yet and when I put the ice cubes in you could see the food coloring on the bottom a bit.  So we tried to distract the kids from noticing and it worked pretty well....

 We called the kids over individually and they were all amazed - "How'd you do that?" and I'd just say ... "Magic" ...  LOL...   it was cute.

 Cal got a light green, Kaedyn the darker green, Noah the blue and Nathan the red (was supposed to be pink) ...  All the kids drank theirs except for Nathan, he avoids red foods and doesn't like 7-UP ... but he thought it was cool.   I thought there was a chance he *might* drink it since it was pink - but it came out more red... he called it red...

Divinations Class Drink (inspired by Harry Potter)

To create this activity, you'll need:

• clear cups (plastic or glass)
• food coloring
• ice
• clear liquid (we used 7-UP)
• a sign describing what each color predicts. (which we didn't do)

The process is simple.  Well ahead of when you want to do it, paint a smudge of food coloring (I used reg food coloring, and that may have been our mistake, it's suggested that you use Americolor gel food colorings) on the bottom of each cup and let dry.

When the time comes that you want to use it, fill a cup with some ice (to cover the smudge of food coloring) and place it in a child's outstretched hands.  Show them how to hold their hands out on front of themselves.  

It feels strange and mystical, and is the perfect misdirection to prevent them from having any chance of seeing the food coloring on the bottom of the cup.  I suppose you could use an opaque cup, but then the end result wouldn't be nearly as dramatic.

Have the child concentrate on her future, then add the clear liquid.

The wonder and delightment is the best part.... 

You can see the original recipe and pictures at Tradewind Tiara's Blog ....

Funny story with the "Cups of Dirt" ...  or "Dirt Cakes" ... Nathan wanted nothing to do with them, again, go figure.  Noah and Kaedyn were very convinced that they were - infact - cups of dirt.  Dennis did them, and he was supposed to use chocolate pudding, but he didn't think of that ... regardless I tried to hand Kaedyn a cup and asked him

"Do you want to try some dirt?"

He shook his head.

"But it's really good...." and I took the spoon I was holding and dipped it in the top of it... pulled some out ... mostly the "dirt" ...  "Are you sure you don't want to try some?"

He shakes his head followed by a "NO!"

"Are you sure?" and I pushed the spoon towards him.  I kept getting shaking of his head and no's ... so I said I would eat it and pushed the spoon towards my mouth and acted like I was scared to eat it.  Pushed it back towards him and asked "Are you sure you don't want to try it first?"   He shakes his head again.  "Should I try it first?"

"Yes, Momma" ...

I acted all hesitant and then ate it.  His eyes got super big ....  asked him again, and he still said No....  so I said "What if I told you it was cookie dirt and pudding?"

So after a little hesitation he tried it and was all NUM ... lol....  then he went around the rest of the night talking about cookie dirt.

Noah was watching the whole thing.... LOL.... he was shocked too but after Kaedyn was NUM ... he figured it was safe enough and ate some.

We found this recipe on All Recipes...

CUPS OF DIRT

Ingredients

• 1 (20 ounce) package chocolate sandwich cookies
•  1/2 cup butter, melted
   2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
   3 cups milk
   1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
   1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
  
  

Directions

Original recipe makes 1 - 9x13 inch pan

Using a blender or food processor, crush 2/3 of the cookies. Stir in the melted butter, then press into a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together instant pudding and milk. chill in freezer until thickened. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese into the pudding. Fold the dessert topping into the pudding mixture by hand.

Spread over the prepared crust. Crush the remaining cookies in the blender, and sprinkle over the top of the pudding layer. chill for at least 4 hours or until serving time.

Again ... if I had picked stuff up - I wouldn't have gotten gum drops with the sugar on the outside.... and I would have uses frosting or something do make the ketchup and mustard - or something...  and we didn't do the sesame seeds on top... nor did we "bake" them...

And again, this recipe was found on All Recipes ....

Ingredients

•  4 drops green food coloring
   1/2 teaspoon water
   1/4 cup flaked coconut
   48 vanilla wafers
   24 chocolate covered thin mints
   1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions

Original recipe makes 2 dozen

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. In a bowl, combine food coloring with a few drops of water. Add coconut and cover the container, shake until coconut is tinted. Set aside.
3. Place 1/2 of the vanilla wafers, flat side up, in an ungreased cookie sheet. Top each wafer with a peppermint patty. Place in the oven about 1 minute or just until chocolate begins to soften.
4. Remove cookies from oven and sprinkle each mint with 1/2 teaspoon coconut (for lettuce). Place another vanilla wafer on top and press gentle. With a clean paint brush, brush the top of each hamburger with just enough water to moisten so that the sesame seeds will stick when sprinkled on top of each cookie. NOTE: You can use canned chocolate frosting in place of peppermint patty, then eliminate the baking.

Halloween Crafts We Did

Here are a couple of the Halloween Crafts we did...

 We drew pumpkin type faces on cleaned out jars and put candles on them....

 We drew pumpkin type faces on milk containers and then cut holes in the back of them, and put lights in there ... we used white, but orange would be amazing...   we colored the caps black too...

Eyes in the bushes

 We took empty toilet paper rolls, cut "eyes" into them.  Put duct tape on one end, and when we were ready to use it... we activated glow sticks, stuck them in the middle and then covered the uncovered end with duct tape so that the glow sticks wouldn't emit light out of the ends ....  and put them in bushes - then it looked like eyes were looking at you from the bushes.. 

Cocoon!!

So Fluffy created his cocoon!!!  It could take anywhere from two weeks to months for him to come out and find out what he is, so we'll wait patiently ........

Medieval Battles

My boys have been doing some Medieval battling!!  We got the shields and swords/axes at the dollar store!  They are only for outside!  So the boys had a great time in an epic battle to the death!!

Our Caterpiller

Noah named him fluffy ...... we found him on the side of the road in a pine tree - after a lot of research, we can't figure out what kind he is.   We assume he's a moth - but not 100% on that...   We'll update!

What did we learn today?

That it's illegal to have a Rooster (or Chickens) in our apartment complex, but it was cool to see, regardless. 

I kept hearing a rooster's call - thinking I was nuts, someone's ring tone who was outside...  etc and so on ... so I went out ...... and saw this .....

 One of the managers after finally getting someone in the apartment to open the door... 

Waiting for animal control... 

It's amazing what happens around you ....  

Sharing ...

It's time for me to really buckle down and figure out what we are going to do the first couple of months.

There are a couple things I want to share - as much for me - for record - and for my readers ......

Readers?


(knock:::knock)  Is anyone out there?

First, does your kids love Legos?  I know my boys do.  Even my little ones who really aren't into Legos, they just like them because their brother's think it's cool! 

Lego Magazine is giving away 2-Year Subscriptions for free....  I signed all my boys up (minus the teen) ...  There is a JR version of the magazine for those under 7 and I know all my boys would like to get mail, and upon getting their own magazine, it'll reduce fighting over them. 

(Click the pictures to take you to the link, same link for both)

Also - I saw this fun little thing on Facebook .... 

For a mom with a child, who has (had) a cleft palate .... It thought this was great!!!  It can control the little bit of air they can get through ....

Sometimes preschoolers have a hard time blowing bubbles with traditional bubble wands. The wands can get slippery and difficult for little hands to hold and blow.

Cut a small hole at the bottom edge of the water bottle (single serving size), this will become a mouthpiece for blowing bubbles. Make sure there are no sharp edges! 

Dip the bottle mouth into the bubble solution and then blow through the hole you created.

 We haven't tried it out yet.  Will definitely share - when we do :)


And this has been meandering around Facebook .... 

For camping or late nights at the beach? Leave 1/4 of Mountain dew in bottle (just dont drink it all), add a tiny bit of baking soda and 3 caps of peroxide. Put the lid on and shake - walla! Homemade glow stick (bottle) solution. kids

 I want to save you a little bit of trouble ....   this doesn't work.  I have had friends try it and no luck.  Dennis had looked it up and found out it doesn't work.  One of my friends left this comment on my facebook when I shared it... 

ok, thought this looked cool, tried it with the kids just now and it's such a dud!!! Didn't work, even tried doubling the baking soda and peroxide after it didn't work the first time. Still no glow...so I believe this has been BUSTED!! (Myth Busters comment)

So I want to save everyone the trouble of trying (unless you want to try it for a science experiment that fails!) ...