Exploring, creating and learning together

This is a project I have wanted to do with the kids for awhile now… a great summer project. My nephew’s birthday was last week and we will be seeing his family for the first time in a long time at a wedding next week. The kids have already picked out a gift for their cousin but I wanted to give him something homemade too… something the kids could make for him. Sooo… Bug and I decide that the t-shirts would be cool.

This was our first attempt but the kids have already been asking to do it again. I’m sure we will get better at it… of course the big mistake was on my part. I had too many colors to pick from for the first try. The kids wanted to use all the colors and like an Easter egg that has been dipped in every color (if you have ever dyed Easter eggs with a two year old I’m sure you know what I’m talking about) the shirts started to take on that mucky brown/purple color.

We started with washed but damp 100% cotton shirts, Dylon brand permanent dyes, salt, rubber bands and containers. The Dylon brand dyes are reactive with salt and warm tap water (safer for the kids with no boiling water… of course don’t eat it or get it in your eyes). You will probably want gloves… but I didn’t have any. I think I need a manicure before the wedding ;). The kids were dressed in their swim suits and old t-shirts.

Then off course comes the tying part. Bug was able to do this part on his own but the girls needed help. They would pinch off the fabric they wanted tyed and I put the rubber band on for them.

After the shirts were dyed I prepared the dyes. I followed the directions on the packet, which included I believe (I didn’t save a packet to look at) 4 TB of salt, 4 cups warm water and the dye. A quick dip was enough to get light colors. Had we only used one color… thorough soaking would have led to much brighter colors. The dye colors mix like they should… red and blue will make purple.

Then we rinsed the shirts until the water ran clear (I actually did this part… the kids held the hose for me).

It was very exciting when we took the rubber bands off. Of course the kids didn’t totally understand what was supposed to happen and they eagerly awaited each shirts unveiling. I rinsed them again and then hung them to dry in the shade.

Yesterday was a big day for Bug. He started the morning with Tae Kwon Do testing. He did great and achieved his green belt. He is now moving up to the advanced class for kids his age… Fairy is going to tag along with him. I don’t have it in me to spend 4 nights a week at different TKD classes.

After his testing we hurried over to his last t-ball game of the season. He had a fun time and is planning to play again next year… eager for coach pitch instead of the tee.

I’m having issues with my camera… everything is turning out very, very grainy… especially indoors. Grr… this something I need to figure out… but anyway, here are some shots from Fairy’s last week at Princess Camp. The Camp is held at her dance studio. She has a blast and next year Pixie will get to join her!

Here is some good ol’ summer fun at the carnival.

Our activities (and my posting) will be very slow for the next few weeks. We are enjoying a summer break with lots of time with Daddy. I hope everyone has a lovely summer and if I’m not on much before then… I will be back to posting regularly in August.

Pixie woke up one morning asking for earrings. Two days later she was still asking so we decided to give it a try. She did great. Not a peep out of her while they did it and she has been taking good care of them. She is very excited about having earrings.

Fairy had her second dance recital. As with most things, it was amazing to watch the difference a year makes in the kids’ abilities. She enjoys being out on the big stage. I have no idea where she gets that from!

Bug started t-ball and had his first game this week. He is really enjoying it and it is fun to be on the sidelines watching. Such a summer thing to do!

We have been reading a lot of Beatrix Potter these days… perfect spring time reading. Fairy especially likes to listen to the stories of the naughty bunnies. We used Peter Rabbit as our inspiration for a painting session last week.

I love painting with the kids. It amazes me what they see… Da’Vinicis everyone of them.

Bug’s Painting titled “Cabbage Garden.”

I like how he used a bird’s eye view.

Fairy’s Painting titled “The Scarecrow.”

There is something so haunting about the scarecrow face in the middle of the dark colors.

Pixie’s Painting finally titled “Leaves.”

Her painting went through three distinct stages. The first was called “Bunny” and the page was all yellows. Then it was called “Squirrel” and was made up of brown and orange circles. Finally she settled on “Leaves.” Each painting was completed directly on top of the others but both she and I know that there is a bunny and a squirrel behind all those leaves. Amazing how a two year old’s painting can give you great insight into the Masters’ works.

We went to one of the nearby historic villages last weekend. When I was a kid we went all the time and now my kids request going all the time too. Their favorites… riding the train, the round house and the trades area.

Bug would watch the glass blowing all day… even when it is 200 degrees in there (ok, I’m sure that is an exaggeration but it pretty much feels that way and it was only 70 outside. Last time we went it was 85 outside and I think I lost 5lbs just standing in there).

Fairy Girl… has gift for getting free stuff. I’m not kidding, whenever she runs weekend errands with Daddy, she comes home with free stuff. I don’t know how she does it but she scored us all some free brand new tin cookie cutters while chatting with the lady doing the demo in the tin shop. Normally all the stuff the trade folk make ends up in the gift shop. We will be making cookies one day this week to try them out ;).

And of course everyone loves riding the 100 year old carousel.

Today is just gorgeous outside and I wanted to get the kids out to do a big messy project. I was going to have them finger paint at their picnic table but it really needed a good cleaning since it has been outside all winter. Then the brilliant idea of using the bath tub paints we made in the past came to me. I mixed up a batch of finger paints (1 cup clear dish soap, 7 TBSP cornstarch, separate into bowls, add food coloring… btw, I added 2 extra TBSP of cornstarch this time and liked it better) and we headed outside to clean the picnic table. Not only did they have a blast finger painting, they practiced writing words in the paint (nice school tie in) and they cleaned everything in site! I followed along behind them with the hose set to power wash. Now everything on our deck is sparkly clean and ready for many hours enjoying the bbq.

NOTE: All was well until Pixie decided to clean the dog when I had my back turned. LOL! I ended up with a half sudsy, half muddy, annoyed schnauzer. But other than that it was a great way to make a mundane chore a lot of fun.

It has been a couple months since we have participated in an Unplugged Challenge and we finally got back into it this week with the theme Sun. We have been working on recognizing syllables in words to help with spelling so we used the theme as a basis for writing a Haiku poem together. We brainstormed adjectives on the white board and then Bug and Fairy took turns turning them into sentences. We counted the syllables in each line and then put together the sentences in a way that fits the Haiku format. We then copied the poem onto journal pages and the kids illustrated their poem.

A Haiku poem does not have to rhyme. Instead, the structure is made up of three lines with set syllable counts; 5, 7, 5.

Sun Haiku

The Sun is yellow. (5)
It is a star far in space. (7)
It can make plants grow. (5)