Painting with bubbles!!

Painting with anything is always going to be a messy craft, especially when children are involved. Painting with bubbles is on a whole new level of messy. However painting with bubbles is one of the most enjoyed crafts that the children have done.

First we started by mixing water soap and a splash of paint in little dixie cups. Then we put long straws into the cups. You must use long straws!! We discovered that if you use shorter straws it will most likely result in a bubbly mustache of sorts. After we figured out or straw crisis, we placed some paper in front of the children and let them go at it.

For the most part there was lots of giggles, paint spillage, and miniature lakes forming on the table. But every once in a while you get the child who we refer to as "the sipper". Instead of blowing bubbles, this child will suck the concoction of paint, soap and water up through their straw and instantaneously react as anyone would. By freaking out and spitting the disgusting mixture out everywhere!

After a few attempts at making bubble art, we found the mixtures to be a bit too watery, so the children figured out a new method of painting. They would dip the end of the straw in the mixture, take the straw out, point at the paper, and blow. This would result in wonderful little spatters of colour and bubbles everywhere. The children had so much fun, but this is definitely one craft I would recommend for outside!!

Making Rainbows On A Rainy Day!!

On Thursday it was a bit of a rainy day. Rain, hyper children, and indoors don't usually mesh well, so we decided to do a rain themed craft. The children really enjoy anything that involved glue and different colours. We decided that a rainbow would best fit our theme. We gathered some cotton balls, paper plates, construction paper ( Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple), glue, and scissors.

1. Start by cutting the paper plates in half to make our base for the clouds.
2. Pull cotton balls apart slightly so they are puffy and look like clouds.
3. cut construction paper into 1-1 1/2 inch strips for you rainbow rays
4. Set materials out and let the kids create.

The children really enjoyed sticking the cotton balls on the paper plates. They found it impressive how much it actually looked like clouds. The children weren't familiar with R.O.Y.G.B.V ( order of colours in a rainbow) so we taught them a song to help them remember as they glued the construction paper.

RED, it's the colour of an apple

ORANGE, it's the colour of an orange

YELLOW, it's the colour of a lemon, and the sun...sun...sun

GREEN, it's the colour of the trees and lots of things that grow

And then theres BLUE for the sky

And PURPLE that's a colour that's fun...fun...fun

Now when we put those colours side by side, now what do you think we've done?

We've made a rainbow, and it's a very beautiful one!

The song was a huge hit, and so was the craft. Below are some pictures of the children making their rainbows. Try it out with your kids, and let me know how they turned out!

Puffy Paint!!

So at work most of the kids have been sick with ear infections, fevers, sore throats, and the oh so dreaded slapped cheek (Also known as fifths disease). In order to make the slow week seem a bit more fun and bright we decided to paint with puffy paint!! The last time we had tried this we used shaving cream, glue and food colouring, but this time I found a recipe that is non toxic and works much better! I will provide the recipe down below.

The kids really enjoyed using the pant, and the coolest part about it was all you had to do was put it in the microwave for 30 seconds (or a bit more depending on how much paint was used) and instantly the paint had hardened!! This is definitely a must try for anyone with kids. It's super fun, super easy, and a really simple clean up!!

Puffy Paint:
1 cup flour
3 table spoons baking powder
1 table spoon sat
food colouring
enough water to make a paste like texture

Here are some pics of the kids in action!! If you try it out let me know if your kids enjoyed it, and send pictures!

Yet Another..... Awkward Moment!

Working with kids is quite the challenge just when they are in a somewhat decent mood, but when they are in an outrageously bad mood, which borderlines on the edge of completely certifiably insane... Well that's not just a challenge, but a complete competition of will power and patience!

Today at work one of the little girls was being a bit of a diva. Shoving, pushing screaming, and purposely obstructing traffic.. and by traffic I mean standing on the stairs to the slide. Any ways we asked her to move, she wouldn't, we tried to bribe her to move, she wouldn't, finally we tried to pick her up and move her.... She tried all she could to defy the laws of gravity at that very moment, and pulled the move I like to call "Dead Weight". After her attempts of screaming and shouting didn't work, she took of her glasses and tried to break them, which resulted in us taking the glasses and her demand for them back. At that point my boss had taken her inside due to the fact that everyone on the street heard the little girls screams!

I waited 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes... no sign of them. After 30 minutes my boss came out and asked me to take over. When I stepped inside I was in shock to see a bare bum facing me... She has stripped in protest of our decision to move her. I tried everything to get her to put her clothes on, but nothing worked. Finally after I took a few "Stay cal" kind of breaths, I turned to her and said "What is it that is making you upset?" she turned to me and said "You took my glasses".

So after almost an hour of screaming, biting, kicking, punching, pinching, and tantrums, she finally put her clothes back on. These are the days that make me realize I may be older, and stronger, but my negotiation skills just aren't what they use to be!


Today's awkward moment:

That awkward moment when a child protests your decisions by stripping naked until you finally give in to their demands, and give them what they have asked for!

Maddison Babineau

6 Years ago today one very special girl left us. Although you can no longer be here beside me I carry you with me everywhere I go. You were a comedian, a defender, a fighter, an inspiration, but most of all my friend. I cherish every moment that I spent with you. I miss you so much, but I know I will see you again.

Tradgey

Last Monday a man named Tim Bosma was abducted while taking 2 men on a test drive in a truck he had been selling on kijiji. For a week our community gathered together to send hope and prayers to him and his family in hopes of his return home. After a week of looking Tim was found. It is with a heavy heart that I say Tim cannot return to his home on this earth, but he has been called to his home with god.

I did not know Tim before this last week, but within this one week I grew to care, hope, pray, fear, cry, and worry for him. I cannot find the right words to say, or how to express my condolences. I feel angry that this happened, that his wife is now a widow, his child now without a father. I feel sad knowing the future his family will face living life without him. But most importantly I feel the need to protect. I feel that as a community we worked together to raise awareness, now it is time to support his family, protect them, comfort them, and allow them to rely on us when the need it the most.

How many times do you take your life and the people in it for granted. You constantly say there's always tomorrow, or save it for later. What if you or someone you care about doesn't get another tomorrow, one last kiss, one more good bye hug, one last I love you. In light of this tragic situation please remember to always say I love you, and show how much you care, because life is so precious, we need not take it for granted.

So tonight light a candle and say a prayer for Tim and the Bosma family.

My Passion... Baking!!!

I wanted to share something with you guys that would maybe help you get to know me a little bit. My passion in life is baking. I love being able to take a cake and turn it into something really beautiful, or different. Baking is also some what therapeutic for me. When I have a flair up from my arthritis and my joins are hurting, and my body is tired, I like to go to the kitchen and bake. It takes my mind off of the pain for a little while, and thinking of ways to create something from the cake helps defog my brain for a bit. My boyfriend, family, and friends have bought me all sorts of things to encourage me to keep baking. Last Christmas my boyfriend Erik bough me an electric mixer, so I didn't have to use my hands. My mother-in-law is always gifting me really neat things like silicone cupcake liners, baking trays, decorations, and baking cook books. My mom is always buying me new stuff! Just a few weeks ago she bough me a pie pop maker. You take pie crust, cut it into little circles, put your filling on one of the circles, cover with another circle  seal and place in the machine. They turn out to be little itty bitty pies, and they are really yummy!!

I want to share with you just a few of my creations!! Let me know what you think.