JDaniel4s Mom

Spring Craft- Recycled Daffodil

March 4, 2014 By Deirdre

Spring is still a few weeks away, but after all the snow, ice and freezing temperatures it was time to create a recycled daffodil spring craft. We needed something bright and cheerful to put on our refrigerator. Daffodils remind me of spring. Their bright yellow petals just seem to symbolize the warmth and sunshine associated with spring. What Continue Reading

{Snacks for Kids} Kings Cake Recipe

March 2, 2014 By Deirdre

A preschool teacher shared this snack for kids Kings Cake recipe with me. Her students loved this sweet snack on Fat Tuesday in honor of Mardi Gras. JDaniel and I decided to try it out. I wanted to see if my kindergartner could complete the steps to make this fun snack. It was no surprise that he did a great job. He was able to do every step except Continue Reading

Getting Picky Eaters to Try New Foods: St Patrick Loves Veggies

February 28, 2014 By Deirdre

This post originally appeared as a guest post on The Iowa Farmer's Wife. Some children love to eat whatever you put in front of them. Some children find one or two things they love to eat and make them their go to foods. Some children used to eat everything and then decided to stop eating foods they had previously loved for months. There are still Continue Reading

My Mom Is So Much Like Him

February 26, 2014 By Deirdre

My mom is like my son. I never put that together in my mind before my mom got sick and the doctors found cancer in the her pancreas. Now as I spend time helping to care for her, I can see it. We had wondered how we ended up with an extrovert who has always wanted to do things his way and in his own time. My mom was always so independent Continue Reading

Homemade Playdough in Dr Seuss Colors

February 26, 2014 By Deirdre

A simple homemade playdough recipe is such great thing to have on hand for those times when you get inspired explore Dr. Seuss colors in dough or any other concept or color at all. Just last week that is just what happened to me. My son and I were working on a Dr Seuss shape activity featuring Thing One and Thing Two when I decided that Continue Reading

Kids Science: Egg Carton Catapult

February 25, 2014 By Deirdre

There is just something wonderful about kids, science, and an egg carton catapult. JDaniel and I took a homemade egg carton catapult out to the ramp in front of our shed and flung acorn after acorn into the air. Some covered a great distance and others barely made it out of the red plastic spoon we used as a lever. Before I share more about what Continue Reading

Cat in the Hat Math Activity Mats

February 23, 2014 By Deirdre

The Cat in the Hat 3 Dice Mat is fun to take out for Dr. Seuss's birthday or anytime you are exploring his books. Making math fun and trying a children’s book is something I have always tried to do. After creating the hat mat with circles on every stripe for a patterning activity, I just couldn’t stop myself from creating a roll-and-cover math Continue Reading

Crafts For Kids- Penguin Craft with Torn Paper

February 21, 2014 By Deirdre

The ideas for craft for kids come from everywhere. I have my eyes open for them when I am out and about all day long. This penguin craft with torn paper came from seeing a very similar craft hanging outside a kindergarten classroom at my school. It was super cute! I just knew we need to make one at home.Tearing paper for large sections of the Continue Reading

Dr Seuss Shape Activity

February 18, 2014 By Deirdre

While looking through a book that contains a collection of Dr. Seuss stories, I got the idea for this Dr.Seuss Shape Activity. I am not sure why. Dr. Seuss' illustrations are filled with fluid curves and fun bending lines. When I looked at Thing One and Thing Two, I saw ovals, circles, squares, and Continue Reading

How to Make Russian Tea

February 16, 2014 By Deirdre

Do you know how to make Russian Tea? I had never made it before JDaniel and I made it recently. I remember one of my college roommates bringing jars of Russian tea from home. Her mom made it all the time. She drank it both cold and hot. While I am pretty sure that a tea mixture made with Tang, ice tea mix, lemonade mix, and a few other ingredients Continue Reading

Snow Day Fun for Kids

February 12, 2014 By Deirdre

Two weeks ago we got 1/2 inch of snow and JDaniel was thrilled. I shared how much he enjoyed that snowfall in a post called A Little Snow Equals Big Joy.Yesterday the first of two snowstorms arrived and dumped 4 inches on snow. We had such fun playing on our snow day.JDaniel sat in my lap as I sat on a kitchen chair staring into the backyard. (He Continue Reading