Shoe box puppet theatre

What can you do with an empty shoe box and a few minutes to spare?
Make a simple mini puppet theatre....

First cut rectangle from base of shoe box

Decorate

Frame dog - just kidding!

Thread paper curtains on piece of yarn/string/ribbon and attach to box

Enjoy!

Spotted...

Most of the time I find being 5'6" just right - not too tall, not too short but even being just 66" from the ground can cause a person who tends to look at the world at eye level most of the time to miss things. This is where having a 4 year old can be really useful - not only for passing things I drop or pointing out to me the bit of floor I missed with the mop but also for noticing things that most adults would miss such as this.....


We were just arriving home after delivering T1 to his other home - grade 4 at public school when T2 paused on the driveway and told me that I simply "must come and take a look". She was indeed right and she asked me to "get the camera quick" which I did and we snapped away at the glistening melting ice, listening to the plip...plip...plip as it dripped. I am so glad she brought it to my attention because the next time I took a look it had gone and all that remained was a puddle on the ground.


I found the glistening ice as it melted to be really beautiful - the pictures truly do not do justice but the true beauty for me was being invited by a busy bug of a girl to pause for a moment and tosee the look of amazement of this magical sight on her sweet face as we enjoyed it together.

Another one bites the dust

You may remember a while ago when my beloved Dyson broke - well it remains broken and for the most part I haven't really missed it. I do sometimes hook up our central vacuum (which I detest) to clean the baseboards and corners, but mostly I am happy with my trusty broom.

Last week my hard floor steam cleaner broke. When I first got it - I loved it and thought it was the best thing since... well since my last small appliance purchase. It worked great on the stone tile we had at our old house which seemed to suck dirt in like a sponge and regular mops just didn't cut it. Without thinking, I continued using my steam cleaner at our new place which has nice smooth tile.

While cleaning the floors one day last week, I noticed something missing - steam! I was basically just rubbing a cold wet toweling pad across the floor spreading the dirt. I was momentarily in a panic. How would I get the floors clean? Would I have to buy a new steamer with money we don't have? Then I remembered that somewhere in the depths of the laundry room closet - there should be a MOP - a regular mop with no bells and whistles, no hissing when it's ready to go, no toweling pad to attach, no not-long-enough cord, no annoying handle part that keeps falling off... It was at that moment I began to wonder what I ever saw in that electrical piece of crap and I reaquainted myself with my old mop, pulled out a bucket and filled it with hot bubbly water and set to work. I started with the floor that I had steamed before the steam ceased to exist and instantly the water in my bucket turned grey - ewww that steamer hadn't even been properly cleaning when it was working.

Each day since, I have pulled out my mop and bucket and although I still detest cleaning the floors, I really have enjoyed the slopping of bubbles and kicking my bucket to the next place I need to mop. I am once again reminded of how I don't need gadgets and gimmicks - they don't necessarily do a better job and at the end of the day cleaning the floor is cleaning the floor - it's always going to be a sucky job but bubbles definitely make it more bearable than steam!

GO CANADA!

Just whizzing by....

...to wish you a very happy Valentine's Day

Never to old to learn...

A few months ago T1 started mentioning that he'd like guitar lessons so for his Birthday my parents bought him a beautiful 3/4 size guitar. He's had 2 lessons and is loving it. Since I was about his age - I have wanted to learn to play too. Last night G ordered me my very own guitar and chatted with T1's guitar teacher and I'll be having lessons with T1. First T1 has to teach me what he has already learned - he'll love that! Then I shall join him on Saturday mornings at his lessons. I cannot wait. It will be such a special time for he and I to share - both the lessons, the drive to and from (with no sister to compete with for Mom's ear) and we will both need to practice which we can do together. With T1's interests and mine typically being so different - it will so nice to have something that is just ours.

1...2...3...4...5....

...6...7...8...9...10. That is what I had to do when I saw this.....



45 minutes later and I can breathe once more. Just needs dusting and vacuum and fixing the slip cover but that can wait until tomorrow. Oh and the box of baby/toddler toys has to go back in the guest room closet.

Valentine's kisses

3tbsp butter, 4c mini marshmallows, 6c Rice Crispie cereal, sprinkles, foil
Melt butter, stir in marshmallows and melt, stir in rice cereal and sprinkles

Either use a buttered funnel or shape with your hands to make 'kiss' shaped mounds. Remove from funnel and cool.

wrap in foil and attach a message on a strip of paper to complete your Rice Crispie kiss. Our message said 'A kiss from T2'

T2 helped with the foil wrapping so they are a bit random in shape but she had a blast and of course the left over mixture had to be eaten!

On a cold February Day.....

....Finding pictures like these, on an old memory card, has me longing for Summer. T2 aged 15 months in Florida. Sigh.

Poor doggies

Our dogs escaped from the backyard on Tuesday afternoon and vanished on a woodland adventure for 3.5 hours in the cold. Finally when they returned, they were wet and very cold but smiling and bounding about - fast forward to today and they are lethargic and one has had diarrhea and the other has been throwing up, not eating/drinking and looking terrible. A trip to the vet, anti-nausea shots, antibiotics and $330 later...

Luka - our newest addition seems almost his old (young) self but poor Hudson is a sad sight. Luka gobbled the ice we gave him but Hudson turned his nose up. Poor fuzzy guys - I hope they feel better tomorrow : (

Happy Groundhog Day (5 minute craft)

We wanted to acknowledge Groundhog Day so we did a super fast craft to fit in with our super busy day!
First T2 drew a Groundhog after a quick look at one online (could print a picture instead)

Then I cut it out for her

and glued it onto a strip of cardboard from a box of cereal

Next we cut out a little cave (she chose red) and she glued it on her page and added sky and sun..

..and a strawberry in case the Groundhog is hungry!
I cut a slit in the paper at the mouth of the cave and slipped the cardboard strip through it. The slit needs to be big enough to fit the whole groundhog through.

Now Mr Groundhog can poke his head out of his little cave and then retreat back inside again!

We wanted to acknowledge Groundhog Day so we did a super fast craft to fit in with our super busy day!
First T2 drew a Groundhog after a quick look at one online (could print a picture instead)

Then I cut it out for her

and glued it onto a strip of cardboard from a box of cereal

Next we cut out a little cave she chose red) and she glued it on her page and added sky and sun..

..and a strawberry in case the Groundhog is hungry! I cut a slit in the paper at the mouth of the cave and slipped the cardboard strip through it. The slit needs to be big enough to fit the whole groundhog through.

Now Mr Groundhog can poke his head out of his little cave and then retreat back inside again!

We wanted to acknowledge Groundhog Day so we did a super fast craft to fit in with our super busy day!
First T2 drew a Groundhog after a quick look at one online (could print a picture instead)

Then I cut it out for her

and glued it onto a strip of cardboard from a box of cereal

Next we cut out a little cave she chose red) and she glued it on her page and added sky and sun..

..and a strawberry in case the Groundhog is hungry! I cut a slit in the paper at the mouth of the cave and slipped the cardboard strip through it. The slit needs to be big enough to fit the whole groundhog through.

Now Mr Groundhog can poke his head out of his little cave and then retreat back inside again!

Couldn't resist!! Happy Groundhog Day!!