Haiku #117

#117

He can't turn away

from the crazy Christmas house-

but really, who can?

Rainy Day Fun

Cold weather is approaching (hard to believe - it was almost 75 today just 2 days before Thanksgiving!). I put together a "bin o' fun" for those chilly, rainy, snowy days ahead. I used an underbed storage container and a 25 pound bag of rice I bought at BJs for $10.99. Add an assortment of sand-type toys, animals, kitchen utensils - easy peasy.

For more color I put a few squirts of red, blue and green food coloring with a few tablespoons of water in small containers. We added rice to this colorful mixture, gave it a stir as it drank up the water and then put the grains back in the bin.

Festive!

Eli might argue the best part of the rice bin is cleaning it up. He's good about keeping the mess to a minimum but inevitably there are a few runaways. Eli loves the vacuum...and does a very thorough job for a pipsqueak!

Haiku #116

#116

Looking for the moon?

The view from Daddy's shoulders

is the best around.

Haiku #115

#115

In the house or out

the baby loves a good swing

and a silly song

Haiku #114

#114

He doesn't know this

but for each rock he tossed in

I whispered a wish

Sorting Fun

Recycled Crayons!

I had a bag of nubby, old crayons I've been wanting to recycle. Now that Eli is recognizing colors and interested in sorting I thought I'd take advantage and get cracking! Here's how we made our chunky crayons.

Step 1: Sort naked crayons by color. Break big bits into smaller bits--oh, so much fun!

Step 2: Spray a muffin tin with Pam. Fill with crayon bits.

Step 3: Bake at 275 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Step 4: Let cool. Fridge or freezer helps speed things up.

Step 5: Knock chunky crayons from the muffin tin. Admire. Use. Love.

Additional notes:

-Crayon wrappers are much easier to remove after soaking in water over night.

-The muffin tin I used is now designated as a "craft" item. Wax melted into tiny crevices in the muffin tin and I don't feel comfortable using it for baking again. While this wasn't my original plan muffin tins are great for distributing paint and for sorting small items like rocks, marbles and buttons.

Haiku #113

#113

"No, no ham! No train!

No green eggs! No fox! No box!

No goat! No house! No!"

Eli reads "Green Eggs & Ham" aloud to himself. "No" comes so naturally to him.

Haiku #112

#112

He can see a face

on the top of the cracker--

can you see it too?

Haiku #111

#111

When they run away

to perform in the circus

will they send postcards?

Haiku #110

#110

It is no surprise

his first art experience

was papier mache

Haiku #109

#109

It didn't take long

for the shiny colander

to become a hat

Haiku #108

#108

He doesn't look thrilled

to be the keeper of leaves

on our autumn walk

Haiku #107

#107

Rainy day playground

made of water, bowls and spoons--

fun for the dog too

Haiku #106

#106

"Look, Mama, I'm sad."

But I know he's just teasing--

this is his fake frown