Summer reading challenge - completed.

Well, I set small goals for myself and I *almost* completed this one! :)

- Mr. Pip by Lloyd Jones - I didn't finish this one. It was for my book club and I went to the meeting and found out what happened. I don't have much incentive to finish the book now! I should probably finish it but it wasn't all that compelling.
- Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks - another book club read. Finished.
- In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith. I love this series. Finished.
- She Got Up Off the Couch: And Other Heroic Acts from Mooreland, Indiana by Haven Kimmel. Finished.

I'm going to do a fall reading challenge. Stay tuned!Pin It

The Accidental Homeschooler

That's what I've decided to call myself. For now! I didn't imagine that I would be homeschooling. I don't have any philosophical objections to it but I don't believe that it suits my personality or that of my son. That being sad, here I am, preparing to homeschool.

Here's the background. My oldest son has been on a waiting list for a private Christian school since March! It isn't looking good since school starts September 3rd. The administrators did say he could get in at the last minute but...... this is getting a bit nuts. We didn't sign up at a "back up" school because I didn't want to go through the exhausting process of application a second time. I felt it was a bit dishonest, as well, to apply at a school we didn't really feel a connection with.

Public school is not an option for us for several reasons, one being that A has been reading since he was 2 and now (he's turning 5 next week) he reads at probably a grade 3 level. He needs to be challenged and public school won't do that for him.

So, I'm doing some research on homeschooling. Five in a Row looks like a good option for us since A loves books. I don't know about math. There are so many choices. Saxon Math, Modern Curriculum Press, Singapore Math, Shiller Math, Math-U-See, etc. If any veteran homeschoolers are reading this, I'm open to suggestions.

What sucks is that I can't sign up for a homeschool co-op or group since our homeschooling may last all of a week, if we get into the school. I can't buy a whole math program since this foray into homeschooling may be very short lived.

The challenge for me will be organizational. That is not my strength area! I'm loading up on books from the library and reading blogs and websites until my eyes cross.Pin It

Wordless Wednesday

 

Loving that kite on a summer's day.

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Free MPs to download (legal)

Amazon has lots of great deals on MPs. I found a whole bunch this week that are free.

Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Mahalia Jackson and Elizabeth Mitchell.

They also have a Friday 5, which is five MP3 albums that are $5, which changes weekly.

I love filling my MP3 player up without spending a lot!Pin It

Vacation photos

I've been a lazy blogger lately. We got back from vacation a week ago. We went to Long Beach, Washington and Olympia along the way.
C wants to be let into the halls of power.We played mini golf (well, C cheated A LOT!) and I thought my boys resembled Fred and Barnie.
We rented this fun buggy. It was like a bicycle for two with seats for the boys in the front. There was a paved path that we rode on as well as the beach. We even flew our kite from it! Long Beach is the perfect place for kite flying. Miles and miles of beach and just enough wind.


J had just rescued a man whose car was stuck in the sand. He was driving a Prius Hybrid which doesn't have enough torque to get out of a sand rut. It took 3 people to push it out. I think they should post a sign saying no Hybrids on the beach!





















Fun camera trikes at North Head lighthouse.


Port Ilwaco. We ate a fancy bistro there. I had a super delicious appetizer - the crab parfait and the boys had halibut, fingerling potatoes and asparagus which cost a lot but they ate it all.





We found this very fun hat store in Long Beach and the boys spent forever trying on all the $8 silly hats. The owner didn't seem to mind.
The required sunset photo.Pin It

Portrait day!

 

This is my youngest looking uncharacteristically serious. Sears did a good job.

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Links to share

A list of menu plans with recipes and ideas for side dishes. I'm always interested in what other people are having for dinner and getting new ideas.

Spinach in a smoothie? For kids? I'll have to try it.

My son loves to colour animals but it very picky selective about which ones. They have to be realistic and preferably mammals from Africa. Here's a great site with very realistic drawings, no cartoonish stuff here.

The 11 best foods you aren't eating.

Make you own drawer organizers for next to nothing.

More popsicle recipes and 52 more ideas here!

Free phonics and math worksheets with a large age range.

Listen to classic Christian books online.

Jennifer of 5 Minutes for Books reviewed the book Mommy Diaries. It sounds good.

Want to make your own pretzel shapes such as letters with the kids? This recipe looks pretty easy.

Been to Starbucks a lot lately? Well, here is something to do with all those green straws. OK, you'd need a lot. :)

Kid-friendly YouTube videos (for age 6 and under) - pre-screened. TOT LOL. A great way to avoid the junk you find if you just go to the main YouTube site.

A troubling story of selfishness shown by those in the Seattle area a few weeks ago. It reminds me of the first two men in the Bible's Good Samaritan story who didn't stop to help.Pin It

You won't be able to get this out of your head

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Happy summer photos

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A to Z meme

Carrie at Mommy Brain tagged me for this meme.

Accent: Sigh. I used to have a Canadian accent. It is still faint but new people I meet don't know I'm Canadian. I lived in Canada my whole life. My hubby and I moved to the US 8 1/2 years ago. I still used Canadian spelling and refuse to say scones the American way. It is supposed to be pronounced with a short o sound! That one drives me crazy. If you watch Jeeves and Wooster you will see that I am right.

Breakfast or No Breakfast: I *have* to eat in the morning. I used to have scrambled eggs every morning until I was diagnosed with high cholesterol. Now I have oatmeal and blueberries with flax sprinkled on top. Very heart healthy.

Chore I don't care for: Pretty much all kinds of housework. (blush). I do have an excuse, though. I have severe tendinitis in my wrists and elbows so any repetitive motions are problematic and sometimes cause a lot of pain.

Dog or Cat: Neither. I have allergies plus I can't imagine cleaning up after another creature at this point in my life.

Essential electronics: my computer, my cable modem (no dial up for me!) and my cell phone for emergencies.

Favorite cologne: I don't wear any real perfume but I like Bath and Body Works' body splash in either Enchanted Orchid or Night Blooming Jasmine. A very light fragrance.

Gold or Silver: both

Handbag I carry most often: a cranberry red purse I found at Marshall's for $25. I am VERY picky about what purse I buy so I haven't purchased one in a while. I've looked but nothing fits my criteria.

Insomnia: occasional. I have developed the bad habit of staying up too late and then getting overstimulated so it takes me a while to get to sleep.

Job Title: Mommy, Homemaker.

Kids: Two sons. A is 4 1/2. C is 3.

Living arrangement: Suburban house.

Most admirable trait: Hmmmm, I'm terrible at acknowledging my strengths. Maybe determination for some things. I'm a very loyal friend.

Naughtiest childhood behaviour: I wasn't a naughty child. I was a typical ungrateful teenager. I didn't really do anything "bad" until I was in my 20s.

Overnight hospital stays: Only when I gave birth to my boys.

Phobias: calling people on the phone. No, not really but it is something I avoid. I prefer face to face or e mail.

Quote: I say "Good grief" and "oh, brother" too much!

Reason to smile: My kids can always make me smile. My hubby frequently makes me laugh.

Siblings: none.

Time I wake up: This is embarrassing. I wake up around 7 am when my oldest comes in to get Daddy up. I get up around 8 am or later these days. I need to go to bed much earlier. Reading books and reading blogs keep me up.

Unusual talent or skill: I can kick serious butt doing name that tune from the 80s and late 70s. I am also very good at finding my way back from somewhere I've been. My sense of direction is very good. No GPS for me!

Vegetable I refuse to eat: I don't like brussel sprouts but I will eat them if they are served to me. I'm a polite Canadian. :)

Worst habit: not finishing what I start and procrastination.

X-rays: at the chiropractor and the dentist.

Yummy stuff: I love chocolate but it must be milk chocolate from Canada or Germany/Switzerland.

Zoo animal I like best: Whatever one will keep my kids' attention longer than 2 seconds. Seriously, I'm partial to the brown bears.Pin It

Works for Me Wednesday - more music for Ipod

I found a great way to fill up my new IPod (not really an IPod but an MP3 player) cheaply and legally.

I love Half Price Books - it is a store with used CD, movies and books. I always check the clearance music section. I find great CDs for only $1 or $2! Then I "rip" the CDs onto my computer and then transfer the songs onto my MP3 player. That is a lot of music for your money, better than paying $1 a song online, although I do buy a few single songs. So, check out your local used book/CD store for some great bargains.

Amazon has a special each week of an MP3 album for $5 or less. I recently bought an entire Etta James MP3 album for $2.00!

Another great way to add to your music collection is to use SwapaCD. You post a list of the CDs you are willing to swap, make a wish list of ones you want, mail CDs to other when they request them, and then you will get the CDs you want mailed to you. If you join, please use my name so I can get a credit.


For more fantastic tips, see Rocks in My Dryer's Works for Me Wednesday.Pin It

Wordless Wednesday - strawberries

My youngest enjoying the strawberry goodness down on the farm.Pin It

June in photos

My hubby and my boys made a wooden boat together.
C loved using a hammer and was pretty adept with it.












There was a lot of jumping on the couch going on since the weather (for most of June) was cold and rainy. I want a couch with cushions that can't be removed. :)













When the weather warmed up, my hubby set up the tent in the backyard. They boys had great fun with that including eating hot dogs and beans. A slept out in a tent for the first time (with Daddy) while C stayed in the house.

I love this photo of A in the tent.

We were finally able to pick strawberries (delayed due to the cold spring) this past Saturday. They were delicious this year, better than last year.
Christopher ate more than his share.

Events without photos:
- A's "summer" preschool (3 week program) which he loved. So much so that he didn't want to go the last day for fear that he would cry.
- A attended a Vacation Bible School at University Presbyterian Church (not our church). Very well run and organized. Over 300 kids in the program! I was proud of him for going to something where he didn't know any other kids.Pin It

Great summer contest/giveaway

Would your kids like their very own bouncy house? I thought so! Here's a drawing for a huge one!

The Secret is in the Sauce - Six Weeks of Summer contest.Pin It

Where have all the horses gone?

My boys love to ride the mechanical horse outside of Safeway or Fred Meyer. I noticed this past week that they are gone from both stores in our neighbourhood. What a shame! I haven't heard any safety bruhaha about them. What is up?

Am I going to have to take them to Chuck E. Cheese just for the rides? I've been avoiding that place like the plague. :)Pin It

Closing up some tabs/some fun links to share

I love Mozilla Firefox. I can have so many tabs open at one time. My hubby tells me it can slow down my computer, however. Its time to close some tabs and that means sharing some fun links!

150 + ideas for summer fun - an unpink life blog. I am on the look out for new ideas to keep my boys busy now that preschool is finished for the year.

A fun method of presentation for snack or lunch. Muffin Tin Monday. I need to try this.

A fun craft to use up those zillion broken crayons.

As I've mentioned before, our spring weather has been awful. So, I need lots of rainy day activities up my sleeve.

Home schooling *may* be in our future so I'm doing a bit of research. Here is a great blog post from a pro which outlines her method and gives some great book suggestions.

How to cut a cantaloupe.

When it gets above 70 degrees, I'm going to make watermelon popsicles.

Millet muffins sound interesting. Maybe add blueberries?

Remember the wife rating scale? Here's the husband version.

Fun, educational videos for preschoolers. Cullen's ABCs.

A fun wind chime craft.Pin It

Summer reading (for me)

I decided to join a reading challenge. I failed miserably the last time I tried one of these, though! This time I will make my list VERY short so I can finish it. My problem is I change my mind about what book I will read or start a book and not finish it. I feel quite confident that I will enjoy these books.

My list - to be read by August 31st:

- Mr. Pip by Lloyd Jones (next book for my book club)
- A Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks (this is an upcoming book for my book club)
- In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith
- She Got Off the Couch and other heroic acts from Mooreland, Indiana by Haven Kimmel

Here is the link to the challenge.Pin It

Summer reading programs for kids

My oldest son is a very enthusiastic reader. He loves nothing better than a big pile of books from the library and/or Half Price Books or Value Village.

There are several programs to sign up for this summer that reward kids for reading. Here are a few.

- Barnes and Noble - their rules states grades 1 through 6. Kids must read eight books, write about their favourite part, and then bring a completed list to the store. Children then choose their free book from a list of paperback titles.

- Half Price Books - their program is for ages 10 and under. Yeah! Kids earn a gift card to the store.

Your local library probably has a program as well.

I think we will do the Half Price Books program and the library one.

Scholastic also has a program where for every 4 books your child reads, they will donate one to a needy child.Pin It

Need a laugh?

I know I do. I currently have a cough and a cold, it has stayed in the 50s for days, and it is STILL raining.

I heard this on NPR yesterday and had to share. It is funny audio clips from the presidential primaries, including McCain joking about his age.Pin It

Wordless Wednesday

OK, I can't be wordless!!! This is from C's third birthday party this past Saturday. I made the cake. :)Pin It

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

It is my hubby's 36th birthday today! We went out to a steakhouse to celebrate. He loves Indian food best but that is hard for the rest of us to eat - me the spiceaphobe and the kids like "American" food best. :)
J as a baby.
J, enjoying a cup of coffee. I love you Sweetie!Pin It

Work for Me Wednesday - less dishes to wash

I read this great tip at the Real Simple website. When giving out dry snacks to your kids, instead of using bowls or plates, use a coffee filter. It holds snacks well and you can even find smaller ones. I'm using less snack bowls since I started doing this. Anyway I can reduce the number of dishes to wash is a good thing!For more great tips, head over to Rocks in My Dryer for Works for Me Wednesday!Pin It

Felt boards and a short, fun video on YouTube for kids

I recently made a flannel board for my boys. Thanks, Kelli at the Sparrow's Nest for the Three Bears story pieces! I got the directions to make the board here. I actually used peg board from the hardware store and a $2 frame from Value Village. You need 1/2 yard of felt. I bought a whole yard but hey, I have a supply of light blue felt to last forever! :)

I was surfing and found this fun video.

There are quite a few more videos made by Cullen (the woman in the video).

I'm desperate these days to find activities for my boys. Preschool ended for my 4 year old and my almost 3 year old has been behaving especially badly. :(Pin It

What kind of wife am I?

In honour of me and hubby celebrating our 10th anniversary today, I found this hilarious link about rating a wife in 1939.

I've got LOTS of demerit points, especially that cold feet one!

I'd love to share a picture of our wedding day but our scanner isn't working. :(Pin It

These are a few of my favourite things!

My friend Leah posted some of hers yesterday and I feel inspired to do the same. This has been rolling around in my head for a while.

And first of all, raindrops on roses is NOT one of my favourite things. I'm tired of the rain!!!!

1. Izze - Pomegranate flavour. I buy this in small cans at Target. I love that this drink is just a mixture of fruit juices and sparkling water. No sugar. I'm not good at drinking water alone but *this* I can do. Blackberry is also good but tastes a bit sweeter.

2. Trader Joe's whole grain sesame pita chips. Almost the whole family fights over the bags of these.

3. Life's Picture Puzzle books. I am on my 4th one of these! They are a great way to unwind at the end of the day or take along for waiting at appointments. I've gotten my hubby addicted to them as well. My 4 year old does the super easy ones at the front of the book, with a little help. I found them at Target.

4. Tazo Awake Tea. I drink this every morning. It has just enough kick to wake me up but isn't bitter.

5. Strum Whole Wheat Blueberry Oatmeal. Since I found out that I have high cholesterol, this is my breakfast. I get this at WalMart.

6. Bloglines. When you read as many blogs as I do (I'm not going to tell the total), you NEED bloglines. When there is a new post, that blog shows up in bold.

7. The Crafty Crow. Since my sons like to make crafts and I'm a crafty gal, I love this site. It is a collective, that is it has daily links to blogs that have posts of kid crafts. Even if I don't end up doing them, it is fun to find new ideas and new blogs.Pin It

Some YouTube laughs

Family Dance Night - the dad (Bart Millard) is from the band Mercy Me. Thanks, BooMama, for the link.

Remember your dating days? Would these lines work?
Kids and milk
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Getting dirt under my fingers again.

We've had an unusually cold "spring" this year. Today was the first Saturday we've had that wasn't rainy or cold or snowy, seriously. Well, there was one Saturday where the temperature got up to 80 or so but who wants to spend a day like that in the garden?

Today I did a lot of weeding, working the soil and planted sweet peas and stock. The directions for planting stock seeds said to NOT cover them with soil. Hmmmm. I hope the birds don't eat them.Pin It

Mother's Day songs and poems and a craft

Today at A's preschool they sang and recited some songs and a poem for the moms.

Oh, I wish I had a little red box to put my Mommy in,
I'd take her out and (kissing sound) and put her right back again.

Oh, I wish I had a little red box to put my Daddy in,
I'd take him out and (kissing sound) and put him right back again, etc.


Mommy, Mommy, here are my gifts
a special hug and a great big kiss.
You always love me even when I'm bad.
You always love me and never leave me sad.


Plus the "I'm Bringing Home My Baby Bubble Bee" song.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get the video camera to work. :( I did take some photos but there are other kids in the photos and I don't want to post those.

We made hand print cards for Grandma with paper clay, an idea I found here. The clay I used was from Daiso - the $1.50 Japanese store.Pin It

April photos

The most exciting event here in April was the visit from "Grand Dad," my father in law. He lives far away in eastern Canada and visits about once a year, or less. The weather was terrible but the boys had fun with him nonetheless.Activities included:
- a trip to the Science Center- painting and constructing model boats- operating a remote control boat on a quiet pond
- wrestling
- playing Hi Ho Cherry O and Chutes and Ladders
- doing word games with A, reading to C and A.

Earlier in the month we had a gorgeous sunny day and we visited the Zoo. I love the look on A's face as he enjoys the chickens. He is a big fan of farm animals.
Here are my boys watching the elephants.Pin It

Wordless Wednesday

 

My hubby took this photo so I can't take the credit.

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Taking kids out to eat

This is sooooooo true to life!

Baby Blues cartoon.

Thanks, Carrie at Mommy Brain, for the tip.Pin It

Bad blood

Yep, I have bad blood. I had my cholesterol checked and it is way too high. Sigh. I'm too young! :)

My doctor is sending me to a dietitian to see what we can do with diet changes. Goodbye scrambled eggs, hello oatmeal.

I asked my husband to get his checked since I want to share in the misery. His diet is worse than mine, anyway. Of course there is the chance that his cholesterol is just fine.Pin It

MOM song

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Love paper?

I found a very cool site filled with all kinds of paper goodies (and other fun things). Perfect for scrapbooking, kids pretend games, card making, etc. I could really go crazy here but I'll try to be good.

Papier Valise Provisions.

Here's a taste.Pin It

Need an artistic outlet?

Try out this website. Here is what I created.

I'm going to show the website to my boys tomorrow. Double click the left mouse button to change colour and use the space bar to erase the image and start over.Pin It

GrandDad here this week

I won't have very much time for posting this week. My father in law is coming to visit today (from eastern Canada) and will be staying for a week. We are *really* hoping the weather improves so we can do some fun things outside. If not, we'll be headed to the Science Museum later this week. My oldest doesn't want to skip preschool even with our special visitor here.Pin It

Fun personality test!

This was fun even thought I'm not sure I agree with the results. I think I'm a bit more like Piglet or Owl.

Your Score: Eeyore

You scored 16 Ego, 18 Anxiety, and 9 Agency!

"Do you know what A means, little Piglet?"

"No, Eeyore, I don't."

"It means Learning, it means Education, it means all
the things that you and Pooh haven't got. That's what A means."

"Oh," said Piglet again. "I mean, does it?" he
explained quickly.

"I'm telling you. People come and go in this Forest,
and they say, 'It's only Eeyore, so it doesn't count.' They
walk to and fro saying 'Ha ha!' But do they know anything about
A? They don't. It's just three sticks to them. But to the
Educated--mark this, little Piglet--to the Educated, not
meaning Poohs and Piglets, it's a great and glorious A.

You scored as Eeyore!

ABOUT EEYORE: Eeyore lives in his own thistley corner of the forest and wonders why people don't come to visit him more often. He is master of the Guilt Trip, and is always gently forgiving his visitors for neglecting him. Eeyore considers himself to be smarter than the other inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood, and is often exasperated by their habit of having adventures and general merriment.

WHAT THIS SAYS ABOUT YOU: You are an anxious person, and you tend to expect the worst. Your friends find you somewhat cynical at times, because you have found that it is best to expect disappointment. You often feel unappreciated by the people you work with, but you rarely actually try and do anything to change that fact.

Your close friends admire you more than you think they do. They wish that you would learn to stop worrying so much and actually start trying to fix what is bothering you. If something is making you unhappy... change it!

Link: The Deep and Meaningful Winnie-The-Pooh Character Test on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

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DVDs that won't rot their brains

My boys don't watch TV, as such. They have approximately one hour per day to watch videos or DVDs. They call it TV time. It allows me to get supper ready without interruption, usually.

I thought I would list some of our favourites. Now to make this list, it has to not be annoying to me and be somewhat educational. We occasionally buy a DVD or video but we get a lot from our excellent local library. I prefer to get DVDs/videos that aren't movies. Movies are longer than an hour so they get mad when it is time to turn it off. No duh!

Remember my boys are 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 and they don't like anything scary.

The Usual Suspects:
- Bob the Builder - I actually think most of them are pretty funny.
- Thomas the Tank engine
- Cars movie
- Curious George movie

Real animals theme:
- Babe
- Milo and Otis
- Napoleon (there is frequent use of the word stupid in this that I don't like)
- Hammy Hamster - Tales of the Riverbank. This is a Canadian show which uses real animals from way back but it is now appearing on Animal Planet. We bought a few DVDs from Amazon. My husband and I watched this when we were kids. Ah, the nostalgia.
- my boys also liked Homeward Bound - The Incredible Journey (movie). However, I didn't like the frequent name calling and put-downs in it so it has stayed at the library.

Non-fiction theme:

- This is America Charlie Brown - I reviewed this one before.

- Peep and the Big Wide World. This is a new discovery. It is a science show for kids. It combines animation and video of children doing experiments or observing nature. They have a website that my oldest goes to every morning.

- Real Wheels Series. There Goes a ....... My boys have seen almost every one of these! Dave is a funny guy - slapstick humour that appeals to preschoolers. They are definitely educational since they are non-fiction. My boys have seen Truck, Fire Engine, Bulldozer, Monster Truck, Tractor, Mail Truck, Garbage Truck, Farm Truck, Race Car, Tank, Train, and Police Car. There are even more in the series!

Music theme:
- Raffi in Concert - we love Raffi.
- Laurie Berkner in Concert (one caveat - she and her back up singer wear clothes that I consider somewhat inappropriate)
- The Wiggles - Top of the Tots and Big Red Car are our favourites.
- Mary Poppins
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - don't watch the last half, though. It is way too scary. There is a character called the "Child Catcher" and his job is to catch children. Bizarre!

Veggie Tales
- my boys like *some* of these. Madame Blueberry (about contentment), Jonah, Lyle the Kindly Viking, and Josh and the Big Wall.

Classic Disney:
- Lady and the Tramp
- Dumbo

Miscellaneous:

- Kipper the Dog. I love the English accents. These are pretty funny. I'm not sure about the educational value but they have a slow pace which I appreciate.

- Max and Ruby. I don't think these shows are educational and Ruby's voice can be annoying but they are hilarious. My youngest is a lot like Max but he talks muchmore since Max talks in single syllables.

- Richard Scarry. I have a soft spot in my heart for Richard Scarry and so does my husband. We remember reading his books when we were kids. There are several good Richard Scarry videos:
Best ABC Video Ever, Best Counting Video Ever, Best Busy People Video, Sing A Long Mother Goose and a few others.

We recently introduced our boys to the Muppet Show another childhood favourite. It is available on Netflix.

And, last but not least, probably our all time favourite:
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. I love that is takes actual pages from the book and intersperses it with animation. This was produced in 1977.

I hope you got some new ideas from my list. Did I leave any of your favs out? Disney's Jungle Book is one I'd like to try out on my boys soon.Pin It

This stuff is great!

We went to a teacher's store today - Lakeshore Learning. It is a great place - so many great arts and craft supplies, toys and educational materials.

I bought the boys 2 small packs of this:
Play Foam! I couldn't believe how long they played with it! It doesn't dry out like play dough and can be reshaped over and over. Super easy to clean up. It reminds me of rice crispy treats but in a good way.

We didn't make anything elaborate like the photo, btw.Pin It