Upcycling Project: Make Bowling Pins

Well it is freezing here, thanks to Superstorm Sandy. So far our family in NY has been untouched. I hope the same is true for our friends in the upstate area.

My mom gave me some plastic containers the other day. I thought, what am I supposed to do with these. Then I found the book 365 fun filled learning activities book, that had been given to me, and forgotten. In it was a way to play bowling with household items. So, I thought that is what I can do with those containers. So, I painted them, added some goofy faces, and after they have been lightly sealed I will fill them with sand. Then at the next park day we will be bowling for a class. Now that is cooler, did I mention too cold, we want to do more outside activities rather than indoor co-op days. Tues, Wed and Thurs are regular school days. Tonight is trick or treating and Friday is our volunteer day at the food pantry. This will be our first time volunteering with this particular group.

Halloween Themed Art Class

Even though we painted our pumpkins on Monday, we had Art Class with my Mom today. Halloween was the theme, for us, and mom painted flowers on Christmas ornaments. She is most comfortable with flowers, and usually sticks to that. Flowers are not my strong point, but I am improving. I had this huge pickle jar, and I painted a little girls witch, a black cat, and she is pulling her pumpkin in a wagon. It is not done yet. When I paint on glass, I like to add several layers to help make the paint more bright and a thicker coat. So. she will sit and wait until I return to her. I want to put Fall leaves all around it as well. This will become a seasonal vase, or a cookie jar, something like that. I won't sell it, because it will be way to expensive to ship. DJ drew, with colored pencils, a vampire hanging from a tree with a friendly owl. He is a super fast artist, and is always done way before anyone else. I don't know how he spits it out so fast, and it looks so awesome. Caitlin did a rock pumpkin, her words, with a black cat sitting on it, a dead tree with an owl, and a moon. She did really well. Her skills are improving all the time. She also is finishing sewing her doll blanket. We are starting to think about County Events for 4H. With the holidays coming, I have to stay on top of things and not get behind.

Tuesday was a regular day of school, and so will tomorrow be. Friday is test day, and movie day.  Oh and Caitlin got her new glasses.  No more red glasses.  I think I like these better.

Painted Pumpkins and Girly Scarecrows

Today we went for our morning walk, then DJ did Math and had his oral exam for FLVS Science class. He also had a writing assignment on his blog. Caitlin did a variety of things, but mostly cleaned her rabbit room and did chores that she didn't do the other day.

Then, after lunch, we painted our Halloween pumpkins. We did this last year too, but with a better outcome this year. I wanted mine pink. So, I put on a base coat of pink paint. Then I put on a bear outline, kind of panda bear looking. Then DJ distracted me, and got me laughing and poof I painted a goofy face right on the bear. Now it is a funny looking bear with a big face on its belly. Good thing it is Halloween, LOL! Caitlin did a cat, no surprises there, she loves cats. DJ's is typical of a boy. He painted a shirt, pants, bellybutton, and then on the back in a funny curve of the pumpkin where your pants might hang too low, something no one needs to ever see. LOL he is a jokester just like his dad.

Next, we raked leaves, and made a scarecrow. This is actually our first one. Caitlin wanted a girl scarecrow, and you can see the results. She now sits in our wheelbarrow, on a bed of leaves, with mine and Caitlin's pumpkins in the wheelbarrow with her. She refuses to sit with DJ's LOL! His is on the porch step. A fun day indeed! Do you make a scarecrow, carve pumpkins? Please share.

4H, Hayrides and Birds of Prey

Yesterday, was our second 4H meeting of this new year. We are covering First Aid this year, and unbeknownst to me, I am teaching it. I thought I was just consulting and assisting, not teaching. Needless to say I felt out of sorts. The last picture is me, unfortunately. Thank goodness it was only minor cuts and scrapes. Next month is choking. The kids got their group awards, different from county wide awards in August.


Some of you may remember that last year we volunteered at the Lower Suwannee Nature Refuge. This year we just don't really have the time to do it once a month, but am hoping to get some volunteer time in there. Well Ranger Pam has a nice new shiny classroom, and today she hosted her first class, and it was awesome! First we went on a hayride and nature search, kids had a journal type worksheet to write on, down to the Suwannee River. There the kids learned about how temperature, turbidity, diffused oxygen and PH of the water, effects the wildlife that lives in the water. It was an awesome little experiment. Then back to the classroom for a Birds of Prey class. The lady that does the class has a bird sanctuary, where they rescue and treat injured birds of prey, then release them to the wild when able. She was marvelous, and the kids had a ball getting pictures of all the birds. Ranger Pam even managed to get in a small pollinator class, before the end of the day. I only got nervous once. The classroom is quite small and the birds where quite large. But, the handlers had complete control, and I was put at ease very quickly. A tiring two days, but the weather was amazing too! Now back to more traditional school the next two days. I can not wait for the next class. I don't have to do any planning or thinking, LOL!

Speeches, Learning to Crochet Again and Fair Entries

Yes, I am going to tell you about all of that. Caitlin was supposed to give her speech last night at the Earth Kids meeting. She was fine right up until she had to speak, and then the meltdown occurred. She was crying and hyperventilating. I excused us for a bit to gather herself. She did do it, after I bribed her a little teensy bit. I guess she is not going to be a public speaker. I can't blame her it isn't really one of my favorite things to do. She was going to do a demonstration at the 4H County Events in January. I am no longer optimistic this will happen.

The other day I went into Walmart to get foam for the kid's fair entries. Of course I had to find other things I wanted too. For some reason I have this urge to learn to crochet. I actually know how to crochet, from years ago, but have forgotten a lot. Plus, I really stink at following a pattern. So, I bought this cute book with little baby buntings and hats in it. You can see the results below, it fits the dog and Caitlin's doll head, not a newborn, LOL! But, now I know how to do it right next time, I think.

Which leads me to the fair entries. Each 4H fair has completely different rules than the others, which should be against the law, and most of the time they are complicated and not much fun to try and figure out. I can't tell you how irritating it is, and I can totally see why parents who don't enter, don't. This is our first time doing this particular fair, and they only accept foam mounting for pictures and art work. So I needed larger foam than what I had. They are now mounted and ready to be turned in tomorrow. Hopefully they are right. I have asked several times, and have been lead to believe that I did it right. Fingers crossed! DJ is entering a painting, drawing, and photograph. Caitlin is entering her painting and an ornament she painted with a seahorse on it, that is not shown.

We did do all our regular school work too, and if you can believe the first report cards are due on the 26th. This does not even seem possible to me.

Painting A Thankful Tree

Yesterday, was Columbus Day, and we had no school. DJ did do a book report, and Caitlin colored a picture for a 4H contest, but other than that no official school work was done.

Instead, we went for a walk, planted broccoli, cleaned out the rabbit's room, and then painted a Thankful Tree on our front door.

I have seen these before done with construction paper, which just seems like a lot of work. Painting did take a while, but was far less work than using construction paper. I did the tree, and then we all painted on leaves. Each day from today until Thanksgiving, or until the leaves are full, each of us will write something we are thankful for on the tree. I love this idea, and I might just leave it there for as long as it decides to stay there. We used acrylic paints, flat edge brushes, and blending for the leaves. Caitlin has to wear a patch on her right eye, for the next four weeks, so she just couldn't get her one eye to cooperate with her hand to make leaves, so she did the grass, refilled paint as needed, and held the paint plates for DJ and me.

The weather is much cooler today, though still damp and humid, but it feels awesome. I love when the hot and sticky stuff leaves, and the wonderful Florida weather arrives.

Cat in the Hat 4H Scarecrow

It is still quite hot here in Florida, in October, and yesterday was no exception. We had to go down to the courthouse to help make our group 4H scarecrow. Last year, the one they did was cute, but we only had a short amount of time to plan for it. This year we had a bit more time, and the kids voted to do The Cat in the Hat. You can see the results below. I think they have a good chance of getting the blue ribbon this year. After sweating it out in the hot sun, I had to go to bed, to work 3rd shift. Good times, Good times, LOL! Hope your weekend is serving you well.

Learning About Horses

Every two weeks we participate in a group class. Yesterday, was Marcia's turn to host and she has decided to do her classes on horses and riding lessons. My kids were so excited they could hardly stand it. We didn't get to ride the first day, but we did learn a lot, including how to brush the horse. Faith actually did the class, and she did a wonderful job. We always walk first, then class, then lunch. Since Cowboys go with horses, we roasted hot dogs for lunch Cowboy style. In case you don't know what that is, you put the hot dog on a stick and roast it over the open fire. That was fun, and the kids thought it was a hoot. Next time it is Marcia's turn, hopefully we will get to ride on Diamond. My turn is next, and for my classes, I am sticking with different countries and traditional meals. We do a Geography lesson and then the kids get to read and make the recipe I choose. Next time is Great Britain.