So since I have been out of the childcare field for this Christmas season I have really missed all the crafts that take place during the month of December. So I have decided to complete some of the crafts on a smaller scale with my kiddos =) Although not all of my craft ideas have been a hit in classroom but I love them, such as the calendars I made for my class's parents last year, Oh my that was an ordeal, I had 12, 2/3 years olds and planned on making hand print calendars for all of them, which means that I had to do 144 different hand print pages let them dry then laminate them and bind them! What was I thinking??? I completed this task though minus the lamination because I ran out of time and those were the best parent presents I have made my whole career!! I would have loved those as a mom! But I would never do those again because that was a lot of work of art they are "not" suppose to do. (but that is a whole other post).
Anyways last night we decided to make applesauce ornaments one of my favorite crafts since childhood because my babysitter use to make them with me, but also the smell! Oh they smell amazing!! I spread out some wax paper on the floor in the kitchen and sat the ingredients down with bowls, rolling pins, and cookie cutters and joined the kids on the floor. Jaxon started opening cinnamon containers and dumping them in the bowl and then of course Jerzie followed suit and tried to the same, once all the containers were emptied we added the applesauce and mixed away, oh the smell LOVE IT! I then divided the dough up and told Jaxon to make away! Jerzie then got some dough as well and we were shaping and making when Jerzie decides to taste the lovely smelling stuff, she realized real quick that was not what it was for and spit repeatedly followed by asking for milk to get that yucky taste out of her mouth. Jaxon and I laughed and laughed, watching Jerzie's facial expressions, but this is the stuff life is made of, memories! We wrapped up making the ornaments and kids moved to the skin washing the bowl and their hands of the cinnamon mess, as I looked at the floor and see the mess, I realize we live a in a crazy beautiful mess and spending time like this with my kids makes everything so worth it!
So I will end with the recipe so you make some ornaments of your own:
About a 1 1/2 cups of cinnamon
About 3/4 cup of applesauce.
Mix well and all is moist.
Then mix with your hands until the constancy of play dough that is mold-able, add more of either ingredients to make it the right consistency.
*plan not to touch much until completed because it does stick to your hands.
** Don't eat =)
After picking up Bean (Jaxon) from school he was so excited to let me know that he had presents in his book bag from his teachers, and was super excited to get home and open them, but not just him and wanted Jerzie to help =) He is such a great big brother, he gives Jerzie anything that she wants and does it with a smile because he loves her soo much, you can see it in his eyes. After opening presents and playing with them, the kids were crazy so we decided to eat and do another one of our favorite activities painting the bathtub up =) We get paint brushes and paint and go to town painting the whole bath tub, both the kids love this dunno if its the mess they get to make or that they can paint each other and then hose it off but its so much fun! and the best part it buys me a few moments of peace and quite to collect my thoughts for a day like today! So here are some pictures to brighten your day like it did for me =)
