This is a Mad original. What could make a better party take-away?
Nothing says lovin’ like a homemade tape.
I LOVE her illustrations. She was so great. She made originals for each of her friends that attended the party. Each cover was varied, ghosts, mummies, witches, pumpkins, you name it. They got to choose when they left, the quite successful party I might add, along with their pumpkin-y loot bags.
Great time. Just now I’m ready for a vacation:)
I have to admit I was incredibly intimidated when I agreed to host a Halloween party this year for Mad. How could I resist though, really? She just started a new school and were going to be on vacation for the BIG day. Between old friends and new and a lack of familiar trick or treating, I just had to make it up to the poor deprived girl one way or another.
…Old friends and new, yes, double the head count. The highest number we’ve attempted to date was 7 kids for her birthday. But she was four and they could still be corralled. At this shindig there will be 10, not including our darling little goblins.
Task at hand: How not to lose control of 10 kids and your mind in the process.
#1 Save the sugar until the end.
#2 Start with a craft to get them into it and to get a chance for the grown-ups to size up the crowd.
#3 Convince extra grown-ups to serve as back up. (i.e.2) – Thanks G&G.
#4 Games, games, games. Tire those kids out.
GAMES
Stick the hat on the witch. Our twist on the donkey. It should be fun for the 5 year old crowd, plus it’s always good for a laugh and will work out 20 minutes. Yay.
Guess the monster parts. The SK version of a haunted house. Tell them we just picked it up from the store, but we haven’t put it together yet.
Grape eyeballs, pasta brains, dried apricot ears…
Mummy Race. Grab your partner and wrap them in TP.
Who’s the fastest? Who’s the neatest?
After that, we’ll do the Monster Mash… & freeze. We’ll see which mummies can stay perfectly still for a thousand years. Then they can do the Time Warp, again.
We’ll finish with a balloon popping race. Who doesn’t like popping black balloons with their bums? Especially ones (all) that have prizes in them.
Then it’s off to the snack table. There will be green ooze (limeaid and gingerale) to drink, fingers (carrots) and slime (guacamole), ghostly cookies and ghoulish cupcakes.
For loot bags, I have orange craft bags packed with mini Play Doh, eyeball gum, pumpkin pencils and gummy fangs. All tied up with green painter’s tape to look (almost) like a little pumpkin.
But the best? The prizes, stay tuned, since they all get the same thing. It’s the super CD complilation that will drive their parents BATTY.
Muwhahahahaha.
It’s half over and what a whirlwind this summer has been. A lot of time’s been spent keeping busy and keeping cool. All of that has made me realise how it’s zipped by it almost a blink of an eye.
Madeleine will be off to school again in a few weeks. It’ll be her last year of half days, Boy she’s grown up so fast! Contrary to past summers, I’m starting to get clingy. I don’t want her to go back, I really do miss her already! There are so many things to do this summer and I want to be sure to cram them all in – without hogging her all to myself.
We went camping last weekend. Crazy as it seems, it was our first trip in a tent as a family. The kids absolutely loved it and we’ve already planned on another adventure before the season turns too chilly. Sure we had help. Loaners of good gear and friends who really know how to rough it, was almost as good of an aid as their kids. I’ve never seen the five and under crowd so vibrant. These kids were on the go, running laps around the tents until the sun went down only to sit by lantern light to draw up a craft on firewood.
Just as they sucked every minute of the day that weekend, I’m planning on doing the same this summer. My kids are FUN! They want to do great things and they see it with such excitement I can’t help but enjoy and thank them for transporting me a bit of my long lost childhood again.
August here we come!
A couple of summers back, I noticed the coolest contraption. Geographically challenged enough not to justify the shipping costs, I thought I had a great idea to make up for it.
After about two clicks worth of investigation, my ego may have been popped but I was still able to learn a thing or two about making some back yard ice cream in a bag.
Two sealable bags or a coffee tin with a lid along with some rock salt sprinkled ice is all that is needed. Add to that the essential cream and you’ve got a fun back yard treat!
Opting for the double bag option, 1 medium and 1 large Ziploc, I went low fat and combined 1 Cup of 2% milk, 3 Tablespoons of sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla. I poured everything into the medium bag and zipped it up tight. Packing it into the large bag, I surrounded it with ice and about 4 Tablespoons of salt. Easy.
I though I’d show off my crafty skills as Mad hosted an outdoor play date. The girls helped to measure and pour but, as expected it was me shaking the bag maniacally as the girls grazed by the Mr. Turtle pool forgetting about the treat ahead of them.
Being my first time, I didn’t dare build up the expectation but I did end up with the great pay off with the response to my “who wants ice cream?” call.
I wasn’t like store bought, but it was still a cold, creamy and sweet success.
We spent some of our Canada Day long weekend out at Grandma and Grandpa’s.
Of course, Mad spent more, she’s the resident resident, we are the chauffeurs:)
Mad was pretty excited to be there and about Canada Day. After receiving her first end of year report card I may know why since hearing how much she enjoys singing our national anthem in both English and French.
“…we stand on cars for thee.
With globing hearts, we seething rise,
the True North strong and free…”
How thrilled she was to get to belt it out at the local fireworks display.
We knew it was coming, but the sudden dark clouds and ominous rumble still startled us to the window.
Mad was absorbing her afternoon television quota when I suggested baking the almighty Tollhouse. She surprisingly wouldn’t have any of it. Milkshakes she alerted. Strawberry milkshakes.
Did all the health food preaching finally get to her?
She pulled out the mixer and we tossed each of her cravings; soy milk, frozen mango chunks, fresh strawberries, raspberries and a blob of honey.
“This is so good I’m going to save some for when I’m a teenager.”
It was our first firecracker stay up late night of the season.
We needed a night light.
I think she liked it. I’m not sure if she liked the craft or the ice inside.
So here’s how you do it:
Recycle a can. Rinse it out and remove the label.
Fill it with water and freeze it.
Make a design, not too complicated, these are kids and dots…
Once the ice is solid. Transfer your pattern by knocking holes into the can with an awl, chisel or a nail with a mallet.
(This might be the grown up part.)
Allow the ice to melt to get in out. Dry the can and paint with a rust proof paint, if desired.
Hang by a wire, or not. Insert a candle and wait for dark.
Ohhhhahhhhh. Lovely.
Outside is still a bit chilly and the ground is wet – especially at the park. Let’s face it, April around here has been quite rude and unweatherly. However our biggest dilemma for Mad is that Baz naps through her free time, often restricting her from doing much in the afternoon.
Figuring it was well worthwhile for a kid who adores the outdoors, I sought the advice of Grandpa to put together something for the backyard.
With limited space and resources we thought up and small would be the best idea.
With a free slide, stray logs and left over deck screws I went to work. A few afternoons later and a little extra help from Grandpa to get it straight, we even had a sandbox underneath for whenever Sebastian woke up.
We just went all out this year. It didn’t help that Mad was “studying” love and the like in JK this week. With Valentine hearts a plenty, there were no shortages of paper clippings and ink spots.
To top it off we hosted a Valentine Tea for the JK socialites. Six little lovelies with their pinkies hoisted chatted over cinnamon hearts and sugar cookies. A great success, we all thought.
Mad’s been big on the heart people. They’re her newest thing. There’s one in particular I just love that she did with chalk but this one is named Lolita, she’s done in crayon on water-coloured canvas board. Nice.
Have a LOVEly day.
xox
It was Mad taught me the craft of the day today.
Meet Henrietta Heart Mouse.
With a bit of construction paper and some glue you too could have a mouse to call your very own.
Mad was pretty excited to be the teacher today. It was obviously a pretty fun craft for her to want to share… and it was.
All we needed was two pieces of construction paper, scissors, glue and some yarn… and if you have an extra “googlie” eye kicking around, woohoo for you!
Cut two hearts. One about twice the size of the other.
Cut the large one down the middle and place it so the cut side is toward you.
Glue the smaller heart, right side up, toward the point of the larger half heart. These are the ears.
Give this little creature some whiskers and a tail by trimming the yarn to your favourite lengths and gluing to the underside of the large heart.
Secure them by mirroring the remaining half heart, gluing it into place.
Draw on an eye, or glue on the googlie variety if you’ve got it. Cut out a tiny heart for the mouth, Or draw one if that’s your mouse’s look…..
Have fun. I sure did.
It’s fun being the kid sometimes.
