April 27: Tangrams



Jack-in-the-box...
the only one we could really figure out.



A version of tangrams was on the back of a cereal box, so I saved it thinking it'd be a great game for Ty and I to do together.  I remember playing with the tangram shapes in school...creating shapes and pictures...I always enjoyed the challenge!  I looked up "tangrams" online, for those who are interested, and found out it's an ancient Chinese puzzle game.  There are plenty of online sources to play yourself if you so desire. 

Needless to say, it was a bit difficult to use the cereal box tangrams set.  The black shadow images were not true to size and used overlapping shapes...two things that made it tough for Ty...and me, too!  He finally started creating his own puzzle shapes (see his "whale tale" below).  I think it would have been much easier to have different color pieces and true-to-size puzzles to solve.  We'll hang on to the pieces though...maybe I'll go online and find some more kid-friendly puzzles for us to solve together. 

Tysen's "Whale Tale".

April 25: Easter Surprise Cupcakes

In my hunt for Easter projects and recipes I came across a recipe for cupcakes with chocolate Easter eggs hidden inside.  After the Easter egg hunt I had plenty of eggs to use, but I couldn't find the recipe back.  I found this one instead:  Easter Surprise Cupcakes.  The boys think it's great that an egg is hidden inside the cupcake!  Brielle really enjoys them, too, but as always, her favorite part is the frosting.  I have to agree with her that the frosting is the best part...almond flavoring...yum! 

Easter Surprise Cupcakes

• 2/3 cup softened butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 & 3/4 cups flour
• 2 & 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 & 1/4 cup milk
• 24 small chocolate eggs, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place muffin liners in muffin tins.  Mix butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until blended.  Mix on high for 5 minutes.  On low speed, beat in flour, baking powder, and salt alternately with milk until well blended.  Fill muffin liners 1/3 full and place a chocolate egg in each.  Top with remaining batter so each liner is 2/3 full.  Bake 18-20 minutes or until done.  Cool and frost as desired.

Our frosting choice:

 Betty Crocker's Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 & 1/2 tsp. vanilla (***I used almond extract instead = delicious!!!)
• 1-2 Tbs. milk

Mix powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl with a spoon or electric mixer on low speed.  Stir in extract and 1 Tbs. of milk.  Gradually beat in just enough of the remaining milk to make the frosting smooth and spreadable.  If it's too thick, beat in more milk a few drops at a time.  If it becomes too thin, beat in a small amount of powdered sugar.  (Makes more than enough for the cupcakes)

April 24: Easter Rolls

Cinnamon & sugar covered marshmallow; wrapped marshmallow ready for the oven.

Ty rolls the marshmallows in the melted butter.

I was so excited to make these Easter Rolls (Resurrection Rolls), but was so disappointed with the results!  The recipe obviously worked for others...my mom even mentioned teachers had done these with their classes, but they didn't work for me.  Maybe I didn't seal the dough well enough?!?  The idea is to have the marshmallow represent Jesus, roll it in butter and a sugar/cinnamon mix to represent the oil and spices used for his burial, and then wrap it in a crescent roll -- the tomb.  When you bake the rolls the marshmallows get absorbed into the dough and the "tomb" is empty.  Well, our marshmallows were very much still there as you can see in the picture.  The boys, though, weren't really interested in an Easter Sunday morning project...after all we were at Grandma and Grandpa's house, there were Grandma's cinnamon rolls for breakfast and trains to play with.  Maybe we'll try again next year and see if we can get the desired results.   

Marshmallows still in the dough.  :(

April 22: Resurrection Set

The risen Christ!



Part of the finished set.

 Our Good Friday project was making a Resurrection Set.  I'd never heard of a Resurrection Set, but it makes sense...we put out our Nativity Scenes at Christmas, why not a Resurrection Set for Easter?  I stumbled upon the idea while searching for Easter crafts to do with the boys...you can find the details and the templates at http://catholicicing.blogspot.com. 

Ty only had interest in coloring the tomb and one of the soldiers, so I colored the rest since Koen was in school.  I used cardstock to print the templates just to make it a bit more sturdy.  We used up our supply of saved toilet paper rolls, but it was worth it!  The boys love playing with this set!  We read the Easter story while moving the characters around, and it helped the boys remember the story just a bit better.  In their reenactments, they were more excited about the angels arriving and the soldiers falling down. :)  I doubt this set will last a lifetime, so I did save the idea in hopes of using it again in the future.



Ty's soldier.



Hard at work.







Apparently we often use toilet

 paper tubes as trumpets...

poor Mary Magdelene!





Playing with the finished set.



We used rubber bands to hold the
paper in place while the glue dried.



April 21: The Dentist and A Movie

The boys were long past due for a visit to the dentist.  Koen had visited my dentist a few years ago and it was a disaster!!!  Fortunately, he doesn't remember that visit, so I just told him that this was his first visit.  Nothing like starting fresh! :)  Tysen, on the other hand, had never visited a dentist.  We went armed with Koen's special puppy and Tysen's blankie...just in case. 

Dr.  Amy gets ready to clean Koen's teeth.

I got a recommendation from our pediatrician for a pediatric dentist.  Dr. Amy Valleau was wonderful with the boys...and she worked with both the good and the bad.  Koen was the model patient!  He did everything asked of him, from x-rays to cleaning.  Tysen started out listening intently, but it went downhill from there.  The tears began when he refused to sit in the chair for x-rays.  He added the sobs and screams when it was his turn to lay in that chair for Dr. Amy to look at his teeth.  As I held him, Dr. Amy was able to examine his teeth, clean them, and floss them all while he protested with his wailing.  Fortunately, he wails with his mouth wide open. :)  

And the good news...no cavities for either boy!  :) 

As a reward for going to the dentist, the boys got to go to the movie Alpha and Omega, another of the Flick's Family Film Festival movies.  Koen had seen a preview for this particular movie on one of his Thomas movies and had said he'd like to see it sometime.  We picked up their friend Ian since Ian's mom was watching Brielle for us.  The three boys were excited about going to the movie theater and enjoyed the movie...especially the physical humor, though I'd say your life would still be complete without spending time watching this flick. 

April 18: Deluxe M&M Cookies

I believe I've posted this recipe before, but here it is again so you don't have to hunt for it.  I love that it makes so many cookies!!!  We'll leave some out and throw the rest in the freezer!  Ty and I made a mess making these this morning as we originally forgot to add the peanut butter...the dry dough few everywhere!  Fortunately, everything is cleaned up and the peanut butter was added to make a yummy cookie.  In Ty's opinion, we don't even have to bake these...he likes just eating the dough and the candy. :)  Simple pleasures!

Deluxe M&M Cookies
1 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup (crunchy) peanut butter
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
3 cups M&Ms, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, etc (1 cup of each item)

Mix ingredients.  Put small scoops of dough on greased cookie sheet (or on parchment paper) about two inches apart.  Bake 8-10 minutes (it takes 12 minutes in our oven) at 350 degrees.  Remove from pan promptly.

March 16: Easter Eggstravaganza!

The Easter bunny!

Swimming lessons were cancelled this week due to a big swim meet taking place at the pool, so it worked out perfectly that St. Mark's Lutheran School was holding an Easter Eggstravaganza event.  St. Mark's is the school/church across the street from our home where Koen attended preschool.  When I told the kids where we were going, Koen asked, "Do you think they'll remember me?" :)  Miss Stacie, his preschool teacher, was there and most certainly did remember him which thrilled Koen! 



Balloon puppies!



The hour-and-a-half long event was packed with opportunities -- we participated in only a third of what they offered!  There were crafts, games, balloon animals, the Easter bunny, and egg hunts.  We waited in line for 20 minutes so each boy could get a balloon puppy, and of course, Koen's popped as soon as we arrived home so he sobbed and wanted either for me to fix it or to go back and get a different one.  Since my balloon skills are limited and the event was finished he was left with the harsh reality that sometimes things just aren't fair. 



Trying to make the bunny hop into the Easter basket.



There was an indoor egg hunt for kids five-and-under so both boys went in and found some candy, and then the big-kid egg hunt for five-and-up (those lucky five-year-olds!!!) was to be outside at the end of the event.  Both boys wanted to try the outdoor egg hunt up until the time they found the free snacks in the gym:  fruit, donut holes, and juice!  Why search for food when they hand it out for free? :)  So, no outdoor egg hunt for us, which may have been ok on that rainy morning. 



Ty's turn!  Both boys were successful!
 (Notice Brielle in the background!)



While it would have been fun to try some of the other projects, they time frame was perfect for the kids and they were ready to head home again just as things wrapped up. 



Brielle enjoyed part of a donut hole
and some grapes at snack time.







April 15: Palm Frond Collage

With Palm Sunday coming up this Sunday, I thought I'd introduce the celebration to Tysen with this project.  We talked about Jesus coming into a big city riding a donkey and how the people were so excited to see him that they waved these palm branches and laid them in the street for the donkey to step on.  Ty really had one question about the whole story:  Why?  And that question was repeated often as I tried to explain this event.  :)  So to make our palm leaf, I used this link as a guide:  Palm Frond Collage. 

I cut some strips of green construction paper and tissue paper.  I had Tysen snip them into smaller pieces.  He started out using his scissors but quickly discovered ripped worked better for him. 





I squeezed some glue onto the paper and had him spread it around with a paintbrush.  You can print the template from the link above. 





Tysen carefully placed the various green papers on the palm leaf paper.  He did a great job covering most of it!  After he finished, I cut out the palm shape (you can still see the lines if you use tissue paper), although I'd recommend waiting until it dries before you cut it out as it got a bit messy. :)  We then glued it on a black background.



The finished product!  Once it dries I'd like to add the word, "Hosanna!" at the top. 



April 14: Indoor Picnic with Grandma Smits

Yummy yogurt!

I attended an all day conference in the area and was thankful for Grandma Smits who came to watch the kids for most of the day!  One highlight for the kids was the indoor picnic that Grandma orchestrated -- a perfect special activity on a day where we try to do something special.  Our kitchen table was in pieces since we were swapping it for Grandma and Grandpa Smits's old one.  The replacement table hadn't been set up yet, so the perfect solution was the indoor picnic!  Thanks, Grandma!



Koen took Grandma's picture!



April 13: Candy Land

Well, I think it's a record...Tysen and I got about a half-game of Candy Land in!  After that, he was content to just have his guy jump around the board to "eat" the different candy.  Still, it was nice to play with him...he's getting the concepts involved, just not always choosing to implement them. :) 

April 11: Our Old Standby...

We restocked our supply of our favorite pumpkin muffins today...yummy! 

April 8: Painting Projects

A friend of mine had shared a recipe for puffy paint with me a few weeks ago.  I'd kind of forgotten about it, but in searching for another idea for a project I came across this same idea:  equal parts of shaving cream and Elmer's glue.  Messy?  Yes!  It went pretty well, though (and it smells good too!).  I used 1/4 cup of each and it made plenty.  I made three batches -- white, red, and green (just a few drops of food coloring).  These were Ty's choices...apparently he's got Christmas on his mind! :) After a while, Ty got sick of his color choices, so we made the red into purple and that got him interested again.  

Koen decided not to use the puffy paint.  Instead, he drew his own pictures and painted them. 

April 7: Tangled Movie

With it being Spring Break week there were a TON of activities available for kids!  Our library offered a free showing of Disney's Tangled, so I took the three kids while Seth worked on laying our new laminate flooring.  While I know he would have rather been with us, the floor looks wonderful!!! 

There were easily 100+ people in attendance, but the room was large and could easily accommodate us all.  We sat near the back, but were on an end so Brielle and Ty could wander around when they needed to, and Koen and Ty could position their chairs just so and then no one's head was in the way.  Once again, Ty had lots of questions...many of which were loud enough for all to hear, but he wasn't the only one. :)  The movie was great!  We all -- even Brielle -- laughed out loud more than once during this charming story. 

April 5: MegaMind Movie

Celebration Cinima Theaters host the Flick's Family Film Festival from March 11 - May 5.  Each week, the theaters show a different family-friendly movie that's FREE for kids 12 and under and only $3.50 for adults.  During Spring Break, the movie was Megamind.  Seth and I had seen this on a date night a few months before and had found it quite funny, so we thought the boys might enjoy it as well.  We decided to have a date-day, so Seth took Tysen early afternoon and I took Koen early evening.  It was nice to have some one-on-one time!  With this arrangement, we also wouldn't need to find a sitter for Brielle. 

The boys enjoyed the movie theater experience!  Seth reported that Ty was full of questions...many of which the entire audience heard as his whisper volume has yet to be perfected.  :)  And while Koen had been to a movie before, Seth had taken him to Veggie Tales:  The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything a few years back, he didn't remember going, which surprised us...he'd talked about it non-stop for six months after he'd gone! 

Megamind was a bit confusing for them...the character starts out as the villian and becomes the good guy...and the storyline might have been a bit over their heads, but overall experience was fun!

April 4: Chick and Egg Nests

"Laying" the eggs!



Mixing the "nests".



It's Spring Break so Koen is home for the week which means he gets to participate in all the activities again!  In celebration of spring, we made Chick and Egg Nests for our snack.  The boys loved them...even if they didn't eat every part of the final product (Ty liked biting the head of the peep and just eating the eggs).  :)  These were super simple to make and turned out really cute!  We only made a half-batch since we didn't really need 30 of these treats hanging around the house (18 was more than enough!!!)  You could click on the above link to get the recipe, but I'll post it here as well.  Happy Spring!

Chick and Egg Nests

5 Tbs. butter (I always use butter instead of margarine)

6 1/2 cups mini-marshmallows (about 1.5 - 10.5oz bags)

9 cups Cocoa Krispies cereal

90 candy eggs of your choice (we used Whopper eggs)

30 Marshmallows peeps

Lightly spray muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray.  In a large sauce pan over low heat melt the butter.  Add the mini-marshmallows and stir frequently over low heat until all is melted and mixed.  Remove from heat.  Stir in Cocoa Krispies and mix to coat well.  Immediately, spoon into muffin tins to almost full, but not packed down.  With a greased or wax-paper-covered-thumb press down on center of the Cocoa Krispies treats to form a nest shape.  Allow to cool and set completely -- about 20 minutes.  Place 2-3 eggs in each nest.  Set a marshmallow peep on each nest.  Remove from tins into storage (gallon bags, Tupperware, etc).  Store at room temperature.  Yield:  30 treats.

March 31: A Teddy Bear Picnic

Both Clifford and Ty shake the maracas during class.

Shake that pom-pom!





Chewing her fingers was more fun than using
the measuring cup as an instrument.

Thanks to the info on grkids.com, we had a lovely time at our FREE Teddy Bear Picnic at Music Moves for our special event this week.  Children were invited to bring their favorite teddy bear or special pal (the boys took puppies and Brielle had a doll) for an hour of music and rhythm and then finishing the session with a picnic together.  Music Moves provided juice boxes and Teddy Grahams for a snack, but the website had suggested to pack a picnic lunch, so that's what we did.  We were, however, the only ones to do so, so we stayed after the class much longer than anyone else (that was Koen's favorite part of the morning). 

The class itself was well-planned out with fabulous musical and rhythmic activities for the kids led by Teacher Barbara.  We got to play with kitchen utensils as percussion instruments, shake pom-poms, march and dance around the room, and even play with the large parachute (that was Ty's favorite moment of the class).  The boys didn't participate in every activity, but Teacher Barbara had said in the beginning not to force kids to do anything.  I was impressed, though, with how often they did join in!  We received a sample CD with 6 songs to take home and Koen and Ty have listened to it at bedtime every night since! 



Yummy Teddy Grahams!





Koen loves picnics!



Since we attended the Teddy Bear Picnic, both boys have asked multiple times to go back.  This was a one-time deal, though, so unless we sign up for their classes, we won't be able to return anytime soon.  I think it'd be great to join a class or start the kids' piano lessons there sometime, but it may not be in the near future.     



Picnic time!