Happy May Day!

What a happy May Day!

We danced around a maypole (pool noodle). Well, we started off dancing and then kind of passed each other up in a dizzy spin-race that would have made Curly Howard proud.

Step 1. Obtain a maypole from horseback riders.

Step 2. Stuff some tissue paper streamers into the top hole.

Step 3. Give each dancer one streamer.

Step 4: Turn on the music. I used the music from this video.

Step 4. Look out! Dancers really get going.

For the ribbons, I used the zig-zag cutting technique with some tissue paper. Maybe I'll post about how to do that sometime. A sheet of paper can be turned into a really long streamer.

The top photo seems to indicate I don't know what comes after the letter O. Lies! 

We're working our way through the alphabet, letter by letter.

Have a lovely day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today we matched numbers on a shamrock!

I got the idea here but changed it a bit. We didn't use stickers. I glued the numbers on the shamrock with a glue stick then printed and "laminated" their numerical mates. This goes home with the little ones for play later.

Here is how I fake laminated the mates:
I put one strip of packing tape, sticky side up, on the counter.
Then I stuck the numbers onto it.
Another strip of packing tape, sticky side down, made it like a sandwich.
Then the pieces were snipped, ready for matching with the numbers on the shamrock.

We also made rainbow bracelets with Fruit Loops.

I chose against necklaces, because I didn't want them to have something around their necks. You've got to be careful with these bracelets, too. Kids are quick. And tricky.

Tonight for supper we're having pastrami and Swiss sandwiches on rye bread. I bought the stuff for it on Saturday. I was told last night that pastrami is NOT corned beef. Of course it isn't.

But can't a mom get some credit for thinking ahead?

Hope you're having a lovely St. Patrick's Day!!

Happy Mardi Gras

Well, we had our own little Mardi Gras celebration today. We didn't get into the history or meaning of the day but just had some fun.

For the masks, use what you have, right? Well, we had some felt, crepe paper, pom pom balls, and party favor wands.

The felt became feathers; and snips of crepe paper and pom poms were just to glue on, because everyone loves to glue!

Party favor wands were fashioned to be mask handles. Jazzier than Popsicle sticks, I do believe.

How about that King Cake?

The kids colored sugars and decorated the top. They each had a baggie of sugar and I added food coloring. Then they smooshed it all around until all the sugar was colorful.

Those were some very proud bakers!

I don't have a recipe for King Cake. I cheated and just used our muffin recipe and baked it in a cake pan.

Cheater King Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup oil

Goodies: fruit or chocolate chips

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients and then stir in the wet ingredients. 

Fold in the goodies. I added some chocolate chips and a bit more milk (to make up for lack of moisture since I didn't do fruit this time).

Pour batter into one buttered and floured cake pan.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool.

A light glaze of powdered sugar and water mixture will help colorful sugars stay put.

Hope you are having a lovely day!