In an earlier post I mentioned that I used to do a gratitude activity in which the kids would write what they are thankful for on a turkey feather. We then combined our thankfulness feathers to make a gratitude turkey… I did this activity at church this morning and think our turkey turned out pretty cute! You could easily do this with your family or your dinner guests, as well! So easy, so cute, so meaningful!!! Gobble Gobble
In the spirit of the season, the boys and I are going to make “Pumpkin Pie Play Dough” this weekend… It smells and looks like pumpkin pie, but it’s play dough… I highly suggest making it, it is so much fun! The recipe is below, originally from Family Fun Magazine…
Pumpkin Pie Play Dough
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon veg oil
1 cup water
6 drops red food coloring
15 drops of yellow food coloring
Combine dry ingredients in a non-stick pan
Add oil, water, food coloring and whisk until smooth
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it forms a ball
Turn onto counter, let cool slightly, knead until smooth
I’m one of those parents who likes to get “themed books” out each month… Here is a list of a few of our “November” books…
These are the ones I love the most :). They are in no particular order and all of them can be found on Amazon!
ENJOY! Happy Reading…
I was subbing in my son’s first grade classroom today and a parent stopped in and asked if I had any thank you card ideas for her son’s upcoming birthday party… I told her what I typically did and promised to post a picture or two so she could see an example… For a birthday, I typically take a picture of the entire birthday crew, create a card, and send that out as a thank you note. I have the boys write a more personal message on the back of the card… For other thank you cards, I have little note cards that I either have the boys draw pictures on or write notes on… You can also just attach a group photo to your thank you card – that way the kids have a picture of all their friends ! My favorite kind of thank you card, is just an old fashioned make your own card! No matter how you go about thanking someone, I think it’s an important virtue for our children to learn! Thanks for the post idea Ms. Kristi!
I love Thanksgiving for so many reasons. I love reflecting on all of the blessings in my life, I love spending time with my family and friends, and quite frankly I think turkey’s are pretty stinking cute :). I really do love this time of year because it’s a great time to teach our children about being thankful. Last week I overheard a parent using the comment, “First World or Third World Problem?” when their child was reacting to the wrong kind of sandwich in their lunch box or in my family when they have to wear their big brother’s hand me down winter coat. This is a pretty innovative way to teach your child how blessed they truly are, I might just have to pick it up :). We are ALL guilty of overlooking our blessings and being less than grateful. If we all commit to discussing thankfulness with our families at least a couple times this month, imagine what virtuous children we could all have… Here are a few ways we share thankfulness in our house….
My MOPS group introduced me to, “Thankful Trees” . Each day at home discuss something you feel thankful for and write it on a paper leaf or tag. Add the leaf to the tree. On Thanksgiving Day, read all of your Thankful Leaves together as a family!
How about making a Thankful Centerpiece…
Maybe a Gratitude Journal is more up your ally…
This would be cute for a Sunday School Class or School Classroom!
When I taught elementary school, every year we would make a FAMILY THANKFUL TURKEY! Each child was given a tag board turkey feather to take home and decorate to represent the things they are thankful for in their lives… They would then bring the feather back and we would put them all together to make a giant turkey. I of course can’t find a picture of one of them (because my 7 year old spilled soda on my computer 🙂 ), but when I do find the pic I’ll try to post it! It was always fun to see the family feathers and our turkey always turned out so cute! Here are some other fun crafts you could do around Thanksgiving time… Just have your child write on the back of the craft what they are thankful for as a little extension :).
From dinner time conversations about gratitude to thankful posts on Facebook, all are great ways to reflect on the blessings in our lives and remember what matters most! Passing this thankfulness on to our younger friends can help foster a healthy outlook on our world, our community and our families! Blessings to you and yours this Thanksgiving season! XOXO
My 6 year old invented this craft all on his own… He calls it his “shape turkey”… I kid you not he did every ounce of this one all by himself… The idea was his and he ran with it! I’m thinking the other two might want to make one now too! Here was his plan… He cut out his body, painted it brown… Cut out the shapes for his eyes, beak, feathers, feet, and waddle all on his own… Glued it all together and “tada”! Good job Shaeffer!!!
Welcome back no pressure book clubers… How did you like, Counting By 7’s? I loved it quite frankly :). Here is our next book… The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green… Read it, Like it, Love it, Loth it, Leave a comment about it! GO…. You never know, your comment might win you a free copy of our next book club book!
When we think about fall we are constantly reminded of the beautiful changing leaves and bushes. But there are so many other beautiful things that happen in fall, as well. One think I love in particular is the beautiful sunsets we get in the fall. In Minnesota it’s especially amazing to watch the gorgeous orange, yellow and pink hues of the sun reflect of the lake. In Colorado it’s pretty spectacular to see the Alpine Glow off the snowcapped mountains! Here is a project that was done by using modge podge to stick tissue paper on a canvas to resemble a sun setting. I first had the kids spread a thin layer or modge podge on a blank canvas. They then placed blue and purple tissue paper on top of the modge podge and then put another layer of modge podge on top of that. They then cut out their sun how ever they wanted and added more tissue and modge podge to the top of it! This is what they got: TADA!
There are times in almost every day when I wish time would speed up just a little. Sometimes it’s because I can’t wait to pick the boys up from school, sometimes it’s because I want Ben to get home from work, sometimes I can’t wait for vacation, and there are even times when I can’t wait for bedtime. When you lose someone you love, all you want to do is stop time, turn back time, or be granted MORE time… One year ago today the woman who I consider my second mother passed away. I feel like I was ROBBED of time. There is not a day that goes by when I don’t think about her. Whether I’m baking one of her recipes, watching my boys play with a ball she gave them, or simply remembering her laugh, I miss her. She was my Mom’s best friend for 40+ years. They have gone through every facet of life together… Birth, marriage, faith, loss, happiness, sorrow, sickness and health. My mom and I lived with Barb and her daughter Leslie, they are our family. We did life together. She has witnessed all my trials and my successes from skinned knees and strep throat to graduation, marriage and births. She was there when my boys were born, she babysat them, gave them their first haircuts, and loved them as if they were her own grandson’s. She taught me to laugh, to cry, to be compassionate, and to love. This is a woman who can make you giggle at the drop of a hat and give you advice that will withstand a lifetime- all while feeding you some delicious home baked meal. She is part of who I am and always will be. I wish I could turn back time. I wish my boys had more days with her. I wish she was the one teaching them to make crazy cake and pecan pies. I wish I had recorded her playing footsie with them and smelling their toes. I wish I had more pictures of her with my family. I wish she and Ben had more time to laugh together. I wish she was still here. I really wish she was still here. I wish I had more time. TIME-It’s a crazy thing… We only get today once… My boys will only be young ONCE. This life is a gift- a gift we are given- ONCE. Time really does fly and we can’t slow it down or even stop it. As I reflect on this past year I can only hope that Barb was sharing it with me in some small way. I am going to remember the special time I was granted with her and share those memories with my children. She will live on through me forever. Through her life and her death I have learned to cherish the gift of time and for that I will always be grateful!
As for my dearest Barbie, I will always remember the special time you gave me, your love for me, and your timeless spirit. I love you with all my heart… XOXO
How cool is this…. One of my very dear friends just published a book! YES FOR REAL! It’s not just any old book either, it is an AMAZING book that teaches children to spread joy and love to those around them! It’s a book about peace and forgiveness and kindness. It’s a book that every parent and teacher should own :). You can buy it right on AMAZON (click that fancy link) and you can find more information about Kirsten and her authoring at www.kirstentulsian.com If you live in the Salt Lake City area you should see if she’d come to your school for a reading… I might try to see if she’d come here for a visit :)!
I couldn’t be more proud of you Kirsten! Way to follow your dreams!!!
Hi, My name is Shannon Dodds! I am the wife of Ben, mommy of the S brothers and legal guardian of Wrigley. I have taught elementary school for 12 years, have a hard time keeping my house clean, love warm weather, gardens, and a good book! Join us on our adventure!
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