Literary Cupcakes

My daughter and I made these cupcakes for a recent end of the school year party. We printed out book covers (in miniature form) and made tiny books on sticks to put in the cupcakes. They were a big hit at the literary themed party for our homeschool group. I used the Namaste vanilla cake mix (allergen free) and marshmallow cream and cream cheese icing. They had a wonderful light texture and noone seemed to notice they were gluten and nut free.

Whit is Published in Kids In Print!

Whit was published in the yearly Kids In Print publication put out by our local library. His story about Talgres the Squirrel and how he saved his animal friends made page four!  Needless to say we are very proud of our budding author. Here he is at the book signing and reception with the graphic novelist/cartoonist, Chris Schweizer. He is also pictured here with some friends from our homeschooling group. Pictured from left to right is Blake (published for his photography work), Whit (my favorite author of wildlife fiction), Haylee (a budding poet), and Shelby (published for her artwork).  I would say he has a great circle of friends! Congratulations Whitman, on a fantastic literary beginning!

Watercolor Recipe Cards (aka What to do with all that artwork)

My children are prolific artists. They turn out quite a few masterpieces. We hang them on the walls, the refrigerator, and wherever else we can find a space. Here is the latest idea I had on how to use their art in the everyday and preserve it for years to come.

I cut their watercolor paper into half pages and used them for recipe cards! They are lovely and unique and perfect for perking up my kitchen. I am having them laminated. I will punch a hole in the corner and put then on a ring for easy access. I plan to hang them on a hook over my counter. The laminating will ensure they stay safe from splatters and stains.

These wet on wet paintings were done using the method described in Painting with Children by Brunhild Muller.
I always recommend real art supplies for children. A few real supplies and quality paper are better than flaky paint and cheap paper. There really is a big difference. Invest in a few good items and watch the art unfold!

*This would make a great gift for grandparents, etc.!*

Stories and Art Therapy for Healing

Children experience many bumps on their road, just as we do. Chronic illness or just a stomach flu can leave a child out of sorts and struggling to find their footing again. Too tired to run and play, and sick of the media machine, here is my son experimenting with wet on wet watercolors as a method of therapy.

We struggle with chronic illness at our house. My son has ulcerative colities, severe food allergies, asthma, celiac disease, and other issues to complete the mix of challenges. My husband also struggles with gut issues and recurring kidney stones. All of this can leave the sick and the well in our home feeling overwhelmed.

Sometimes, even when all is well physically, troubled feelings or general angst can also leave its mark. Here are two resources that I have found helpful when you need a creative outlet, a healing story, and some time to put things to right.

Healing Stories for Challenging Behaviour by Susan Perrow
This book is an excellent resource on storytelling and a wealth of information on putting together a plan of action for helping children iron out the rough spots of life.

Painting with Children by Brunhild Muller
Although this is a small book, it is my favorite resource on painting with children. The method laid out is simple and very easy to follow. I have experienced success with all ages of children (even teens) when using this wet on wet watercolor method.

Taken together, this is my prescription for restoring health to the spirit.

Walking the road of life is easier with good friends...

Dawson, Dahlia, Addie and Whit

Spies, Detectives, and Agents of Every Kind

Mysteries and secret missions abound at my house these days. My children are in the midst of mystery-mania. It always amazes me that despite the difference in my children's ages, they still seem to follow each other's interests. My seventh grader is enjoying reading Sherlock Holmes. This was a favorite of mine at about that age. My eight year old son is also into the Baker St. action, he loves the Jim Weiss recording of "Sherlock Holmes for Children" stories. Nancy Drew has also enjoyed a resurgence. The computer mystery games are a huge favorite. The children love to sit and do these together. The puzzles and clues are quite challenging - lots of educational value here. They have also checked out Nancy Drew mysteries for Addie to read to Whit. Even the Nancy Drew movie is a big hit with both of them. My older loves the fashion in the movie and has styled her own bag of tricks after Nancy's. My son loves the action!
The playmobile spy sets have also been big this year. Whit (my son) received these for his birthday and has really enjoyed the remote control car with spy camera. I must admit, it is cool.
Something that gets a lot of play time is Whit's spy gear. He has put together an outfit for dress up play and has gathered lots of gadgets to put in his spy bag (and old school type bag of mine). Invisible ink, black jacket and shades, a little theme music from the ipod (007 and Mission Impossible theme songs), and regular viewings of the Pink Panther cartoons seem to round out this spectrum of spy-dom. I love the smorgasbord - from Scotland Yard to cartoon antics, sleuthing and spying is super.

Story Stones

My children enjoy playing with natural objects, leaves, stones, acorns, etc. By combining their love for nature and an idea I found on Pinterest, I came up with a great DIY gift for my nieces and nephews. I gathered stones (and since we live in the city, I had to cheat a bit and buy a package of river stones at the Dollar Tree). Then I cut out tiny story characters and objects from paper, fabric, etc. and mod podged them onto the stones. My sister's children are mad about Little House in the Big Woods, so I used an old paperback (don't worry, I have another copy of this title!) to cut out Laura, Mary, Ma, Pa, and Baby Carrie along with a bear, dear, etc. for their set of story stones. They turned out charming. I made a set for traditional stories that included a pot, an old man and woman, farm animals, a gingerbread boy, and other items that would make Stone Soup, The Gingerbread Man, The Old Man and the Old Woman, and Clever Beatrice a possibility. I made simple cut outs of a mouse, cheese, and other Mother Goose items for the youngest, and a set of woodland critters for my own son and his critter-loving cousin. I also made a set with a vintage fabric that included rosy faced children and their pet dog. Finally, I sewed drawstring bags in coordinating fabrics and made gift tags with story and game ideas using the stones. The best game idea I had was to pass the bag around the dinner table or the car and for each person to add to a family story that is made up as you go along. When you take an item out of the bag, you must add something to the story that includes the character or item you drew. This is a variation on the game my siblings and I played so often with my Dad as a child. He used to love to start a story and go from person to person adding adventures. I hope the story stones continue this tradition of family story telling! I took a picture of the traditional tales set and the Little House set for here. I hope you like them!