Totally Tubular

Totally Tubular
Baby Play (Gymboree)

"Your baby may not have entered an ocean, lake, ore even a kiddie pool yet, but large swim tubes (*I purchased ours at the “Dollar Tree”*) provide plenty of fun on dry land, too. Sitters and crawlers alike enjoy using the tubes for sitting support. Or Play a game of peekaboo in the rings. Just sit him/her down in one on a soft surface, stack the rest of them up to his/her chest, and lift them off while calling “peekaboo!” enthusiastically. Babies who are more mobile will take pleasure in creeping and crawling in and out of several tubes placed on the floor.”

Father's Day

Craft projects have been nonexistent lately due to summer outings; WE LOVE SUMMER and BEING OUTSIDE! I’m a little late on this post seeing as how Father’s Day came and went; however this project can be useful for almost any special occasion. As much as I’d love to show you an awesome Father’s Day gift craft project, it just didn’t happen this year…we resorted to (gasp) store bought gifts!

Card

Materials:
Card Stock
Crayons, markers, paint…
X-Acto

Instructions:
Using Adobe Indesign I set up a document that that was 8”x6” (card will fold to 4”x6” fitting into an A6 Envelope [4-3/4” x 6-1/2"]) for the grandfathers and an 8 1/8”x9 1/8 (card folds to 4.0625”x9.125” fitting into #10 envelope [4 1/8" x 9 1/2"]) for daddy. Page one on the right side I created a star burst with a 1/2 point rule, on page two on the right side I added a photo in the exact same coordinates as the starburst on the front cover and added text above and below the photo. Printed out page one, flipped the card stock over printing page two on the backside. I then Folded the card in half and let Benjamin color on the front of the card, once he was done I used an X-Acto knife to cut out the starburst allowing the photo to show through. I saved the starburst cutout for a name tag on the wrapped gift.






Wrapping Paper

Materials:
Large roll or sheet of paper
Crayons, markers, paint…

Instructions:
Let your child finger paint, glitter, markers, crayon…whatever his/her preference of the day on the paper, then use decorated paper to wrap gifts.

Jello Fun

Jello Fun

Materials:
3-6 large boxes of Jello
Large bowl(s)
baby bath tub or large container

Instructions:
Prepare Jello according to directions on package, once jello is firm place in baby bath or large container, take outside and let your child(ren) play in it. You can give the child(ren) spoons, measuring cups or any other household items to use while playing with the Jello.

Five Minutes' Peace

My final book of the week is for all the moms out there that need “ME TIME”, I think everyone can relate to this story. I apologize I don’t have any pictures, besides the poor quality camera phone picture, or activity to occupancy this book.

Five Minutes' Peace
by Jill Murphy

"Mrs. Large just wants five minutes' peace from her three rambunctious elephant children, that's all. But what meets her eyes one morning when she enters the kitchen? "The children were having breakfast. This was not a pleasant sight." Pure understatement for a mealtime mess that includes an overturned cereal box, a dripping jar of honey, crushed soft-boiled eggs and on the littlest one, the wearing of a once-full bowl of corn flakes. So Mrs. Large lumbers off to the bathroom, tea on tray, newspapers in bathrobe pocket. But her bubble bath isn't soothing for long; she's soon joined by three visitors. Lester wants to play a tune for her on the flute. "Must you?" Mrs. Large asks. Laura wishes to read out loud. "Just one page," says Mrs. Large. The toddler offersand he will not be refusedall his bathtoys. Then they hop into the tub. Mrs. Large heads for the kitchen and finds exactly three minutes and 45 seconds of peace. This book is pure joy, one that parents, not just children, will want to keep on hand; Murphy's frazzled mom will find a soft spot in every reader."

Lets go on a Mommy Date

A couple years ago my mom recommended Karen Kingsbury, yes-she also writes children books, and I quickly fell in love. My first Karen Kingsbury book was “Let me Hold You Longer, I've enjoyed all her books that I've read thus far...then again I enjoy almost any book that has me in tears by the end :). I had a difficult time deciding which of her books to include in my book week but then I remembered how I very much enjoyed the message of the this book:

Let's go on a Mommy Date
by Nancy Tillman

On the Night You were Born

Another favorite in our house, the first time I read this book I was reading through tears.

On the Night You were Born
by Nancy Tillman

Harold and the Purple Crayon

If you haven't guessed by now, we choose books that can be made into activities!

Harold and the Purple Crayon
by Crockett Johnson

Pete's a Pizza

Pete's a Pizza
by William Steig