Tubular Owls

I have always kept toilet paper rolls
and paper towel rolls
just in case we needed them.
but I always end up tossing them after I collect a few because I
never have big plans for them.
Well after I saw this post
I collected me a little pile of tubes
for a finally worthy creation.

First cut your longer tubes in half (if you like)
and then paint them all
and allow them to dry.
Smush each side down towards the inside of the tube until you get ears.

Apply your eyes.
We used some googly eyes
and made our own out of black and white felt too.
Cut and glue on beaks.
The beak is just a triangle.
We used mustard colored felt, you could use fabric or painted cardboard.
Love the cross-eyed one.
Next cut wings from paper or fabric we used fabric.

Each owl gets 2 wings so they will be the same fold your fabric or paper over and cut
2 at the same time.
Cut your wings in an eye shape.
Glue these onto the side of your owl.
What a colorful smart little family.
They were way too cute to go nameless.
Meet our owls....Gatorade is my personal favorite.
Cotton Candy is Chloe's favorite.
Raspberry is the one Chloe made especially for her daddy and also the one who takes a plunge
into my kitchen sink daily. I have them lined up on my windowsill above my sink, and every time I turn on the faucet Raspberry gets nudged and into the sink he goes.

He stares me down from the bottom of my sink with those googly eyes until I pick him up and place him safely back on the windowsill and there he nervously awaits his next plunge.

Checkin off the List

Monday we took a real swing at
the Summer To Do List.
Made some scrumptious cupcakes.
Cookies and Cream...of the OREO nature.
Used this recipe.
They were divine.
Only changes I made were
- I baked mine 22 minutes.
- I didn't add any OREOS to the top I thought the ones included in the batter
would be plenty there is too much of a good thing...ya know ?

Cupcakes check.

We went to our local library....we have never been can you believe that ?
Up until now we had no need, with my mom being a retired 1st grade teacher Chloe has had an abundance of books her whole life.
But now, she has outgrown and surpassed all of mom's first grade level books and we need new stuff to read.
I buy a lot of Chloe's books at thrift stores but I knew it would be a great experience for her to get a library card, choose books and check them out herself.
We signed her up, got her card and off we sent to the stacks.
Chloe quickly picked 5 books (which is the limit for a first time checker outer).
Then she was not going to go quietly.....she just had to play on the computers a bit, as if she is not able to get online and play at home...silly...but I obliged her and let her peck around on pbs kids for a bit.
Back at home after we made the cupcakes she sat down and read all 5 books, so she is ready to go back for more tomorrow.

Library check....and a little independence to boot.

Saturday night we made our late night do-nut run, that was kinda a flop. We were all too tired and not in the mood for sugar by the time we got our do-nuts. The best do-nut shop is 45 mins. away and the drive ruined the do-nut mood.

Late Nite Do-Nut Run check.

how are you doing on your Summer list ?

What I'm Reading

Well not what I'm reading but what I read.
The Help is the book I just finished
ok...let me say first if you have quit reading
if you have zero time for reading
get a Kindle or other e-reader.
I had quit reading...... if it didn't have 32 or less pages
with a nice colorful glossy cover and was based on a pirate,
a Spanish speaking Chiuaua, a dinosaur or a fairy I wasn't reading it.

For those of you completely against kindles and the like.....Yes I love print, but I and thankful for my kindle it makes reading simpler
more convenient, more doable for me.
It gave me back reading.

So The Help, when I tell you about a book I read I really only wanna give my opinion, I will not tell you one thing that happens in the book, so you can experience it for yourselves.

This book is wonderful. I was eager to read EVERY day. I was transported back to a time I didn't know......a time where things were VERY different for whites and blacks. I learned a lot from this book a whole lot. I attached myself to several characters and each day as if I knew them personally I switched on my kindle to see how they were doing. I would find myself daydreaming at work about them and feel really silly when I realized I was pondering the situations of fictional characters.....it is that good.

I will say this....the ending left me lonely, I needed more there was soooo much more I need to know about.
Maybe the movie will answer some of the questions I was left with.

Read this book before you see the movie, it is a lovely charming lil' book.

Right now I am reading the book about the little boy who went to heaven, Heaven is For Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Trip of His Trip o Heaven and Back.
About halfway in I am not enjoying this book but maybe I'll press on and I'll fill you in later.

Sparkler Writing Equals Summer Fun

Need a fun Summer activity?
Have some sparklers?
Have a camera with a long exposure setting like the night setting on a SLR camera for instance ?

Yes?
Then you are ready for a very fun and exciting Summer activity.
Wait until its dark, grab your sparklers and head outside.
Sit your camera on a flat surface or use your steadiest hand....long exposures
are just that...they take a long time so you have to hold your camera very still.

(I had my flash firing, if you want your photos all dark don't do that and you can also have your sparkler writers wear all black too, for darker photos )Then have your sparkler artists draw designs, letters, symbols.
It will take practice you will miss shots, you will have blurry shots, and you will have shots where absolutely nothing is happening with the sparkler.
We did this for a long time, its fun and addictive.
We did initials, hearts, start, Mickey Mouse and MORE !!

Go sparkle and have some fun.
Please be safe with your sparklers.

Summer To Do List

The Summer is here and after poor Chloe having to battle a
CRAZY 1o2 degree fever, coughing, sneezing, sore throat monster of a virus the first full week of Summer vacation we are recovered and ready to have some fun.

No I am not the first to make a Summer to do list
it's going around the blogging world like wild fire.
It's a lot of fun and it's a nice way to set goals for the Summer so you don't turn around
and all you and your kids have accomplished for the Summer is a couple of water paintings, a batch of so so cupcakes and getting the weekly shopping done.


I have seen lists on poster board
lists on slips of paper that you pick from each day
lists on chalkboards and that's how we keep up with ours.

I think Chloe make a good list, lots of variety, some good food, and a little education too.

The ones I am looking forward to the most are the midnight do-nut run and Disney World.

Check in all Summer to see how we are doing.

Yet another end

It's true another "end" is upon me.
The end of first grade.
I'll skip all the feelings because I know you already know them
many many many of you have experienced them yourselves.
Where did my baby go seems to be the running theme.

First grade was fun.
We had a super class and an even more super teacher.
I am fortunate to have an intelligent fun-loving child
so every aspect of first grade came so easy to her
it was a breeze.
The math was the area that seemed to really change by
leaps and bounds in comparison to kindergarten.
I will admit the word problems that got sent home with her
often upon first look stumped me.
I more than once had to call my former 1st grade teacher mom
to say..."how do I explain to her how to do this?"
The social skills have blossomed
as has the occasional smart mouth and I'll kill you with my eyes glances. Yikes !!
But the most wonderful
stupendous
happy happy joy joy thing that has blessed me is the sight
of her reading.
CHOOSING to read.
Grabbing a book and reading and reading until she is done...with chapter books...in mere days.
On the day of these photos...she asked me for my sewing machine chair so she could sit
right in front of the door, outside....and read.
Thank you first grade.

I'm still here

I'm here....I'm just busy, soaking up life.

My baby is getting BIG and it is more apparent everyday so Ispend of a lot of my time just staring at her, trying to memorize her 6 year old face.

Letting the way she holds her pencil and the way she licks Dorito's nacho cheesey dust off her fingers burn their way into my memory.

I'm re-doing the playroom to include an oh so fine reading nook that I will share.

I made a chicken pot pie last night that was divine..the last time it was dry as a bone so I was happy it was creamy and moist and just delicious this time.

We have one more week of school here....we are so ready for days together and the good and sometimes messy times they will bring.

I had an Ob/Gyn appt. and the pap came back normal...that ALWAYS freaks me out until I get the results....thankful for my health.

I have been watching brood after brood of baby house sparrows grow big enough to fly away from their nests that are tucked safely in the corners of our porches.

I'm busy trying to breathe some new life into JaneSays....JaneSays Vintage is just so easy I have neglected my crafty baby JaneSays for quite a while...but she and I have been cuddling in the corner and we have some ideas a' brewing.

ok..so be back soon..when life allows me...sometimes it's just to good to sit down and blog...ya know ?