HapyGirl

I'm so sorry about your cat Buttercup

Welcome to Mrs-S

Good Morning/Afternoon to everyone and pick up around here. School doesn't start until Aug 31 here so a bit more of the kids here all day to enjoy before they go back.

Welcome Peg!

Well DH got a job while he looks for a job in his field. He's driving a cab for Yellow Cab. It will make up the difference between the help my family is giving us and our expenses so at least we won't go bankrupt just yet. It is so frutrating that a man with 7 yrs of experience can't get a job that will pay the bills! Recovering economy my behind! I am trying to stay hopeful but a part of me is scared to death he is out of the tech field. At least they can't export this job to the third world!

Hi there and Welcome!

Welcome!

Welcome to Mrs-S

Buttercup she may not like it now but she WILL thank you later

Last post from Mountain Mommy on her site was 7/1 and her DH was home and able to walk, hopefully he's still recovering slowly at home.

Happy Birthday Nana!!!

My kids were sick of summer, and pestering me saying "I'm bored" too many times a day. The weren't able to come up with enough activities on their own, so I decided to help them out. I got a coffee can, covered it with contact paper and had them decorate it with stickers. Then I made up a list of activities they could do with me or with each other. Some for everyday, and some I put in an envelope for the weekends. Now when they want something to do they just go to the jar and everyone picks one. Then they do all 4. Some are things I normally restrict like extra t.v. and video game time, others are craft activities they might not think of on their own. SO far it's been a HUGE hit. My boys Asperger's syndrome makes it hard for them to want to try new things so this is actually therapy for them Here's a list of the activites so you can try it! Some of them come from 2 books I have called 365 days of creative play- Sheila Ellison and Judith Gray, and 365 things to make and do by Vivienne Bolton. Paint with tempera paint and brushes Go Fish Dolls Bean Bags Invite a friend over to play TODAY Pretend restraunt Pretend store Build a house of cards “louder, softer” sing a song use whiteboad to underline words to whisper or shout Sentances on a whiteboard- say funny- loud, soft, squeaky, silly 20 Questions Flash cards Chess Checkers Backgammon Ocean Pick up Pairs Quiddler Gin Rummy Make a newspaper hat Wading Pool- fill and splash! Watercolor YMCA park Grocery shopping with mom Make a mask Go find some ants and watch them for 15 min “Silly Walk” Walk like mom says, High, low, like an animal “Blind walk” Shut eyes and lead someone around and try to guess Foil drawing with qtip p. 209 creative play Play Chutes and Ladders Play Skip Bo Play Candyland Make music with bottles and water Write a story together Sneaky Pete Make homemade maracas and play! Pick an activity from a book “I spy” Go on a walk and collect “treasures” Make a picture using a hole punch Start a pretty rock jar Play with shaving cream- color and use as finger paint Rake the leaves into a pile and jump in Play pretend toy hospital Dance Play Freeze and Melt- p. 72 365 days of creative play Make paper bag puppets Make paper bag costumes “Simon says” “Shadow Tag” Tag Hide and Seek “Walk like the Animals” p. 96 365 creative play Balloon play- keep it in the air as long as you can Make rice crispy treats Play “copy cats” Try to mimic the other person and take turns making faces Sidewalk Chalk pictures Playdough Go to the store and buy a plant and put it in the garden Read the comics Run through the sprinklers Milkshake Make Pudding Make Jello Help mom set the table for dinner Play with mom with tube and matchbox cars Cloud gazing Make bookmarks, decorate and laminate them Make paper flowers Make paper dolls and clothes Climb outside Draw Write a poem- mom will help Come up with a new ending to a story Make a crayon rubbing of leaves or other small objects Make a bottle tornado Get a treat at the store next time we go Connect 4 Make a pipe cleaner sculpture Make a colored wire sculpture Juggle balls or beanbags Make a paper doll theater Coloring Books Make a collage Make a mosaic Blow Bubbles Go outside and slide Go outside and play catch Play dodge ball Play hopscotch outside- use chalk to make hopscotch Play marbles Play Mother May I outside Go sit outside and read for 15 min Read inside for 15 min Screen time of your choice for 30 min Watch a movie! Make popcorn or another treat Bake cookies Make brownies Make Popsicles and eat them tomorrow Pokemon Monopoly Master Trainer Battleship Twister Labyrinth Bill Ding with Mom Crashing Cars Dress Up Pretend of your choice Make a picture with finger paint Listen to music for 30 min Play music for 15 min with instrument Mom gives you Play with water table in the backyard Play in sandbox Pick up sticks Play with toy train set Build with Blocks Build with Legos Build with K’nex set! Build with Lincoln logs Pet the cats Sit and Spin Magnets 30 min screen time Upwords Pose a person Crossword Puzzle Sponge painting Tissue paper collage Connect the dots Carpet squares Play with scarves Make Paper Animals Pick something from the “rainy day box” Trouble Hi Ho Cheerio Perfection Battleship Dinosaur floor puzzle Cash Flow for kids Dominoes Uno Puzzle with Puzzle mat Magnadoodle Hula Hoops Rescue Heroes Light Sabers Make a box car and go for a spin Make a box rocket and blast off into outer space Make a box house and have a party Pretend Restaurant and have a real tea party String Beads Invite someone over for a sleepover Chase Talk with a friend on the phone Have a sing along Write an email Make a card to send in the mail Puzzle Board game of your choice with mom Cards 30 min computer time Play with matchbox cars Pillow fight Go ride your bike/tricycle Play catch Go for a walk with mom to Clay st park Swing outside Build a indoor fort Make a necklace or bracelet Have an indoor picnic Play in the tent- have mom help you Read a book for 15 min together Jump on the mini trampoline Jump rope Play memory Play with the drums Computer time Watch a DVD movie Watch a Videotape Movie Watch 30 min T.V. – you choose time Sidewalk shadows Make a food sculpture with spread Make up a nonsense story Make a paper chain Take a soccer ball to the Y field and kick it around Pick a science experiment and we’ll do it together. Ask for help. Make a piñata Switch roles for the day- you be the parents and we’re the kids! Weekend Projects Roller skate Bowling Family Fun Center Go to the pool and go swimming! Make Sundaes together Lithia Park Stream Lithis Park playground Garfield Park Ice Skating Bird Watching at Willow Wind Have a potluck 365 days of creative play p. 155 Space Weaving Pretend to be an animal Make trailmix Make an obstacle course from 365 things to make and DO book- Make a plate Build a pretend garden on a plate Make a bird feeder Decoupage a box with leaves or pictures cut out of a magazine Make a leaf picture Make paper Make ink Make twig furniture Dry flowers Fragrant Plaques from salt dough Decorate a pot, and Pot a houseplant Make lunch together- step by step Make a foil picture frame together Make candy Make a napkin holder and paint it Make placemats and stamp paint them Paint a vase with glass paint Make fridge magnets Opposite world day Make a pillow for your bed Make friendship bracelets Make oven bake clay brooches Make a mobile Make a mail holder Paint a hand mirror Make Beads Make gift boxes and decorate Make pop up cards Make a boat and go sail it in the water table Decorate a pair of shoes with fabric paint Make a scrapbook Paint a rock paperweight Make a seashell treasure box Make your own bowling pins Make a blow soccer board and play Make a cloth doll Decorate a juice can to make a pencil holder Make a treasure/ toy box using a cardboard box- paint it. Make a decorated trash can for your room Make a picture using yarn Disco Ball Planetarium Make a time capsule as a family Stargazing Have a treasure hunt with map and everyone finds clues to find the “buried” treasure Fossil Hunt! Go to Science works, or make your own! Go to the library Make homemade butter Visit a local farm Slip and slide Make a clay sculpture Make a photo family tree together Make a magic wand Make confetti eggs p.189 creative play Plant tulips or other bulbs together in late fall Family Game Day Make your own movie with camera Make a “magic movie” box p.203 creative play Go on a hike and find a walking stick. Decorate it. Make a scrapbook page for your scrapbook Come up with a list of your 10 favorite activities Make gloop Make playdough Make a volcano! Water balloons J Make smores Make a Family T-shirt with paint and sponges Go Camping Homemade Quiddich from Family Fun Magazine

That is aggravating isn't it! I solved that problem at our house, DH and I use a Sonicare , and the kids each keep theirs in their own cup on the counter.

Welcome home! What a marvelous experience you had

That is a relief! Hopefully Fran will continue to amaze them

Good to see you

I cut my dryer sheets in half! They work just as well to cut down on static and they still make the laundry soft and smell nice. I saved the bones from the turkey I roasted to make stock with.

I'll have to save this list, I have been wanting to read some fiction lately after all the Asperger's syndrome books I've had to read in the past year I am ready for a diversion. The next book I am going to read is Eragorn, it's a book about a dragon I'm going to read out loud to the kids.

Thanks Hill, I bookmarked it for future reference for someday when I can garden again!

Awesome work there boss

Yay! Good job

Cat Hope DD heals fast and I'm glad she got through her surgery o.k. My best friend had that same kind of surgery and it takes awhile to heal.