Witches Hat Cookies

These are a holiday favorite at our house and so fun for the kids to make. 

Ingredients:

1 pkg. Keebler fudge stripped cookies

1 pkg. chocolate kisses

1 tub orange frosting

Directions:

Fill hole of cookie with frosting and top with candy kiss.

 

Pom Pom Tutorial

Have you seen these fun pom poms....what a fun way to add color and character to any room.  If you have ever wanted to make these you are in luck, because my friend Lauren has a blog and has agreed to share her tutorial with us.  Thanks Lauren!  Click here to check out her blog!

First off, pick out your desired color(s) of wrapping tissue.

For a basketball size pom pom, use two packages (20 sheets)

You can make smaller sizes by cutting the sheets in half. They will still be full, only smaller.

Step 1: Fan-fold all 20 sheets

Step 2 and Step 3: Fold in half 

Step 4: Cut ends so they are rounded. 

This will give the pom pom a scalloped look. 

Step 5: Tie ribbon around folded area. 

{Make sure its long enough to hang where you want the finished product!} 

Step 6: Separate the tissue individually on either side of ribbon, firmly, 

but gently pull away from surrounding pieces.

Step 7: Separate each piece of tissue on one side of the ribbon

Step 8: Repeat on other side creating a ball shape

Here's some more examples:

And here is the finished product!

Thanks for sharing Lauren!  ; )  I'm off to go get some tissue paper!

I wanted to share with you the pom poms we made for Halloween.  Here is a picture, aren't they fun?

Tutu

I made this bright pink tutu for my little girl. It was super easy and inexpensive to make.  

I followed this tutorial from the ribbon retreat.  

Letter C (Camel)

Books

How the Camel got it's hump: Tales from Around the World by Justin Fontes
Azad's Camel by Erika Pal
Pamela Camel by Bill Peet

Craft/Art
Felt Camel Craft found here.

Camel hand print found here.

Fun Facts

A camel drinks 30-50 gallons of water at one time and it only takes about 10 minutes to drink that much. Exactly how much a camel drinks varies with the size of the camel, it drinks about 80% of it's body weight.

A camels hump is not full of water, it is actually fat.  The hump allows the camel to survive up to two weeks with no food.

Sally/Alice the camel is the only camel with more than 2 humps.  "Real" camels can only have up to 2 humps. African camels have 1 hump and Asian camels have 2 humps.

Game/Activity

Fill up a pool or bath tub with 30 gallons of water and show the kids how much camels drink at one time.  You could also have them help you fill it up a gallon at a time while counting to 30. 

Printables

Coloring Page

Flash Card (4x6)

 Tracing Page (8x10)

Snack
Animal crackers
Cookies

We ate cookies this week while watching the cookie monster clip on you-tube about the letter C.  We gobbled up our cookies with cookie monster.  This guy sang the song throughout the whole week.  Here is the link if you want to watch it.

Songs

Sally/Alice the Camel- watch it on you tube here.

Sally/Alice the Camel Song
Sally the camel has five humps.
Sally the camel has five humps.
Sally the camel has five humps.
So ride, Sally, ride.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!

Sally the camel has four humps.
Sally the camel has four humps.
Sally the camel has four humps.
So ride, Sally, ride.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!

Sally the camel has three humps.
Sally the camel has three humps.
Sally the camel has three humps.
So ride, Sally, ride.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!

Sally the camel has two humps.
Sally the camel has two humps.
Sally the camel has two humps.
So ride, Sally, ride.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!

Sally the camel has one hump.
Sally the camel has one hump.
Sally the camel has one hump.
So ride, Sally, ride.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!

Sally the camel has no humps.
Sally the camel has no humps.
Sally the camel has no humps.
Cause Sally is a horse, of course.

Tips for Teaching Letter C
It looks like a moon, or a cookie with a bite out of it.

Theme of the Week

We also learned about the seasons this week.  The weather is starting to change where we live so we went on a walk and talked about how the leaves are changing and it's getting colder so now we need jackets.  When we got home we unpacked the fall decorations and put them up together.

This is a link I liked for reviewing the seasons with my son!

Play Dough Mats

We love our play-dough mats.  We use them for a lot of things but this is one of our favorites.  You can download yours here.  

Teething Tips and Tricks

My baby is teething right now.  I thought it might be helpful to share information I learned about teething while earning my BA degree in Dental Hygiene as well as things I have learned about teething from my little ones and being their mommy.

My family and I moved about a month ago.  The only things left to unpack are books so this was not an easy task but I found my old Dental Hygiene book from school and this is what it says.  The book is written in dental terms so i'll translate it into English for you. : )
Signs your baby is teething:

Excessive drooling

Irritability

Change in appetite

Interrupted sleep patterns

Crying

Fever or diarrhea usually are not symptoms and require consultation with a physician to assess the presence of a systemic illness.

When will I see my babies teeth coming in (Erupting)?

 Just FYI these ranges are months...not years.  Your baby will get teeth before they are 8. : )

Top teeth:

Central incisor (2 front teeth): 10 (8-12)

Lateral incisor (2 on the sides): 11 (9-13)

Canine (Vampire teeth, corners): 19 (16-22)

First Molar: 16 (13-19 boys) (14-18 girls)

Second molar: 29 (25-33)

Bottom teeth:

Central incisor: 8 (6-10)

Lateral incisor: 13 (10-16)

Canine: 20 (17-23)

First Molar: 16 (14-18)

Second molar: 27 (23-31 boys) (24-30 girls)

How do I help my baby?

1-Chewing on objects

cold wash cloth, 

Hard, solid teething ring

2-Numbing Solutions

Over the counter numbing solutions are not recommended,  products contain a strong anesthetic that is difficult to control.  It may numb the entire oral cavity and, if swallowed, suppress the gag reflex.

Now, that's what the book says....and it's true but as a mom I want to share some of the things that I have learned a long the way.  One of my boys was really fussy while teething and the other hasn't been too bad...so far.  Remember that all children are unique and will be different.  The first sign, I notice when it comes to teething is the drool.  Isn't he cute, drool and all!

Another way I can tell their are teeth coming, is EVERYTHING goes straight into the mouth!

Other Signs I notice:

Loss of appetite or more picky eating.

THEY LOVE TO CUDDLE! ; ) 

More needy, not necessarily fussy.

I know the book says fevers are not usually symptoms of teething, BUT both of my boys have had low grade fevers when their teeth are erupting.  Maybe it's just coincidence or because they are sucking and chewing of EVERYTHING and get sick.  I'm not 100% sure...just saying!

I have documented some of the things we do to help ease the teething pain.  This will differ depending on what age your baby is when they get their teeth.  Remember you probably know what your child is capable of and which methods will work best for your child.  

Ice Pops

A stick of celery, I like to keep a bag in the fridge.  This is one of my favorites, because it's not too cold for him to hold on his own.

Frozen Bagel...be prepared to clean up a little mess.

Frozen or refrigerated Go-Gurt. 

String Cheese.....he loves to gnaw on it as he eats it....HIS FAVORITE! 

Cold Watermelon...this is a juicy mess (notice no shirt) but he loves it!

He is holding a toothbrush...yes, chewing on it makes him very happy!

Carrots frozen or just cold.

A frozen spoon, or just share some ice-cream and you will both be happy!

If you are worried about your baby choking on small pieces of food, then try putting it in a mesh bag like the one munchkin sells, or a clean sock works as well.

Teething toys can be life savers.  They are my favorite for church or when we are on the go.  Here are a few favorites.

I have used teething tablets and baby orajel, but try to use them as a last resort.  It seems like nights are one of the harder times when it comes to teething so I use Ibuprofen to ease the pain so my little one can sleep.  I hope this helps!  If you have any other thoughts or ideas, I would love to hear them! 

You're Never Alone

As a mom I often times feel like I am running a marathon. I have those moments that are wonderful and all is going well but I also have moments where I get discouraged and I'm grateful to have wonderful friends, family and a Heavenly Father who helps me through them.  This is a great message:

 

Letter B (Bear & Bee)

We focused mostly on bears this week, we also talked about how bears like honey and talked about how bee's make honey.

Books

Polar Bear, Polar Bear What do you Hear? By Eric Carle

Polar Bear, Polar Bear What do you See? By Eric Carle

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? By Eric Carle
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman
Corduroy by Don Freeman

Craft/Art
Make the letter B with beans! All you need is a sheet of paper, glue and beans.

Make a B-b-bee!

Polar Bear or Bear Masks

Fun Facts

Bears hibernate anywhere from 3-6 months depending on how long winter is.

Polar bears are the only bears that don't hibernate.

There are different kids of honey, a few types are "Clover" and "Mountain" honey.  Bee's bring in pollen from different places, if it's from clover fields it's clover honey, if the pollen is brought in from the mountains it's mountain honey. We tasted the different kinds and they are very different from each other.

Game/Activity

Hide teddy bears around the house and have your kids try to find them

Build a fort/"bear cave" and talk about where bears live and hibernation
Make Bugs or go discover them right out side
Play with balloons
Blow bubbles
Take a bubble bath
Play baseball or basketball
Visit a bee farm and see how honey is made

Printables
Coloring Page (8x10)

 Flash Card (4x6)

Tracing Page (8x10)

Bear Snores On Pack  by 3 Dinosaurs

Brown Bear Pack by 1+1+1=1

Snacks 

Gummy bears (sort by color then eat)

Teddy grahams

Bear shaped pancakes

Songs
Download 6 pages of bear songs here. 

Tips to Teaching Letter "B"
I liked this little hint found here.

My little boy had a difficult time remembering the letter B and so we talked a lot about honey bee's and then he remembered that the letter B is just like a bee. 

Theme of the Week
Learning about the Calendar

We took our family calendar off the wall.  Me and my preschooler laid on our tummies on the floor with the calendar in front of us and discussed what the different boxes meant (new days).  We then learned about the days and flipped through the pages and said the months together.  He doesn't KNOW the days and months but he is becoming familiar with them.

We listened to a song here to become familiar with the days of the week.  It's a You-tube video sung to the tune of the Adams family but with the days of the week.  There are a ton of options just go to you tube and type in "days of the week".

Here are some other Ideas for calendars:

  

Magnets on a Cookie Sheet

Print off this page and put it on a cookie sheet along with 20 circular magnets. 

Help your toddler put the magnets over each white circle.  

We practiced counting to 20 as we put the magnets on the letter and animal.