Rainbow rice, Noisemakers, Find-a-things

I have been furiously organizing my house and found some stale rice in the back of my pantry. So naturally, I googled rice crafts. =D

 

The kids and I made RAINBOW RICE! It was so easy and fun! All you do is portion your rice into appropriate size baggies. Add several drops of food coloring (some recipes say add rubbing alcohol, but we didn't and it turned out just fine) and MIX. If you mix a little you get different shades of the color. If you mix a lot, it will be more uniform. Adding more than one color doesn't "mix" to make a new color, but it does look interesting!

 

Then you can air dry or pop it in a single layer on foil into the oven at 200 until dry.

 

Whe it's dry you can store it in baggies or containers or use it in a CRAFT. I put a mix of colors into a small plastic jar with lid (taped securely) for my Little One to make a colorful shaker. He carried it around all day long. For my Big Kid we did the same thing, only in a bigger jar and added a collection of small items (paper clip, marble, rock, tiny bear) to the jar. Now he has a DIY Find-A-Thing thing!

 

We sure had lots of fun making RAINBOW RICE!

Homemade Finger Paint and Mess-FREE painting!

Today the kids and I made homemade finger paints using this recipe:

• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup cornflour / cornstarch
• 2 1/2 cups water + extra for thinner paint
• 1 tablespoon salt
• food colouring or tempera paint powder

What To Do:

1. Add plain flour, cornflour/cornstarch and salt to saucepan and only add 1/2 cup of the water. Mix into a thick paste.
2. Turn on the heat (gentle heat), and add 1 cup of water to the saucepan, mixing with a whisk to combine and prevent lumps.
3. Whisk continuously until paint mixture starts to thicken and then continue mixing with a wooden spoon.
4. Once paint mixture is thick and smooth remove from the heat.
5. Add another 1/2 cup of water (more may be needed) and mix thoroughly to combine. At this point the paint is ready to cool for finger painting.
6. For general kids crafts requiring a thinner paint, return to gentle heat and add more water - only adding 1/2 cup of water at a time and mixing thoroughly until combined. Continue adding water until you reach the required consistency.
7. If you get lumps, or find the paint hard to mix - use a stick blender to get the mixture smooth.
8. Once cooled, mix in the dishwashing liquid - optional. It will give the paint a smoother consistency and a glossy finish when dry.
9. Separate the paint into small containers and colour with small amounts of either food colouring.
10. Store remainder paint in the refrigerator for up to a week.

We did get some lumps, but my kiddos didn't care! I think next time I will add the whole 2 cups of water while cooking instead of after. This makes about 3-4 cups of paint! I filled three deep baby bowls (because they had lids!) and colored them yellow, red, and blue. Then we had to try them out!

For mess-free finger painting we put two generous blobs (different colors) into gallon ziplock bags. Freezer bags worked best because they are thicker and more sturdy. You simply tape the edges of each bag with masking tape to your table with a sheet of white paper inbetween. The kids mixed and smashed the colors together as we guessed which NEW color they would make. Then we drew with our fingers and smushed our handprints. It was tons of fun all day long!

Next time I want to try pudding paint. The little one was mad that he couldn't eat it. =) Pudding paint is very yummy!

Mother's Day

Being a mother is such an awesome gift. Every time I get a tight squeeze from their tiny little arms my heart melts. One flash of their crooked grins makes me smile. The sparkle in their bright blue eyes makes me happy. Their giggles are music to my ears. Every sticky sweaty kiss I treasure.

Motherhood is a gift I almost missed.

I used to think being pregnant made you a mother. Now I think differently. Some people who become pregnant are clearly not mothers. Some of the best mothers have never carried a child in their own womb.

Motherhood is something that occurs in a special moment where you realize "Wow. This child is MINE."  Maybe it's that first kick. Or that first cry. Or looking into those big blue eyes. Or signing the papers. And somewhere deep down in your heart you vow to yourself to protect them and nurture them for as long as you live.

Every Mother's Day I look at my two beautiful boys and wonder how different my life would have been without them. This would be a terribly sad day of mourning all those hugs, grins, giggles, and sticky sweaty kisses lost instead of a joyous day of celebrating.

So every Mother's Day I say a little prayer for the mothers of all the angel babies out there. Whether by accident or choice, it can't be an easy day. It makes me cry just to imagine how bad my heart would ache to see and hold my boys if I never had the chance to watch them grow. And it makes me all the more grateful for each and every precious moment with them.

Summer Bucket List

This is my last summer off during college. I will be graduating in December and getting a "big girl job". Here is a list I made of all the little things I want to do with my boys before school starts again. Most of these things cost little if anything to do and can be done with little planning. I enojyed all these activities and more as a child. I am looking forward to having fun and making memories with them each and every day!

The Hardest Job

Five years ago today I landed the most difficult, most demanding, and yet most rewarding job I have ever had. I was sixteen, scared, and overwhelmed. I felt so unqualified and unprepared, but grateful and blessed. This job has made me laugh, cry, scream, and everything in between. My to-do list is never done; my work space is always a mess! I work long hours, nights, weekends, and holidays with no sick days or vacation. I have never received a raise, promotion, or even a paycheck.
You see, five years ago today I became a mother.

Being a mother is such a hard job, but I am so glad I gave it a shot. My big buddy makes me so proud. He is sweet, tender-hearted, thoughtful, and kind. He is obedient (for the most part!) and well-behaved. He does well in school. He makes friends everywhere he goes. His laugh is contagious. His smile sparkles.

My little buddies are the reason I created this blog. I want to make each and every day special for them. I want to remember all the cute things they say and the sweet things they do. I want to remember that the most important part of being their mother is not having a sparkling clean house or ironed clothes or three course dinners. The most important part is making memories with them...savoring all the special moments that happen everyday... taking time to slow down, breathe, and laugh... enjoying the little things like smelling flowers, catching bugs, making mudpies, having tickle fights, and sweaty sticky kisses.