Snow, Flips and Art

We just returned home after visiting family in Indiana.  It was cold, snowy, fun and full of family time.

We played in the snow.  She loved it - making snow angels, riding in a sled around the yard and trying to have a snowball fight.

 

 

 

There was fun to be had at the mall with the animals at the pet store, flips on the trampoline and finding her ruby, red shoes. These shoes were just sitting on a random aisle and Lilly picks them up and tries them on. Of course, they are her size and they were on clearance for $5. So, I got them for her. :)

 

 

 

 

My mom bought us art journals and we all had fun drawing and creating on the pages in it.  At one point, Lilly wanted to copy exactly what Nana was doing, down to using the same colors and everything.  It was neat to see that even though she was trying to copy, the two pieces of art were different and unique.

A sad thing did happen while we were there, Nana's cat (who started out as mine and then went to live with my sister and then ended up at my mom's) passed away.  It was interesting because one day we were playing with him and the next day he was stiff on the bed. Lilly kept asking, "Why did he die?"  "What happened to him?"  Hard to answer those questions in a way a 4 year old will understand, especially when I don't really know what happened to him.

The best part of the trip was all the time we got to spend with Nana, Papaw, Uncle Jamie and Aunt Susu and John.  Seeing them is always a blessing and Lilly loves all the attention she gets while we are there.

It's EVERYWHERE!

I've mentioned several times how my daughter loves to create.  She loves being called an artist and working on her art.  That being said, we have art work everywhere!  We have art from church, Bible study, home and art that friends have given her. 

My first plan was this - I gave her a box and said if she wanted to keep the art, it had to go in the box.  Then, at the end of each month or two, we would go through the box together and pick out the 5 pieces we liked the best to keep. She got to pick 5 and I got to pick 5 (because sometimes her 5 were not the best, in my opinion). 

Recently, we went about 5 months before sorting through the box. This time I told her that the ones she picked had to be super special to her or show her best art work.  Well, I was getting a little frustrated at the fact that she wanted to keep pieces that had 2 squiggly lines on it.  I know I shouldn't judge what an "artist" considers her best, but I was like, "really, you want to keep that one?" 

So, I chose a plan B, I decided to take a picture of all the art work and then put it all in file 13.  Lilly was okay with this only because I let her take the pictures - most of them.  Here are some samples of her artwork. :)

Pinterest Day

Last week, there was a day where it seemed like everything I did was an idea I had gotten off of pinterest.

First, I did the paint bags and taped them to the table.  These were great, in fact, they are still on our table one week later because it is so fun to just walk by and do a little design. 

Then, I was telling Lilly and her friend about teeth so we made the snack where you use apples for the lips and marshmallows for the teeth, sticking the teeth on with peanut butter.

We also practiced "flossing" by using a duplo block for our "teeth."  We put play doh in between the "teeth" as the "germs" and used a string as "floss" to get the germs out.  The kids loved that!

Since Easter was coming, we made Resurrection cookies.  They didn't turn out to great because we didn't beat them long enough, but Lilly and her friend loved taking turns with the mixer and helping to wash the dishes.

That evening, for dinner, I made pepperoni rolls - so unhealthy but very yummy - and the zuchinni parmesan. 

I love having all these ideas that I can use and Lilly seemed to like them too!

Stained Hands

I don't know about you, but when I see something is for kids to use, I automatically assume it will be washable.  It should be, in my opinion! 

I knew I was going to have several other kids at my house one day, so I was trying to plan some fun activities for the kids.  One of the activities involved putting ink on their hands, so I went to the store and bought some ink pads that said "for kid use."  The kids start to use them and they create wonderful works of art with their inked up hands.  Then, I go to wash their hands and the stuff is not coming off!  I go look at the ink pads and in fine print it says "permanent ink."  I was thinking, "Their parents are going to kill me!" 

The parents didn't kill me and eventually the ink came off (after many, many washings).  Just, I am still puzzled by the fact that a company would make an ink pad for children to use and it would permanent ink.

Snow Globe

Like I have said before, my daughter loves art projects.  She usually isn't that great at following step by step directions, she's more of a freestyle artist. Lately, I have been trying to do at least one "following directions" art project a week with her because sometimes, in life,  you do have to follow directions. 

One of our projects was making a snow globe - one of her gifts for her birthday.  It was a hard one for her because you do one step and wait a day, do another step, wait another day - a lot of waiting for a 4 year old, but we managed to finish it.

Getting ready to mix the plater and put it in the mold.

Holding the finished product.

Up close picture!

Artist Hands

My daughter is a creator.  She loves to sit at the table and create - pictures, sculptures, mosaics, etc.  If it involves paint, glue, scissors, markers, crayons, stickers, and paper she is all about it.  Her sitting at the "school table" creating is a normal occurrence at our house. 

 I am constantly telling her that she gets this from her Uncle James, her Aunt Susu, and her Uncle Vic - they are all very creative. 

There are only 2 down sides to her always creating:
1)  We have a million art projects in our house and she wants to keep them all. 
         * My solution has been to make a "keep box" where all art that she wants to keep has to be put or it goes in the trash.  About once a month, we go through the "keep box" and she gets to pick 3 or 4 that she really likes and I get to pick 1 or 2 that I like.  Don't want to end up on some hoarder's show.

2) She doesn't like to do things that have set directions to follow. 
         * My solution to this has been to let her "free create" as much as possible, but letting her know when we're about to do something that requires her to follow directions.  It works sometimes.


When I go to wash her hands before meals or whenever she, no doubt, has some kind of marker, glue, paint, or a combination on them.  I tell her she has artists hands and that makes her smile.  I'm glad she enjoys it, I'm glad it makes her smile.  Her love for art and her smile when she is praised on one of her creations totally outweighs the down sides.




<p><a href="http://womenlivingwell.org/category/women-living-well-wednesdays/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq297/courtneylivingwell/LivingWell.png"></a></p>