Join in the LOVE Flash Mob

Sorry my posting has been nonexistent this week. The end of school gets crazy around here.

I got on the Internet long enough to read Glennon's post on Momastery today and knew I had to join in the Love Flash Mob for Moms fighting cancer.

If you haven't seen this, check it out. I love how Glennon only allows small donations.
Love Flash Mob

I love that I can do a small thing that united with others becomes a huge thing. Thank you Glennon for lifting my spirits today.

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Hogwarts Summer Fun Challenge 2

Have you signed up for the Hogwarts Summer Fun Challenge yet? If not, there is still room!

To participate in this free 8 week program, you just need to sign up! There is no intense commitment and no pressure just lots of fun ideas for summer and the chance to earn some prizes and rewards along the way. Did I mention that it is free?!!

Each week you will receive a list of activities you could do for each Hogwarts Class. For example in Potions you could mix up your own milkshake flavor. For Quidditch you could play a new game like Knock your socks off or Spud! Most of the activity ideas are free or really inexpensive and include items you already have around the house. Usually the activities will take just less than 30 minutes to complete.

Complete a certain number of activities and you will receive a graduation certificate from Hogwarts Summer School. Complete a few more and you will receive an official box of Bertie Bots Beans! The students who earn the highest number of points in each Hogwarts House will receive a wizard wand!

Did I mention that it is completely free! And the prizes will be sent completely free of charge.

Create a magical summer of fun and memories by signing up for the Hogwarts Summer Fun Challenge today!!

The competition will begin on June 9th and will end on August 10th, skipping one week for the 4th of July.

All you need to do to enroll is send an email with the names and ages of each child that would like to enter to:
hogwartssummerfunchallenge@gmail.com

We will respond right away to let you know you have been admitted. Then at the end of May you will receive information about the Sorting Hat Quiz that will place you in the right house and instructions about how to begin. This challenge is going to be so much fun! 

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Our Pioneer Heritage

I recently returned from spending the weekend in Wyoming at Martin's Cove Historic Site. My husband is participating in a Mormon pioneer trek with the youth in our ward this summer. He needed to get some training first and I tagged along since it was our 24th Anniversary.

I love hearing the stories about my husband's amazing pioneer ancestors. I have decided that I need more evidence of our pioneer heritage in our home to inspire our children.

I was impressed with Stefanie Nielsen's use of a bleached oxen skull with their family motto in her new home at Fox Hill. I just didn't think I could do the whole skull thing! You can read about the famous skull here.

I am wondering if I can just get away with this cute oxen pillow!

I love the braided rag rug that I have in my laundry room that I inherited from my Grandmother.

I also love this cute old-fashioned pitcher filled with flowers.

I think I have to buy this print.

10 year old Samuel Gadd carried his little brother, 1 year old Daniel, up Rocky Ridge in a fierce blizzard. Samuel's grave is now in Rock Creek Hollow. My husband is descended from Samuel's little sister Mary Ann Gadd.

I especially loved hearing about the Matriarch of this family--- Eliza Chapman Gadd. She became a widow on the trail, caring for 8 children. She wasn't even a Mormon! Her husband had convinced her to come West with the Mormons after he had been converted to the church in England.

You would think that she would be bitter or disenchanted after enduring the suffering and hardship that the Willie Handcart company had to endure. But she wasn't. As soon as she arrived in Salt Lake, she asked to be baptized.

I love her strength and courage and fortitude. These are qualities I want my daughters to develop. I love this painting because it symbolizes to me the truth that we are who WE are because of the woman who went before us. There is a family tradition that suggests that Eliza was pretty feisty too and that she and Captain Willie butted heads a few times on the trail. I love that part of her too.

This funny story has been passed down in the family.  One time after a heated conversation with Eliza Gadd, Captain Willie was heard to have said, "You can break some mules and saddle 'em and ride' em. Some mules just need to be shot."

Doesn't Eliza sound great?!

Find all the great decor ideas at Latter-Day Home.

Check out this awesome Pioneer Party at the Picket Fence.

I love this! It might be Katie's Birthday party this year! 

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What I Want For Mother's Day

Dear Family,

My favorite gifts for Mother's Day are all about service.

I love it when you pamper me all day long. It feels like you understand how much I do for you and you want to give some of that back. This is what I am looking forward to on Mother's Day on Sunday.

Breakfast in Bed

An extra long time to soak in the tub with a really good book

Homemade Cards or letters from each of you

Dinner cooked by anyone but me! (My cute dad organizes all his sons and son-in-laws to do dinner for all the daughters and daughters-in-law every year.)

Flowers planted in my flower beds. This has become a tradition and I love that you do this for me every year.

The best gifts really are the simplest. 

Thank you for remembering me and all that I do for you. 

I love you, 

Mom

P.S. One gift I do not want this year. 

P.P.S. I don't really want you to spend a lot of money on me because I am in charge of the budget and I haven't really budgeted for Mother's Day Gifts! Pin It

Batik Quilt Squares

We have just finished up learning about the Underground Railroad. I read the students a picture book about slaves who would hide secret clues about the underground railroad and the path to freedom in their quilts. To go along with this unit, I had the students create quilt blocks using a batik process. Since this is another folk tradition, I thought the two things went well together.

I don't have step by step instructions but it is actually very easy.
Simply use a square of white fabric.  You could use a T-Shirt or a handkerchief or even a tote bag. I just ripped a white sheet into squares for my students.

Design your piece. I had my student create images that may have been used as clues in an Underground Railroad quilt: houses, rivers, trees, etc.

Create your simple drawing on the white fabric with Elmer's Gel Glue. Gel glue has a thicker consistency and works well for this project.

Let the glue dry. Then use watered down acrylic paints to cover the square. Cover up everything-- glue and all.

Let the paint dry. Then stick the square into hot water for 5 or 10 minutes. The gel glue will dissolve- leaving the outlines of the picture in white. I love the finished product. This was a fun new art technique to try.

Here is the website where I got this terrific idea.

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End of School QR Code Activity

Why does May always get me thinking about the end of school? I only have 13 days of school left!! Not that I am counting or anything. 

Did you do our fun End of School QR Code Activity with your kids on the last day of school last year? 
If not, you need to do it this year!

I think this has to be my personal favorite post.

When you pick up your child on the last day of school, give him/her your smart phone and some QR codes to scan. Each QR code contains a challenge. When the QR code reader scans the QR code it takes you to a URL with a last day of school challenge. I created ten different challenges in all, but you can give your child the QR codes for just 3 or 5 or 7 or whatever. Choose as many or as few of the challenges as you desire. Here are a few examples of the challenges:

**Note that some of the challenges need to be done while you are still at school or on the way home so be sure and give your child the QR codes as soon as he or she gets in the car. (Or if you won't be picking up your child on his/her last day, just choose challenges that can be done at home.)

All the challenges are listed below. Choose the ones that fit your child.

1. Run through the sprinklers at home.
2. Yell "I am Free!" out the car window on the way home from school.
3. Shake hands with the principal and thank him/her for another great year.
4. Ask your teacher, "Can I please come back to school every day in the summer?"
5. Jump on your school papers while you laugh a crazy laugh.
6. Draw your summer plans on the sidewalk with chalk.
7. Make some homemade lemonade.
8. Cut off some old jeans to make shorts.
9. Break a pencil over your knee with a karate yell.
10. Do some somersaults or cartwheels across your yard.


After your child has completed the chosen challenges, there are five more QR codes that list the possible rewards. You can choose which reward your child can receive. Below are a few sample rewards:

All the rewards are listed below.
1. Go get ice cream.
2. Go to the pool.
3. Make Cookies with Mom.
4. Play catch with Dad.
5. Stay up past your bedtime.

The great thing abut using the QR codes and a free QR code scanner on an smart phone or tablet is that they are in black and white and you don't need to use any colored ink to print them out. (*I use the app Qrafter Pro but there are lots of great QR code readers out there.)  Print out all 15 QR codes here then choose which ones you want your child to do.

If you don't have a smart phone or tablet, I have included access to all the challenge and reward pictures without QR codes here.

I hope you enjoy celebrating in a fun and unique way on your child's last day of school!


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Letter of the Week {Zz}

This is our final post in our letter of the week series. You can find our posts for the other letters of the alphabet here.  Remember that you do not need to do everything. Just pick and choose one or two activities to introduce the Letter Z to your child.


Books for the Letter Z

Snack Ideas

Little Debbie Zebra Cakes

Zoo Mix

Or for a healthier option- Zucchini Muffins

I love this idea from the Munchie Mom to make a little zoo on your child's plate with pretzels and animal crackers. The Zoo letters are cut out of bread using alphabet letter cookie cutters. 

Crafts

 Zebra Craft- Cut out the White Letter and then let the kiddos glue on the black stripes. 

Here is a great idea from the Measured Mom for making a Zero Picture. Just use a milk jug lid or other round object for a creating a picture of zeroes. 

Making the Letter Z with pipe cleaners. 

Activities

The Measured Mom has created a super fun Zoo sensory play bin using popsicle sticks fences, beans and rice and plastic animals. Kids can use the large bin for building their own zoo and designing different habitats for each animal.

I love this idea from Strong Start Preschool. Using the book Good Night, Gorilla create some matching cages from shoe boxes to hold small stuffed animals or plastic animal figurines. Then kids can match the color of the key with the color of the cage to free the animals. I love this funny story about a gorilla who sneaks the keys from the zoo keeper and releases all the animals who follow him home at the end of the day and pile into his bedroom to spend the night! Find all the details here.

I love this idea from Pinterest for the Zig Zag Race Track. Line up some match box cars and have the kids race down the zig zag track drawn on butcher paper to the finish. This is great for fine motor skills and is super fun in the process.

Games and Songs
Check out these fun ideas from How to Run a Home Day Care.

I love this Zoom song. You could even make some toilet paper roll rockets to go with the song as you do the actions.

Here are some cute ones from No Time for Flash Cards

I also love the Z adaption for the Hokey Pokey! I love when you can get littles ones to move as they learn. Find the instructions for the song at the link above for How to Run a Home Daycare. I love that the kids hop on all the corners of the Z as they sing the song.

I also love putting three kids together to spell the letter Z with their bodies.

Find your Letter Z Printables at the Links Below:

Tracing Pages

Alphabet Flash Cards



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