Bath time fun

Recently, I was flipping through my Family Fun Craft book, and I noticed a couple of projects we could do to make bath time more fun for A. The first thing we made was a whale scoop using an empty milk jug, scissors and permanent marker.

After we cleaned it out, I cut some of the top off to make a large mouth for our whale. Then, A gave the whale a face using the marker.

She loves using the scoop to play with the water and to rinse herself off at the end of her bath. Mr. Whale also stores other bath toys when not in use, keeping the bath tub a lot cleaner these days.:)

We've also had some fun with this batch of homemade finger paints. The recipe calls for a bit of dish soap, so they're perfect for bath time.

A makes shapes and letters on the wall--a great educational activity. And the nicest thing about it is that it washes right off when she's done playing with it.

Here's the recipe for you to try:

Homemade finger paints

2 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

2 cups cold water

1/4 cup clear dishwashing liquid

food coloring (for vibrant colors, use food coloring paste)

Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a small pan, then slowly add the water. Cook over low heat, stirring until the mixture becomes a smooth, almost clear gel (about 5 minutes). When the mixture is cool, stir in the dishwashing liquid. Scoop equal amounts into containers and stir in the food coloring. Store in airtight containers.

The chicks meet the outside world...

Our four chicks have been enjoying time outside since last week. Q takes them out on warm days to get used to being out in the garden. They're learning how to dig for food. Once in a while, they find a bug and eat him up!

They seem to be loving it and it is so good for them. They're getting bigger every day, too. Their baby "fluff" is being replaced by adult feathers.

Dorothy (the black chick show here) sometimes finds a way to get out of this small coop that Q put together. She doesn't go very far and eventually runs back inside. The four have become a family and they stick together out there.

Look how big the turken is here! As we have not really settled on a name for her, we've been calling her Turkey Lurky and it seems to fit.

Q will continue taking the chicks out for a few hours during the day time, but at night, they're back inside. He's ordered a real chicken coop that should be here soon. Dorothy, Tinkerbell, Mary Poppins and Turkey Lurky will have fun in there, for sure.;)

Chore pockets

After brainstorming with Q about a chore chart for A, we came up with an easy way for her to remember what to do each day. I decorated large envelopes with photo corners and labeled them as follows: morning chores, evening chores and done. I stuck them onto the wall using sticky-tack. These chore pockets are fun and easy to put together for the young children in your home.

I took pictures of the things she has to do in the morning and at night. Then, I glued them onto scrap booking paper and wrote the description on the back side (just in case we have a sitter and they need to know what each picture means). I then laminated each picture with clear Contact paper.

The morning chore pictures remind A to....

...get up and use the bathroom, eat breakfast, get dressed, brush her hair, brush her teeth and make her bed.

The evening chore pictures remind her to...

...wipe the table and sweep the floor after dinner, clean up her toys/craft projects, put on her pajamas, brush her teeth, and read books, sing and pray with us before lights out.:)

She is doing a great job so far with this new system. Right now we have a couple of incentives for her if she does her chores happily and right away. I have put up an index card next to the pockets that says if she does her chores for seven days, she can have a pair of sunglasses. It's the thing she's been wanting for a while, so we think this is a good way she can earn them. She also loves to vaccuum, even though it is not on her regular chore list. Q told her that she can earn fifty cents each time she vaccuums the back part of our house, up to twice a week (which is three rooms and a short hallway).

We want A to learn how to work hard and obey because God wants us to; it is an important principle to learn. So, we may not always give her a physical reward of some kind, and that's okay. We give her tons of praise in the process and she loves to please with the jobs she's given.

Well worth the wait....

For the past several weeks, Q and I, along with a few others from church have met each Wednesday afternoon to pass out church invitations in different neighborhoods. We go out in pairs and place one of these beautifully printed tracts at each door.

If we see people walking along, we stop to invite them to join us at First Baptist Church. We hadn't seen anyone come as a result of our efforts until last week. For the past two Sundays we have seen a couple of ladies come to our morning service because of the invitation they received at their door. What an encouragement it was to Q and I as we saw the fruit of our labors.

It is so easy to give up and be discouraged when you're out week by week inviting others to your church and witnessing for the Lord. I'm reminded of Galatians 6:9 that says, "And be not weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not."

Keep on keeping on in your efforts for the Lord. In due season, we will reap what we sow!:)

Red Velvet Cake

A surprise birthday party was in the works for a while, and it finally happened. We really surprised our friend, Pat after church Wednesday night. Another lady, Shirley, put all of the refreshments together and Q asked A and I to make the dessert. She and I worked together on a red velvet cake. For a four-year-old, I thought she did well from start to finish. I think her favorite part was putting the frosting and sprinkles on with my help.

Here's a look at our finished creation....

The cake was enjoyed by all. With it's light chocolaty flavor and creamy frosting, it was perfect for everybody's palate.

And best of all, the birthday girl enjoyed her slice, along with the sweet fellowship of friends all around her.

And just in case you want to make this fun birthday cake, here's the recipe. It comes from Better Homes and Gardens Annual Cookbook from 2008.

Red Velvet Cake

3 eggs

3/4 cup butter

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2-1/4 cups sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1 ounce bottle red food coloring (2 tablespoons)

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons vinegar

1 recipe Buttercream Frosting (recipe below)

1. Let eggs and butter stand 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8x1-1/2 inch round baking pans; set aside. (I used two 9-inch pans and it worked well.)

2. In bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; set aside. In mixing bowl beat butter on medium-high 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until combined. Add eggs 1 at a time; beat on medium-high 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until combined. Add eggs 1 at a time; beat on medium after each addition. Beat in food coloring on low.

3. alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to egg mixture; beat on medium-low after each just until combined. Stir together baking soda and vinegar. Add to batter; beat just until combined.

4. Spread in prepared pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until pick inserted near centers comes out clean (cakes may appear marbled). Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Removed from pans; cool.

5. Prepare Buttercream frosting. Place one layer, flat side up, on plate. Spread top with 3/4 cup frosting. Stack layer, flat side up; spread top with 3/4 cup frosting. Stack final layer, flat side down; spread remaining frosting on top and sides. Makes 16 servings.

Buttercream Frosting

In saucepan whisk together 1-1/2 cups whole milk, 1/3 cup flour, and dash salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Transfer to bowl; cover surface with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cooled (do not stir). In bowl beat 1-1/2 cups softened butter, 1-1/2 cups sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla on medium 5 minutes until light and fluffy and sugar is almost dissolved. Add milk mixture, 1/4 cup at a time; beat on low after each until smooth.

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I saw the recipe for these cookies here, I couldn't wait to make them. We had a spring snow on Sunday afternoon which gave me a good excuse to make these with A. We had a great time making these and eating them, too! We shared them with folks at church, neighbors and her teachers at school. You'll love them, too, but note that these cookies are HUGE! You'll probably want to share one with a friend. Enjoy!:)

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla

3-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

10 ounce bag chocolate chips

1 bag Oreo cookies, double stuff (I used the store brand and they still worked great!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a stand or electric mixer cream butter and sugars until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined. Using a cookie scoop, take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an oreo cookie. Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of oreo cookie. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until oreo cookie is enclosed with dough. Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Serve with a tall glass of milk.

Makes about 2 dozen VERY LARGE cookies

This is how the cookies looked after baking....

And this is how one of them looked like after Q bit into it....

Lots of chocolatey goodness! By the way, these taste better warm than cold. :)

A's activity jar

It's been a busy week, as Q and I have been doing respite care for twin brothers since last Friday. They go home tomorrow, and hopefully, I'll be back to blogging more regularly. I've been wanting to share with you something I've been doing with our foster daughter A, which has been a lot of fun and a help, too.

It's called the Activity Jar. Inside this canning jar are strips of paper that each have some kind of activity written on it. I put a label on it with smiley face stickers on the side (I've erased A's name for privacy).

When she has finished her morning chores, she can choose an activity to do. There are some school-type activities, so it's a neat way to get her ready for kindergarten in the fall. She now attends preschool, but when she's home, this jar is a wonderful thing for us to do. Some activities require my help, but there are some that with just a minute or two of prep, she's on her own and busy for a while.

There's usually time to do a couple in the morning before lunch. Sometimes we even do a couple in the afternoon after rest time. The first rule I have is that she at least do an activity for about twenty minutes, even if it is not her favorite. Of course, we have found a few things she really loves, so she spends a lot of time on those. The second rule is that whatever she chooses, that's what we do (unless it requires me to play a game with her and I can't just then because I'm busy prepping a meal or something; then she just chooses something else).

When she gets done with an activity, it goes into another jar. When the activity jar is empty, we put them all back and start over. I've already thought of a couple things to add for the next round to keep it exciting!

Here are a few of the activities I've come up with. I've put a * next to the ones that A really loves.:)

1. Practice writing letters in tablet. *

2. Play dress-up.

3. Put on a puppet show.

4. Make a macaroni necklace. *

5. Type on the computer. *

6. Play with paper/magnetic dolls. *

7. Play with play-dough and cookie cutters. *

8. Play Candy land, Hi-ho cherrio, or Memory. *

9. Paint with watercolor pencils.

10. Do giant puzzles. *

As the weather is getting warmer, I've been thinking about coming up with a jar for outside activities like sidewalk chalk, painting with water, playing soccer, flying a kite, nature walks, bubbles, etc.

Have any of you done something like this? If so, what activities can you suggest for us to add to the jar? I'd love to hear your ideas.:)