circus tents

materials:  construction paper for the tent and roof, paint, bingo or dot paint markers, scissors for cutting the triangle roof and decorative scissors for the bottom of the roof

I've never explored a circus theme before this year but I'm glad I did!  The littles love learning about the circus and we are having a great time with dramatic play.  At the art table we tried balloon painting, painted clown faces on paper plates, and made these simple circus tents.  Thank you, Jen, for passing along the circus books!

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Recycled Gingerbread People

I usually remember to take my reusable bags to the market, but now and then I forget and had somehow accumulated a big enough stack of brown paper grocery bags to make gingerbread people. The children used white paint to make gingerbread people on the bags. Once the paint dried, the people were cut out and they used Silky Crayons to add faces, buttons, hair, etc. This was easy and inexpensive and, best of all, they loved it!

how leslie and eden create in the kitchen

No, it's not a cake! It's paper mache. Not sure what it will turn out to be. Even teens need a little process over product from time to time . . .

gingerbread houses

We've been learning about our 5 senses - and gingerbread seemed to tie in. We created these gingerbread houses at one of the art tables this week. Children were invited to paint a house. Some used brown paint and some mixed in a little white. When the houses were dry, the children used white paint (frosting) to outline the houses. Finally, they used sticky foam candy shapes to finish off the houses.

Parent Gift

Close-up photo of child printed in sepia ink on white cardstock and mounted on red construction paper. Topped with a sheet of velum printed with the child's dictated poem. Tied together with a green ribbon.

On the eve of your birthday

Dear Leslie,

Sixteen years ago today. I didn't know your face yet. I hadn't heard your voice. I loved you - yes. But I didn't know the depth of that love yet. How proud I'd be of all of your accomplishments. How protective I'd be of your heart.

Sixteen years ago today. I hoped you'd be beautiful. You are. I hoped you'd be kind. You are. I hoped you'd be smart and confident and brave and artistic. You are all of these things - and more. You hear music that no one else can hear. You see art in the every day. You have empathy for those around you and those you haven't met. You want to please - yet you also want to do things your way.

Sixteen years ago today. I prayed that I would be a good mother. That I'd know how to take care of you. Know how to teach you all I know about this wonderful and sometimes scary world. Know how to fill you up with love, and knowledge, and all of the things inside my heart. Know how to let you go out into the world when it was time.

Sixteen years ago today. The eve of your birth.

Happy Birthday, Beautiful Girl. I love you.

Mama