Clayworks

This weekend we took the boys to Omaha Clayworks for a class.

Dad did the class to. I said, "I'd love to do the class, but I think I'll need to be a helper more than anything." He didn't tell me about the class very early for me to know what to even make.

I helped Isaak the most. 

He was trying to make a rocket. Of course he didn't quite understand the idea that you have to hallow it out, and not keep it too thick, or too thin in areas. He said a few times, "Mom stop doing it for me." Trust me I wouldn't have made anything like that rocket for myself. I was just trying to make it so that his rocket would fire.

 Here's how it turned out:

Isaak still wanted to add fire to the base. The guy in charge, and I listed off ways he could do that, but in the end I convinced him that adding a different medium for fire might be the answer.

The guy in charge helped Mica a lot. He was trying to make a robot.

Mica decided when the time was up he was adding legs and feet. I'm thinking the legs may fall off when it's fired up, but we'll see.

Here's the finish minus the feet:

Random Tid Bits

1. The latest movie that we watched was Escape to Witch Mountain. It was made in 1975, a year before I was born. The only one that got into the movie was Mica. He was asking to watch the sequel. I checked, and the library doesn't have it. The kids were cute in the movie, but the plot seemed lame.
   
   I always look up the characters to see if I've seen them in anything else. The little girl looked familiar. Sure enough she was in Little House and a Prairie. Her sister was on the show, and the boy character that was in Escape to Witch Mountain was also on Little House and a Prairie. Kim Richards (the little girl in the movie) is also the aunt to Paris Hilton. 





Source



2. Dad hates when people get plastic surgery. The character in Escape to Witch Mountain has had a lot of work done. Here are the Richard sisters. They've both gotten nose jobs, botox, and breast implants.
   
   
   

   

   Above Kim Richards, and Below Kyle Richards. Both are Paris Hilton's Aunts. - Source

   
   Do you hate plastic surgery? If I were to get anything done it wouldn't be cosmetic. I'd love to fix my deviated septum. I haven't gotten work done on it because I know people that have had the surgery, and it didn't help them to breathe through their nose at all.  

In some ways changing your looks can be as simple as getting your ears pierced, or dying your hair. Where do you draw the line with how far is too far with plastic surgery? Are we too judging when it comes to it? Many times I look at someone that has gotten a some plastic surgery job, and quickly notice that they went too far. Most of them were pretty with how they looked before.


3. Have you ever offended someone, and didn't even mean to?
   
   I have a lot of assignment were students draw things out of a hat, so to speak. Most of the time I let them draw 2 or 3 things, and they get to pick. This week they only got to pick one thing. It's just reworking a newspaper ad. This girl came up to me after class and said, "Can I trade?" I said, "No. Simply because 1/2 the class will want to trade after I let you." She then had tears in her eyes and said, "I just can't do this one. It's too close to something I went through." I said, "Fine, just don't tell anyone please." She didn't tell anyone. It was for a baby store. I imagine there's a story there.


4. Switching gears because this is supposed to be random: I still don't have health insurance cards. I do however have a member ID number, so I'm much happier. 


5.  We went to the grocery store a week ago. Mica was waiting in line with me. He was looking at some magazine. I heard him say, "Sex" pretty loud. I urged him to come towards me. After that he said, "Isaak look that person used to be a guy, now he's a girl!" I didn't really say anything. I wish magazines would just let people be. I read that they Photoshopped that makeup on him. If he wants to be a boy great, if he wants to be a girl great. I really don't need to know about it though.

Lego Day

This last weekend we spent a lot of time at the library. Isaak's friend took him to our Children's Museum the weekend before, so this time I took his friend to the Lego event at the library. 
  
I've already asked this friend's parent's if I could post pictures. They don't mind.

Isaak and one of his best buds. 

Isaak is in this phase where he doesn't want to take his coat off ever. He also says, "Mom I don't want to look at you, and smile." So he doesn't.

  
Isaak's Bud's creation:

Isaak's creation:

Again no smile. I thought the tree was pretty cool in the corner.

Mica was along with us to. 

He was like, "Why don't I get a friend to come with?" Well a few of his friends have their whole family go. I didn't have it in me to entertain that many people that day. The answer I gave him, "Isaak's friend took him out last week. I thought we owed his parents and him a favor by taking him out this week."
 

After that the boys played games on the library computers.

Then we went to Goodrich. 

I was going to take them to a frozen yogurt place, but we were running low on time. Isaak was sitting in the sun, so a photo didn't agree with him. His Bud picked blue ice cream. I was a skeptic of all that color. That's what he wanted. Sure enough he didn't like it.

Lock In:

The boys that evening went back to the library for a lock in from 6-9. They had pizza, and grapes. They could do any of the following: Play tag/hide and seek in the library (crazy), watch The Lego Movie, play other party games, or play video games. They chose to watch video games being played the whole time.

Dad hung out with them, and read books on his own. I was going to cover 1/2 the shift, but they locked the doors. I guess that makes since {Lock In}. He said that he's surprised no one got hurt. Kids were running all over the whole time. He said, "Our boys seem tame compared to the other kids. HA HA When he says comments like that I know it was pretty crazy. I feel like I'm way over protective. We both were debating if we want them to go to a Lock In again.  One of us needs to be there until Isaak is in 2nd grade at least.

WW: Crazy Car

We were downtown, and spotted this car:

He's holding up 3 fingers because the toy beside him is holding up 3 fingers to.

Isaak was in in car heaven. I think this is what he wishes his art looks like.

Here's the top of the car.

If you have a moment please enter my Peppermint Essential Oil Giveaway. 

40 Chalkboard Labels with Liquid Chalk Marker Review

I simply love DIY projects. Recently I got 40 Calkboard Labels with a Liquid Chalk Marker for review by Supreme Kitchen. You can buy them on Amazon for $39.99, but they are on sale for $14.84.

Directions: 

1. I printed off words I wanted in the size and font I liked, rubbed white pastel on the back of the print outs, and traced the font on the label. You can skip this step if you so desire. Writing freehand will work just fine.


2. I traced the pastel on the label with the liquid chalk marker. Using the marker is so easy. You just press down on the tip, shake it, and press down on the tip again until the liquid chalk comes out. It is hard to write really small. For the small type I tried white colored pencil, but it wouldn't show up enough. I didn't have a white charcoal pencil, but I imagine it would work. Just to be clear these labels are not meant for other medias than the liquid chalk marker. I'm just experimental. Other mediums wouldn't be dishwasher safe. The liquid chalk marker is dishwasher safe. In the end I went bigger with my fonts.


3. After the marker dried, I took a dry paper towel and brushed off the remainder of the pastel from the transfer. The chalk marker doesn't come off with a dry paper towel. If you mess up completely you can wet a paper towel, and the chalk marker will come off.


4. Peel off the sticker, and apply. The sticker is vinyl. It has a matte finish, which is why the liquid chalk marker sticks so well to it. It sticks on enough to stay still, but doesn't slip around.


5. If at anytime you change your mind as to what you want the sticker to be labeled it can be wiped off, and peeled off. It's completely reusable. It's dishwasher safe, and BPA free. 

Uses:

There are so many uses. In fact Supreme Kitchen sends you a PDF book of ideas.

Some Ideas Are: Office file use, kid toy bins, craft bins, mason jars, canisters, and the list goes on. They can be used for every day things, or events like parties. 

I knew right away that I wanted to use some of these labels for our canisters that sit out: Whole Wheat Flour, All Purpose Flour, Cane Sugar, and Almonds. Many of the specialty flours (Coconut Flour, Brown Rice Flour, and All Purpose Gluten Free Flour) are in bags in the freezer. I didn't make labels for those.

I also get made fun of at work for drinking some mysterious thing. It started when I drank out of mason jars. Sometimes I drink an Emergen-C, which looks suspicious. I decided to add to the joke, and label my water bottle. Now there's no mistaking my water for something else!

I also plan on using these labels when I can June Berry Jam next year. I can so much of it, and give them away as presents.

What would you use these labels for?

 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Mannequin Family

Isaak goes through the knees of his jeans faster than I can blink. I knew over the weekend Children's Place had a sale on denim, and Old Navy had a store wide sale. Children's Place isn't at the mall closest to us. We went to Old Navy. I have to say that it ended up being cheaper than buying jeans at Target.

When I was checking out at Old Navy Dad said, "Oh I should check and see if they have a belt for him." Why he insists on getting the boys a belt these days I'm unsure of. Really that's what adjustable waists are for. They didn't think they had a belt for boys, then found one, while I was checking out. I waited, while he was on the belt mission.
 
In the meantime the boys were over by the mannequin family hanging out. 

I don't mind when they are having fun if they are not annoying other people. I'm not ok with them fighting, or running off. Thankfully those days are getting less! We have no temper tantrums. We're pretty lucky really; our boys never were the types that would throw themselves on the ground, kick and scream in a store. They did however pretend that the grocery cart was the Polar Express train. They'd yank on the safely belt, and said, "Stop the train! We're in the middle of ice. Stop the train!" and make chug, chug, chugging noises. That was funny at first, but after that it became annoying.

I heard giggles when they hung out with the mannequin family. I guess they were over there making faces at people that walked by. If anything they gave other people giggles, and laughter is good for people. 

I've learned as a mom that you have to choose your battles. Getting mad at kids for having fun isn't a battle I want to choose. I did say, "Don't touch the glass." They didn't.

Daddy went over, and took a photo of them. An awful photo, but a photo none the less. It's so funny that Isaak was embracing the mannequin mom.

Now I know my older sister would roll her eyes at me that I didn't stop them from doing this. When I told her that Mica likes to dance for store cameras she said, "And let me guess you let him do that?!" Yes I let him do that. 

Again I choose my battles, and to me that's not hurting anyone. Kids will be kids. Pretty soon they won't want to have fun in public because it will be embarrassing.

This was a few years ago. Mica hanging with his mannequin family again. He looks like he fits right in except for the fact that he has a head, and they don't.

What Famous Person Would You Want to Know About?

Mica reads and reads. He gets one book read on the way from the library to home. He reads fiction, and nonfiction. Sometimes he's picky, while other times he's not.

He's read a lot about presidents. I'm not sure why, but he's had an interest in past presidents. Presidents were and are one of my least favorite interests. 

We've moved on to Ben Franklin, Harriet Tubman, Anne Frank, George Washington Carver, Johnny Appleseed,  Betsy Ross, Amelia Earhart and more. He's read a few books on Steve Spielberg. He loves movie history, and Spielberg is his favorite director.

I don't always get the Who Was... and Who Is... series. It's just the easiest series to put on hold for him. Otherwise I have to dig for info on if it's a book for adults or kids. That series is a little too easy for him, but we pick up harder books to.

I just put Who Was Gandhi? and Who Was Sitting Bull? on hold for him.

Who would you like to learn about, and why? It can be someone from the past, or someone that lives now.