Kid Stuff | Love, Laughter, and Life

June 6, 2016
by Angie Leave a comment

Come, Have Tea with Me!

The inside of one of the barracks at Fort Simcoe

Do weekends go faster and seem busier than the rest of the week, or is it just me?

Pull up a cup of your favorite tea and let’s chat. I am drinking PG Tips with a tiny swirl of honey in the bottom. If I really wanted to be reminded of my visits to England, I would add a dash of milk and use raw sugar instead. Delish!

Here’s what I’d share with you about my weekend:

On Friday, I went grocery shopping. This is only worth mentioning because of the crowds! It was insane. But I did have my pint-sized helper, Miss Khloe. She assisted me as we grazed our way through Costco.

Nana with her 5 grands, from 5 weeks to 7 years-old.

The Quantrells took Fort Simcoe by storm on Saturday for a birthday plus a birthday plus a graduation picnic day. It was very nice, but it turned into a HOT day as the temps kept rising. We were done by 1, back in the cars, and on the road seeking AC. We enjoyed hanging out together. Nana especially loved having the grands in one spot, though it only lasted for 5 minutes. And then they were off and running.

Saturday was a free National Park Day, so we wanted to take advantage of the special day by visiting Fort Simcoe. You can read more about Fort Simcoe here.

We saw:

– a passel of squirrels, rolling and tumbling all over each other

– no snakes (Amen)

– no bears (double-Amen)

– cows (yes, cows – and plenty of cow-pies, ick!)

– old buildings

– 2 springs

– canons

– a tiny museum

– a parade of Model T’s that also traveled out to Fort Simcoe for a picnic

– a park worker in a golf cart chasing away the poopy-cows who wanted to graze (and poop) on park grounds

– the location of my son and daugther-in-laws’ wedding

On Sunday, we continued our celebration of graduates at church with a relaxed gathering where we viewed photos, chatted, and shared cake.

Our beautiful graduates!

My honey and I went on a lunch date. This was followed by relaxing in a cool theater and watching a movie. We migrated home, dodging the heat, and stayed inside and under shade. Temps were in the triple digits, so there was no working outside or going for a walk. Nope.

Back-to-work Monday has arrived. Triple digit temps are in the works as I type. I think I hear the beach calling me, if only it weren’t 5 hours away.

Thanks for stopping by. I’ve so much enjoyed tea with you.

Lavender from my garden and a tea cup we received as a wedding gift (31 years ago)

What did you do during the weekend? I’ll make another cup and you can tell me about your weekend.

June 3, 2016
by Angie Leave a comment

Mother Bruce ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Funny and adorable book!

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

Mother Bruce

By Ryan T. Higgins

(Hyperion, 2015)

I’m sure you’ve heard of Old Mother Goose. Or you’ve seen a goose trailed by a parade of her goslings. This is not a story about Mother Goose.

Or maybe it is. Except Mother Goose is a he, not a she. And his name is Bruce. Bruce is a bear.

Bruce jumps from the frying pan and into the fire of motherhood after the goose eggs he had collected hatch on the stove while he is gathering firewood.

Bruce, Mr. Grumpy himself, does everything he can to get rid of the goslings. But alas, he is stuck being Mother. Bruce.

Mother Bruce is funny and clever. I loved it!

KID KANDY:

Play Bear, Bear, Goose

Have you heard of Duck, Duck, Goose?

This is the same game, only the one who is IT should tap others on their heads and say “Bear, Bear, Bear, Bear, . . . Goose!” The goose should chase IT around the outside of the circle until he/she reaches the empty spot and sits down. Then goose becomes IT.

Bear, Bear, Goose is an outdoor (or a gym) game. So invite those friends, make a big circle, choose someone to be IT, and have fun!

May 31, 2016
by Angie Leave a comment

Strictly NO Elephants ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

From exclusivity to welcoming – great read!

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

Strictly NO Elephants

By Lisa Mantchev

Illustrated by Taeeun Yoo

(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2015)

And the sign means NO elephants!

A young boy has a pet elephant. The trouble with having a pet elephant is that no one else has one and it’s hard to fit in.

Come Pet Club Day, he decides to take his pet elephant. Instead of welcome, he is met with a sign that reads “Strictly NO Elephants.”

The friends leave, unwelcome and unwanted. As they wander the sidewalks, they notice a girl with a pet skunk. Her pet is unwelcome, too!

Relieved to have found common ground, the two new friends decide to start their own pet club, one where EVERYONE is welcome!

Strictly NO Elephants is a great read!

I love this book about welcoming everyone instead of being exclusive. What a nice lesson to share with young children! (This book does not sound like a lesson, never fear. Fun story.)

KID KANDY:

Draw Your Dream Pet

Materials: paper, crayons, markers, pencils

1. Brainstorm. What kind of pet do you wish you had? Pretend that your pet could be ANYTHING at all. Even a made up pet. What would you like to have?

2. Draw your pet. Don’t forget the head, body, legs (does it have legs?), tail (does it have a tail?), eyes, hair or fur, and all of the other body parts.

3. What is your pet? What is its name? I’d love to see a picture.

Wouldn’t it be fun to make up your own pet with a friend?

Thanks for stopping by. If you know someone else who would love to read a great book and enjoy a KID KANDY project, please share this blog with them. Thank you!

May 26, 2016
by Angie Leave a comment

The Cow Who Climbed a Tree ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

The cow who climbed a tree!

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

The Cow Who Climbed a Tree

Story and Illustrations by Gemma Merino

(Albert Whitman & Company, 2015)

Aha! Who wouldn’t love a cow who climbed a tree?

And why would this cow climb a tree anyway? Really? Just picture it.

The Cow Who Climbed a Tree is a wonderfully illustrated book about a cow who was insatiably curious. About everything.

Her sisters? They were only interested in grass.

But this cow had more exciting things on her mind. What about this? Or that? Why not this?

One could say that this cow, Tina, had a great and wondering imagination, to which her sisters always replied with scorn: Impossible, ridiculous, nonsense.

But The Cow Who Climbed a Tree did not give up.

I love this story about a cow who kept dreaming and exploring and doing in spite of the lack of belief from those around her. I think young readers will be encouraged to hold onto and follow their dreams regardless of what others think.

Go, Cow!

KID KANDY:

Climb a Tree

(If you don’t have a tree, paint one with watercolors! I fell in love with the illustrations in this picture book. Paint me a tree like Gemma did!)

Head outside and find a strong, tall tree. Make sure you have good pants and a shirt on to protect your knees and skin.

Climb that tree! Pretend you are Tina, a cow, and you are going to climb that tree. Of course you don’t have a tail or cloven hooves, but you can pretend!

Look for finger and toe holds. Rest against the trunk and sitting on top of branches. Watch out for pitch – it’s very sticky. See how high you can get before you are too far.

Was it fun?

I used to be a champion tree climber. I’ve put holes in many a pair of pants from stray branches and broken off bits. And it was never as easy getting down as it was getting up. So do be careful.

May 25, 2016
by Angie Leave a comment

A child is…

Reblogged on WordPress.com

Source: A child is…

May 24, 2016
by Angie Leave a comment

Stars ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Stars

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

Stars

By Mary Lyn Ray

Illustrated by Marla Frazee

(Beach Lane Books, 2011)

I love shapes! Stars are one of the first shapes that children learn to identify. Stars and hearts.

This beautiful picture book is about stars.

Stars tells about stars – the shape, the stars in the sky, the stars in your hand, and the way stars can be used to have fun. A star can make you a sheriff, a princess, or a magical fairy with a wand.

But what about other stars? Flower stars that become favorite fruits, frozen stars that give us snow, and paper stars that mark special days are all different kinds of stars that mean something wonderful is going to happen!

Readers will love the creative imagination and ideas about stars they find in Stars.

KID KANDY:

Make Stars

Stars are sort of difficult to make, but once you learn how, they are fun and easy.

Materials: paper, scissors, markers, glitter glue, scrap paper, sticks, tape, ribbon

Here is how you draw a star.

How to draw a 5-pointed star

Or you can cut out 2 triangles, put one upside down on the other, and make a different star!

How to make a 6-pointed star with 2 triangles

Cut out and decorate your star. I always love to add glitter glue to make things sparkle and shine!

What can you do with a star?

– Tape your star to a stick for a wand or decoration.

– Display your star on the fridge.

– Give your star to a friend.

– Make a hat or crown with your star.

– Put your star on the calendar to mark a special day (your birthday?).

– Hang several stars on ribbon to make a wall decoration.

Have a starry day!

May 23, 2016
by Angie Leave a comment

Decorated Metal Tins ~ How to Use Those Empty Altoid and Ice Chip Tins

The top cover of my decorated tin

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

I joined a group of ladies to make these pretty prayer boxes last weekend.

I recently attended the Columbia Basin Baptist Association’s Annual Women and Teenage Girls’ Retreat at Camp Touchet, just outside of Dayton, Washington. What a beautiful, if somewhat remote and out of cell coverage zone, location!

Much fun was had Friday night when our craft lady and photographer shared her idea and supplies with us. We made these fun prayer boxes!

Of course, the boxes could be used for anything, but we were at a retreat that featured prayer, so our boxes were prayer themed.

So make use of those empty Altoid or Ice Chip metal tins and create to your hearts’ content.

The top and bottom of my tin

Decorated Metal Tins

Materials:

empty metal tins

spray paint

decorated scrap paper

scissors

pencils

thin-tipped permanent markers

craft glue

washi tape

buttons, ribbon, stickers, gems, glitter glue, and assorted embellishments

1. In advance, spray paint the outside of the tin, including top, bottom, and sides. Let dry.

2. Trace the tin bottom on decorated scrap paper. Cut it out and trim to fit. You can use this as a template for the bottom, top, and inside top of the tin. Glue in place with craft glue.

3. I loved the look of the washi tape, so I edged the top and bottom with washi. It doesn’t stick very well around the corners by itself, so I need to glue down the corners.

4. Add buttons, butterflies, stickers, or any embellishments you want. Make a decorated label for the lid to tell what the tin is for. Glue to top.

5. I also decorated the inside of the lid. You can see the little poem that we included in our lids.

6. I left the bottom empty, but added small pieces of paper for notes and a short pencil (our craft person found them on Amazon – just search for mini mechanical pencils).

The inside poem, note paper, and pencil

Et voila! You are ready to take notes, write down thoughts, pen tiny masterpieces, or scribe prayers.

How are you going to use this craft idea? I think it would be great for a camp project!

May 18, 2016
by Angie Leave a comment

Little Red Gliding Hood ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Doesn’t that title sound vaguely familiar?

Little Red Gliding Hood

Story by Tara Lazar

Pictures by Troy Cummings

(Random House, 2015)

Little Red’s skates are worn out and ready to fall apart. Without her trusty skates, she won’t be able to visit Grandma every Sunday. But the upcoming skating competition first prize is a pair of brand new gold skates!

Little Red is a great skater, but she doesn’t have a partner. Everyone else is matched up, but who will Little Red find to join her for the competition?

Fairy tale characters and stories abound in this fractured tale. Readers will laugh and enjoy the antics of Little Red and her friends as she finds an unexpected partner. Dare we say the bad guy turns good?

Delightful text and imaginative illustrations come together to make one great picture book. Both adults and children will love Little Red Gliding Hood.

KID KANDY:

Make Up Your Own Silly Fairy Tale

1. Choose a favorite fairy tale. Think of the characters and the problems they encounter in the story.

2. Now, choose one thing to change. You can:

– change a name

– change the problem

– change the setting (where the story takes place)

– add new characters

– mix two fairy tales together

3. Make up your own fairy tale.

4. Tell your new silly fairy tale to a friend or a sibling. Did they laugh?

Storytelling is fun, isn’t it?

May 16, 2016
by Angie Leave a comment

Ask for Help, And It Will Be Given

Great flyers from WMU and my friends in the Preschool Resources Department

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

Ask (for help) and it will be given.

This weekend I will be presenting two breakout sessions about writing at a retreat. I’m very excited to attend and enjoy the retreat, as the past couple of years my schedule has not allowed me to go.

Besides sharing with women, I was invited to bring my books. Isn’t that nice? Of course I’d love to bring my books.

The problem was that I didn’t have any up-to-date flyers or informational handouts.

What does Angie do? She contacts the professionals (and her good friends) at Woman’s Missionary Union.

I asked and boy, did I receive.

We back-and-forthed messages for quite a few days. And because there was a tiny break in their schedule of deadlines, my friends were able to put together several lovely pieces for me to use.

The flyers and posters look so lovely and colorful, I just had to share . . . though it is odd and a bit disconcerting to see so many me-faces staring back!

Thank you, Clay, Teri, Robin, and Joye! You ROCK! You also made me look good. We can never underestimate the value in that now, can we?

May 14, 2016
by Angie Leave a comment

Fun with Friends – A Look Back in Time

LOOK! We both had more hair! Ah, the good old days. . .

A recipe for fun: Take a good measure of great friends, a scoop of laughter, a cup of silliness, 5 T. of craziness, a dash of daring, and add to this a mud pit and questionably upright 3 (or 4)-wheelers, and you have a guaranteed over-the-top serving of fantastic fun!