Kindergarten's 3 R's: Respect, Resources and Rants

Wednesday's Odds and Ends, Links and Love

2009-12-09T13:42:00.000-06:00

A bloggy collage.... compilation...mish-mash.... odds and ends- call it what you like-

I've got a little bit of this, a little bit of that (but alas not a pot, a pan, a broom, a hat)...

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Like many teachers, not only do I purchase toys for my own children, I also buy toys, puzzles, games, and other learning manipulatives (yes, yes, yes, books too!) for my students. When they begin teaching, many new-to-the-profession primary grade educators will ask their own friends and family for much needed supplies to outfit their classrooms, and on occasion, parents of students will ask if there are any games or toys that they can buy to donate to the classroom too.

Teacher and parent tip: make sure to check out the Toy and Product Recall Finder at Parents.com when considering a purchase.

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Kindergarten's 3 R's has been added to the list of the 100 Best Education Blogs over at CertificationMap.com. Their handy site is "a simple guide to receiving teacher certification and clarifies the steps needed to become a teacher in your state." Helpful, helpful, H-E-L-P-F-U-L!

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Music is my mood-setter in the classroom and at home.

Okay, in my Jeep too.

Year 'round.

Now that it's December, I'll admit to going a bit overboard on jingles, chimes, bells, and "like-a-lightbulb..."

Along with Jason Mraz's "Winter Wonderland," my students love to sing and dance to Raffi's Must Be Santa, and the The Twelve Days of Christmas (John Denver and the Muppets) is on constant rotation on the classroom's c.d. player (aren't headphones the greatest invention ever?):

What holiday songs are your students' favorites?

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Celebrate One, Celebrate Them All...

2009-12-08T07:33:00.001-06:00

...might be the holiday policy at your school when it comes to decorating your classroom each December, which means not only will you have colorful and diverse displays in your room over the winter, your students will be exposed to wonderful multi-cultural elements and experiences:

Learning about various winter holidays is a wonderful way to integrate reading, social studies, math, art, dramatic play, and music. While the majority of my Super Stars celebrate Christmas, they're thrilled to learn about Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, New Year's, and other family festivities. Here are some crafty links I'm searching through for new project ideas:

Popsicle stick menorahs shared by Creative Jewish Mom...

Ornaments made from recycled cards, scrap cardstock or other found materials at Martha Stewart...

African/Kwanzaa crafts (I love the drum!) at MakingFriends.com...

...and ribbon wreath plates (Make and Takes) which will join our Chris-Moose (how to's shared from last year's post here).

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How about this version of Winter Wonderland by Jason Mraz for your December clean-up song?

I love it.

Confession and an Edublog Award 2009 Nomination

2009-12-07T19:25:00.000-06:00

Oh yes, Sharpies are **IT** in my book:

** Silver Sharpies

** Holiday how-to's at Sharpie Blog where they've shared twenty five tips on how to use their markers to add a creative touch to gift giving, decorating and organizational needs!

** And something so totally ME, Coleurs Cafe Sharpies.

Heaven help me if they figure out how to make pink sparkley Sharpies!

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Tomorrow is the deadline for nominating your favorite education blogs for Edublogs' Awards 2009! Visit the Edublogs Nomination Site for more details.

While I've been a fan of many of the blogs nominated in previous years, there's been a noticeable shortage of early childhood/kindergarten energy in the lists.

Time to remedy the situation!

I'd like to nominate Look at My Happy Rainbow! for Best Individual Blog because by gum, I **love** nodding along as I read each of Halpey's posts. Though I've suggested that he hop on the teacher-fashion-bandwagon (c'mon, certainly some colleague has gifted him with the most obnoxious candy cane tie or suspenders by now), I have nothing but praise and appreciation for how he captures the truth of kindergarten in each of his posts.

....wonder what markers he prefers?

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Oh yes, it's time...

Busy with Holiday Photos; Advent Links

2009-11-29T15:47:00.000-06:00

With so many of our friends and family living elsewhere, our family likes to take candid photos to include in our annual holiday letter and cards. Hoping that Mother Nature would choose to cooperate with us today, the kids and I found an extra strand of twinkle lights, turned on some Christmas music, and got comfy...

Dear Daughter:

The Pre-Schooler:

Me and the Pre-Schooler:

A blurry but wonderful holiday hug:

...and me, ready for FORTY!

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Tomorrow I'll be back to school and my Super Stars will be chomping at the bit to get the rest of autumn put away, replacing crunchy leaves and pumpkins with "gingerbread" men, Rudolph art, and festive decor. Each year I have my students make an advent chain so they can count down the days left until St. Nick visits.

My version is the traditional red/green/red/green/red/green paper chain, with a yellow link at the top with the following poem attached:

December first until Christmas

is the longest time of the year.

It seems as though old Santa

never will appear.

How many days until Christmas?

It's mighty hard to count.

So this little chain on links

tells you the exact amount.

(Students tear off one link each day)

But I've found some other sweet versions online:

~ A cookie sheet advent calendar that uses magnets (easy to simplify for kindergartners and great for a number order/counting center!) over at Anya's- Life is What You Make It...

~ Advent inspiration over at Kids Craft Weekly (easy paper cones and repurposed tissue rolls!)

~ ...if non-traditional is more your style, Poppytalk has some great photos of creative advent calendars that again, would be simple to modify (or make construction paper versions of) for a classroom.

HAD to Post: Muppet Rhapsody

2009-11-28T14:56:00.002-06:00

...because you *know* how I love the Muppets, especially Beaker and the Ma-Na-Ma-Na guy:

A Cyber-Shopping Weekend Sale

2009-11-28T09:30:00.000-06:00

... is taking place at my Etsy shop this weekend!

If you purchase two or more holiday bitty banners, you'll get **free** shipping (which usually runs @ $3.85 per item)!

The aqua and red banners will be the first to go with over seventy views so far... if they're your favorite, you may want to take advantage of free shipping *pronto*!

Beautiful Banners and Bunting

2009-11-22T10:17:00.000-06:00

These inspiring photos capture the whimsy, charm and fun of decorating with bunting/banners, my favorite craft!

**My** latest holiday banners can be found in my Etsy Shop:

(Time to make more!)

Seizure Information

2009-11-20T20:51:00.000-06:00

I attended an afternoon seminar hosted by C. Vaughn of the Epilepsy Foundation of Kansas and Western Missouri today, and came away with so much pertinent and helpful information, I felt the need to share.

Please remember that I am NOT a doctor nor medical expert. The information I share in this post merely reflects MY understanding of Mrs. Vaughn's memorable and easy-to-understand presentation as well as the brochures and information she brought from The Epilepsy Foundation. Any snazzy phrases or quotes that you find memorable I gladly credit to her/them. More information can be obtained by your own physician, school nurse, and from The Epilepsy Foundation, www.epilepsyfoundation.org.

After what I learned today, I'd recommend that everyone familiarize themselves with this information just in case.

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Understanding seizures doesn't have to be scary, though witnessing a generalized/grand mal seizure might freak people out the first time. Whatever your brain can do normally, it can do abnormally. It can help you choose to get up and walk around, and it can make you get up and walk around when you don't intend to do so. Your brain can help you fasten a button on your shirt, and it can make you repeatedly paw for a button on your shirt that isn't there.

If a student, a colleague or a family member is diagnosed as having a "seizure disorder," they are epileptic. A seizure is a symptom of epilepsy. The same goes for you.

If you practice throwing a ball, you tend to get GOOD at throwing a ball. The more seizures you have, the better your brain gets at HAVING SEIZURES. Yes, "practice" makes perfect when it comes to seizure activity, which is why having them diagnosed and treated as soon as possible is important.

Anyone can develop epilepsy at any time, but no, it's not contagious. In roughly 70% of those persons diagnosed with epilepsy, the cause is not known. In the remaining 30%, the most common causes are: head trauma; brain tumor and stroke; lead poisoning; infection of brain tissue; heredity; prenatal disturbance of brain development. In other words, WEAR A HELMET WHEN RIDING A BIKE (MOTORCYCLES TOO!), SNOWBOARDING, SKIING, SKATEBOARDING, etc. Protect your head.

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A "generalized tonic clonic" seizure involves the whole brain and a complete loss of consciousness briefly or for longer periods of time. These can be referred to as "grand mal," and can last for up to five or more minutes. Should you witness a person beginning to have this type of seizure, look at your watch or a clock and note the time. Make sure the person is on the ground/floor and on his/her side. Do NOT restrain the person in any way, merely act as a buffer between him/her and any sharp, hard, or otherwise dangerous objects. If the person wears glasses, or has something tight or constricting around his/her throat, remove those items. Put a pillow, rolled up jacket or sweater, or even cup your hands under the person's head so s/he doesn't sustain a head injury. Move furniture out of the way. Do NOT put anything in or near the person's mouth (no, we can't swallow our tongues) to include ORAL anti-seizure meds. It is not necessary to speak to, hold, or console the person having the seizure as s/he can't hear you- it's more important to keep track of the time elapsing.

Remember, the person "seizing" should be carefully moved on to his/her SIDE in case s/he vomits or produces excessive saliva during the episode.

You cannot stop a seizure by restraining the person, in fact it's more likely that you will injure him/her or yourself if you try.

ORAL anti-seizure meds will not work once a person has started to seize. Diastat is, to put it bluntly, a *rectal* med similar to Valium that can only be administered by a nurse/doctor or TRAINED parent/teacher. It is a prescribed medication, so not all people suffering from seizures will have it as a treatment.

Some individuals affected by a seizure disorder might opt for VNS, Vagus Nerve Stimulation, a device implanted in the chest (and back of the neck) to deliver electrical stimulation to the Vagus nerve located in the neck. A student with such a device will usually have a para/aide who will keep a magnet that is "swiped" across the VNS device at the onset of a seizure- 30-ish% of people who use the VNS experience great results (seizure averted), another 30-ish% only have so-so results (duration of seizure diminished), and an additional 30-ish% of receive no benefit at all. The last ten percent seems to account for the scientific "-ish" fudge factor.

Atonic and absence seizures have symptoms that might manifest themselves as:

~ A limb or part of the body that twitches or jerks

~ Sensory messages that no one else can see/hear/smell/feel (a story shared with us was about a woman who smells something burning as her seizures begin though there is no fire/heat source/smoke etc. near. Another seizure patient experiences the feeling of terror as he seizes, true there's-a-gunman-coming-to-shoot-my-family emotion).

~ Performing repetitive actions (involuntarily trying to fasten a button that doesn't exist)

~ Wandering around while "glazed over" or "zoned out"

~ Aggressive behavior while wandering (person might even make vocalizations, noises or speak)

~ Hallucinations

~ Undressing oneself or behaving in a way s/he normally wouldn't in public

~ Complete loss of muscle support (person suddenly collapses to the floor but does NOT thrash or spasm)- this one results in a lot of injuries 1) because it's so fast no one can catch or soften the fall and 2) it can happen anywhere, at anytime (shower or tub so a person drowns)- this is the "drop" or atonic seizure

~ Staring off, eyes open (but person is unconscious)= "absence" seizure (also known as "petit mal")

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During partial seizures, the individual might be able to hold a conversation with you as her arm flails uncontrollably. The part of her brain "seizing" controls her arm function, but not her communication center. Another person might stop speaking in mid-sentence, zone out for 3-10 seconds, then begin speaking again right where s/he left off, unaware that a seizure has taken place. Again, keep track of the time that elapses during these seizures, as well as how often they occur.

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Not all seizures require medical attention, but make sure to know what your district's/school's plan is/requirements are in regard to emergency procedures. Some individuals can recover after a seizure quite quickly. Others might be disoriented, nauseous and/or tired. Some seizure patients may have to spend the rest of the day in bed.

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What triggers a seizure?

~ For individuals *already diagnosed and treated* with a seizure disorder, missing or deciding not to take prescribed anti-seizure meds can bring one about. Keppra is expensive, so sufferers might try to stretch out their supply. While less expensive generics are available, they're not always prepared the same way, so patients might be able to use one generic brand, but not another. There's no way to know which generic brand might work except by trial and error. When pharmacies decide to change their drug supplier/manufacturer, they don't always tell seizure patients, and the swift-o-change-o is only discovered after the new-unknown-to-them drugs don't work.

~ Stress/anxiety

~ Hormonal changes (in women, puberty, pregnancy, and menopause are tough times for individuals suffering from seizures- estrogen is NOT your friend, big surprise)

~ Dehydration

~ Lack of sleep/extreme fatigue

~ Photosensitivity (but no, disco balls/flashing lights will NOT cause everyone to have seizures!)

~ Drug/alcohol use, drug interactions

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You never know when a student, colleague, or even undiagnosed family member might have a seizure and require your help. Fliers, brochures, and first aid for seizure posters (I have two on notebook-sized pages- I'm going to suggest to our nurse that we obtain enough for every staff member) are available from the Epilepsy Foundation: www.epilepsyfoundation.org or at 800-332-1000.

Link Time: Turkeys, Turkeys, and More Turkeys

2009-11-18T19:16:00.000-06:00

One student's departure, a new student's arrival, meetings galore and Open House make for a busy week... and hey, it's only Wednesday!

We're getting *awfully* close to Thanksgiving however, so just in case you aren't completely turkeyed-out yet, here are some links that will push you dangerously close to the gobble-gobble-gobble ledge.

Obviously I'm already over it.

Sweetly Edible Turkeys:

~Keebler Fudge Striped Turkeys by Cakespy at Serious Eats

~Oreo Turkey Cookies at Make and Takes

~Rice Krispie Turkeys at Alpha Mom

~... and thanks to D., a.k.a. "The Candy Corn Fairy," our family will be making these turkey cookies this weekend

Turkey Centerpieces:

~An updated version of the paper bag turkey at WomansDay.com:

~eHow's paper turkey (this one includes the ever-popular t.p. roll for the body!)

~...and a cute turkey made from a styrofoam egg over at All Kids Network...

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Here's my favorite Thanksgiving song, "I'm Gonna Eat on Thanksgiving Day" by Laurie Berkner.

Giveaway Winner: Katie from Katie's Literature Lounge!

2009-11-16T18:54:00.000-06:00

Congratulations Katie from Katie's Literature Lounge! You're the winner of my 600th blog post giveaway- shoot me an email with your mailing address so that I can get your goodies in the mail to you a.s.a.p!

And thanks to **you**, Dear Readers, new and old friends, for stopping by, following, and tweaking my ideas to work for you and your students. You make BlogLand a wonderful place!

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Quick teacher's tip:

Use black lettering as shadows when you want to make words in a display or bulletin board assemblage *POP*:

I cut two sets of matching letters using our die cut press at school out of black and tan construction paper. Carefully placing the black letters down first, I then off-set the tan letters on top of them, and glued them down to the back of a sentence strip. Not liking the blue line that was peeking out from between the letters, I used a white-out pen to erase it... the black "shadow" letters really make the words stand out, don't they?

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I'm working on a little pre-Christmas giveaway as well, so stay tuned!

Giveaway Teaser

2009-11-15T07:57:00.001-06:00

A teacher-themed hanging basket (which certainly *won't* be empty!), a wreath form and kindergarten-print fabric...

I'm thinking a ~finished wreath~, gift basket of teacher goodies and possibly a bitty banner will be ready for tomorrow's drawing!

Which means you still have time to enter (remember, becoming a follower of my blog puts your name in the hat twice!) and to send your friends over to leave a comment on the Terrific Textured Turkeys post. Dear Daughter will draw a name on Monday and I'll contact the winner shortly after.

If you don't have a blog but would still like a chance to win, just leave your e-mail address in your comment at the end of the textured turkey post!

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Then again, teasing isn't nice, is it? And certainly nothing we encourage in kindergarten...

So here you go:

You'll win the wreath and the hanging basket containing a bitty banner, composition-style memo pads, a mini calculator, and a package of "Winter in Narnia" bulletin board trimmer! Thank you Dear Readers- you're awesome!

Thank You Veterans

2009-11-11T12:11:00.000-06:00

... and gratitude to you, Dear Husband, as you spend this day so far away.

We miss and love you. Stay safe.

Terrific Texture Turkeys; Giveaway Time!

2009-11-09T17:34:00.000-06:00

Parents donated rice, fabric, faux fur, sunflower seeds, aluminum foil, cotton balls and dry pasta so that the Super Stars could add texture to their colored turkey feathers!

We painted wet glue onto the colored tag board and added bumpy, smooth, fluffy, bristley, crunchy and pokey details:

We used a hole punch at the back of each turkey's head, ran a pipe cleaner through the holes and then tied them through a small hole made into the center of each tag board sheet (click here for directions on how to make the turkey body):

Gobble gobble gobble!

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It's easy to make a turkey-riffic display for Veterans Day too:

I found a cute turkey stamp, blew it up using an overhead projector, and traced and colored it on plain white paper. I used a hand-shaped die cut to make red, white, and blue paper "feathers" for the turkey, but it would be fun for students to trace their hands instead. Laminate the turkey for future use, and then add a small flag, securing it with clear tape.

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*This* is my 600th blog post!

I'll be hosting a giveaway later this week, and all you have to do to be entered is comment on THIS post! Each comment will count as one entry, but if you are (or *become*) a follower of my blog, your name will be tossed into the hat one more time!

November is for the Birds...Turkeys!

2009-11-03T19:14:00.000-06:00

After the ghosts, witches and jack-o-lanterns make their way to my Super Stars' homes for Halloween, the room looks a bit bare. I'm always thankful that my students enjoy taking ownership of their surroundings, decorating the room to follow our monthly or seasonal themes, but November is always one for the birds... turkeys!

From the traditional construction paper variety:

...to reminders of sight words (color words in this case):

...to a work in progress: an open-bodied turkey form that will be fastened to the front of a textural background later this week (students have colored a turkey feather outline on heavier cardstock and will be gluing various materials representing several different textures onto it before adding the construction paper body):

He looks pretty bare without his insides and his tail feathers, but I'll photograph the finished project by this weekend!

If you'd like to make an open-bodied turkey so that the background art can show through, here's what you'll need (and NO, this project is NOT the friendliest for kindergartners, so have a parent volunteer, classroom aide, or upper-grade buddy class standing by to help you and your students assemble the body if it's one that you think will work with fancy tail feather art) :

Light brown construction paper cut:

2 pieces 2 inches by 18 inches
2 pieces 2 inches by 15 and 1/2 inches
2 pieces 2 inches by 13 and 1/2 inches
1 piece 2 inches by 9 inches

Dark brown construction paper cut:

1 piece 4 inches by 6 inches (head), folded in half

Orange construction paper cut:

1 inch by 6 inches, folded accordion-style (legs)

Small triangles cut for the beak

Black construction paper cut:

2 inch by 2 inch squares from which students may cut triangles for the feet

Eyes can be drawn onto the face, but the google eyes are a bit more fun!

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Here's the head, (dark brown construction paper) folded in half and stapled then *smooshed* so that the stapled end is in the back (eyes and beak will be glued onto the flat front):

See the *smoosh?*

Arrange the pieces in the following order: (1) 2X18, (1) 2X15, (1) 2X13, (1) 2X9, (1) 2X13, (1) 2X15, and (1) 2X18. Make sure all the ends meet/match up on one end, and staple it (I'm holding the stapled end in the photo):

Then match up all of the opposite ends so they meet up. Staple. There's the turkey body!

Have students accordion-fold the legs and glue black triangles on for the feet. Add google eyes and beak to the head piece and slide over the top of one end of the turkey's body.

I can't wait to see how our gobblers look with their textured tail feathers!

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(What will all of these turkeys eat? How about some corn?)

In Case You Wondered...

2009-10-31T19:44:00.001-05:00

...*yes*... I do live with a teenage witch, Optimus Prime Jr., and a furry chicken:

(...when it's Halloween!)

I hope you had a spooktacular and boo-riffic time trick or treating!

C is for...

2009-10-28T17:48:00.000-05:00

Cabinet full of Cubbies:

I first laid eyes on this treasure during my visit to Farmstead a few weekends ago, but in an attempt to "be good" while Dear Husband is away, I kept my pocketbook safely stored inside of my purse that evening.

I experienced NON-buyer's remorse every day after walking away from the repurposed cabinet... and I mean E-V-E-R-Y....s-i-n-g-l-e...DAY. Hoping for a miracle, I emailed Sheila and inquired about the piece, and as it turns out, I was in for a dose of good Karma. Dear Husband bought it for me as an early birthday present.

Braving rain, a longer-than-usual drive, and after navigating unfamiliar neighborhoods, I arrived to find Craig and Sheila of Odd Folies ready to let me adopt my newest find. Once I got it home, I was giddy as I opened each drawer, finding fun little dividers, and drawers of multiple depths:

What does a cabinet full of cubbies hold? Crochet, candles, and cards, of course!

Many thanks to Sheila, Craig and Dear Husband for this awesome treasure!
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C is also for cupcake toppers (Vanessa created and shares them over at A Fanciful Twist)...

... and Halloween cocktails (check out the Black Widow Martini shared by Hostess With the Mostess)...

... with window clings (at Scribbit) rounding out our letter of the day!

Autumn in Oz

2009-10-25T07:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the perfect autumn day for a drive:

At D.'s suggestion, I went out in search of a "Gypsy Flea Market," driving down winding roads, through beautiful neighborhoods...

...and arrived at a clearing which led to a barn, full of hay bales and furniture, odds and ends, books, clinky-clanky jewelry, and home-baked goods.

At which point my camera promptly died.

I've gotten into such a habit of carrying it with me wherever I go that I keep forgetting to put it back on its charger each evening. I'm glad it lasted long enough to capture some of fall's splendor.

A Marcrest divided bean bowl and two tussie-mussie holders did manage to come home with me, as did two folding rulers, but the beautiful drive was the real treat yesterday.

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After leaving the flea market, I explored Parkville, and quite by accident came across the most heavenly needleart store, "Florilegium." Though not a knitter or fiber artist myself, I couldn't help but be inspired by the beautiful and tactile displays- and the cabinetry.... If I could have purchased some of their old pharmacy drawers and cabinets I would have! Click through the sub-categories on this page to see some more photos of the shop... oh, the ribbons, the beads, the studios!

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I'm three posts away from my 600th blog entry!

To celebrate I'll be updating my blogroll (right hand side- remember, the categories follow kindergarten/teacher themes, though not all links are to other educators' blogs...for example "Snacktime/Lunch won't take you to sites featuring healthy snacks for students, but will take you to some awesome foodie blogs that inspire me on a regular basis!) and figuring out a fun giveaway that all of my readers (and especially those following my blog) can participate in by simply leaving a comment. Check back for details!

Being Boo'd...

2009-10-22T19:30:00.000-05:00

... can be such a *fun* experience!

Carson-Dellosa Publishing shares its teacher version of this sneaky-fun all-treats-no-tricks activity, offering both color and black and white versions of the "boo note" as pdf's here.

(Psst, they're also having a 75% off clearance sale!)

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HOW TO BOO:

It’s a fun little game that’s easy to do. You could make someone’s day and share a treat, too!

1. Log on to www.carsondellosa.com/boo and print out two copies of the “You’ve Been Boo’d!” Ghost PDF.

2. Prepare two Halloween goodie bags filled with treats.

3. Secretly leave the “You’ve Been Boo’d” Ghost and a bag of treats for two teachers in your school.

4. Pass this posting on to your teacher friends at other schools.

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~Jen at Simply Inspired shared her Boo goodie bags in a post from a year go....

~Bright Ideas shares a version large enough for an entire family (or grade level!)...

~ But the cutest You've Been Boo'd candy container has to be Frankenstein! He was created using a repurposed Almond Roca container and scrapbook paper over at The Ice...

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Batty for Skelanimals

2009-10-20T20:50:00.000-05:00

Target, once again, partners with awesome Halloween mascots...this time, Skelanimals.

And yes, I think the bat, "Diego," is adorable.

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~ A cute handprint bat craft idea can be found at DLTK's Growing Together...

~ 4 Crazy Kings shares a folded paper bat pattern with google eyes- it's adorable too!

My Teacher Humor, a.k.a. "It's Obvious that I'm Easily Amused"

2009-10-18T17:34:00.000-05:00

... because I'm seriously considering bundles of these (or combo-bundles with some of each) as Halloween treats this year:

Never fear, I'll let this sugar rush pass before I decide whether or not these will be passed out to trick-or-treaters or if I'll just leave them for other teachers in the teachers' lounge...

You are what you eat.

~*wink*~

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Looking for easy and fun Halloween crafts for your students? Head over to MyHealthySchool.com to find instructions for spiders and bats made out of egg cartons, milk jug pumpkins and ghost wind socks...

Move through the slideshow at Country Living to find the cutest candied apples and candy corn-inspired cookies....

Ramblings of a Crazy Woman shares a recipe for INEDIBLE pumpkin pie play dough...

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Not allowed to wear traditional costumes for Halloween at your school? Why not host a dress-up day featuring characters from favorite stories, fairy tales and poems?

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Farmstead Fun, Autumn Bliss

2009-10-17T11:26:00.005-05:00

It's autumn... and the end of the first quarter of school... and we've happily decorated our house for Halloween...

How to spend a Friday evening?

At Farmstead's Farm Festival!

Like-minded crafty friend D. found the event's details online, and with a not-too-subtle-arm-twisting, convinced me to join her for a trip to Missouri.

Thanks to my trusty GPS, we arrived with plenty of time to spare, scoring a free gift bag, coupons and goodies to enjoy!

A wooded ranch with gently sloped hills was the perfect spot for vendors and shoppers alike~ I was glad I wore flat shoes! We walked up a dirt path toward the carriage house, barn, and outbuildings:

Featured along the path were vignettes created by craftily creative shops and artisans. First, a rusty shopping cart filled with autumnal goodies:

... a spooktacular candle tree:

... and of course D. and I appreciated the nod to Oz:

Every shoe lover enjoyed "Soles for Souls":

...but it was the treasures to be found in the barn, stables, and sheds that made us imagine new possibilities for our own home decor:

This is how I'd love to go camping:

... and though surrounded by burlap, hay, pumpkins, and gourds, even divas and royalty could find goodies to please:

Blinged-out boots anyone?

Letter love...

Sweets, treats, and Halloween essentials:

... and a jack-o-lantern guide to help us home again:

*~Sigh~*

It was autumn ~*bliss*~.

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Check Kelly's post "Back to the Farm" to enjoy photos of the glorious interiors in the carriage house!

Witchy Goodness

2009-10-15T19:23:00.006-05:00

Dear Daughter had the day off from school today, so she spent time with me and my Super Stars in kindergarten. After sorting through my sticker stash, she found inspiration from an old Hallmark sticker shaped like a witch. Being a true "teacher's kid," she knew exactly where to find our school die cut machine and colored construction paper to mock up this simple Halloween art project.

While your scrap bin is the perfect place to find the bits and pieces necessary to assemble the witch, here's what we used to create the finished product above:

Background: brown construction paper (the big stuff...12X18 inches)

Face and hand: green construction paper (circle die cut- ours cuts both a large and a small circle with one punch; large=face, small=hand)

Witch's hat: purple construction paper (triangle die cut)

Hat brim: black construction paper; 3/4 inch by 6 inches

Witch's dress: purple construction paper; square die cut template cut in half to make a triangle shape. The right angle point is her rear end.

Witch's arm: black construction paper; 1/2 inch by 3 1/2 inches

Broomstick: black construction paper; 1 inch by 9 inches

Twiggy ends for broomstick: black construction paper; 1/2 inch by 4 inches, three pieces per child.

Crescent moon: yellow construction paper, drawn and cut freehand.

Use a black crayon or marker to make the witch's hair, facial features, legs and feet. Use a white crayon or dab of paint (a white-out pen works great!) to highlight the eyes, hair and legs.

*****

~ Martha shares I Scream Sandwitches....

~ More witchy goodness can be found over at owlsorts' post "Black and White and Dread All Over..."

When the Web Isn't Available...

2009-10-14T18:09:00.003-05:00

...I end up hiding away making banners!

Not sure why we had "an outage" in my neck of the woods, but the down time from the Internet gave me *extra* time at my craft table.

Funny how that works out, eh?

Halloween pennants with three dimensional glitter spiders:

...and a baby banner for a colleague:

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The spider banners ended up draped across our webby branches in the foyer:

Pattern Jacks

2009-10-04T15:56:00.002-05:00

Why not integrate some Halloween fun into a math unit on patterns?

My classroom aide cut out pumpkins, black construction paper, and streamers:

After a quick review of AB and AAB patterns, my Stars used the streamers to decorate the bottom of each pumpkin with an ABC pattern:

The black construction paper was used for triangle eyes and silly smiles for our jack-o-lanterns:

The Stars then added a short strip of green fiesta fringe (purchased at Michael's) for the stem:

Now "pattern jacks" greet us each day when we come to class!

Anyone Notice a Theme?

2009-09-30T17:12:00.003-05:00

I rarely watch television, but when I do, I love it when commercials *catch my eye*!

Try this commercial for Minute Maid's new "Enhanced Juice Drink:"

(Thanks to Kelly for sharing!)

...this old Volvo commercial:

...and our favorite Aflac duck: