Soccer Season

We’re back in full soccer mode again. This season will mark the end of Audrie’s 5th year in soccer. I can’t believe it’s been that long. My how time flies. If you had asked me 5 years ago if I thought I would be a soccer mom, I would answered, “You’re crazy!” We tried the whole ballet route, and it just didn’t fit. We started Audrie in piano, but it wasn’t enough. We thought she needed something that would involve learning the art of teamwork. Soccer seemed a viable option. So, my husband and I never having played soccer before, signed her up and hoped for the best.

[Audrie’s soccer face]

[Audrie (left) and teammates Lauren and Lindsey who are still with the team]

Her first practice, she cried. Her first game, she cried. I thought I was a bad mom for getting her into this sport that she hated. But she stuck with it, she never cried again, and she loves this sport and her team.

And we love to watch.

xo

nessa dee

Crafty Friday: Warm and Cool Colors

This Crafty Friday is an extension of the color wheels lesson. It shows kids that certain colors convey certain feelings. Warm colors [red. orange, and yellow] convey warmth, happiness, comfort, etc., while cool colors [blue, green, and purple] can create solemn, tranquil, and even sad moods.

Starting off, we played a little game similar to the color wheel game. This time, though, we divided the table into a warm side and cool side

and went on a mission to find objects to fill each side.

Then, using the same concept, we made our own collages of warm and cool colors with construction paper and glue.

For Finn, I just cut out shapes of scenery and let him glue it down.

Audrie managed a scene on her own.

Happy Crafting!

nessa dee

Robot Russian Nesting Doll with an Umbrella in Space

How’s that for a catchy title?

These little guys will be making their way to the shop soon.

xo

nessa dee

IF: Dessert

When I have a garden, I’m planting some of these!

xo

nessa dee

Finnanigans

Mom do you know what this magazine is brought you by? It’s brought you by a ninja lady.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mom, I want to be a policeman for my birthday and I want to have police chains!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finn: That sign says four, five…forty-five.

Me: That’s great! Now what does this sign say?

Finn: Two, five…tooty-five

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dad: Finn, get ready.

Finn: Are we going to a restaurant? [Holding a ladle he wants to bring]

Dad: No, we just had breakfast.

Finn: Are we going to a magic place? [Eyeing a magician’s top hat]

Dad: No.

Finn: [exasperated] Then where are we going?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finn, during a family discussion on dangers kids face:

And if there’s a skeleton attacking your friend, you need to have a sharp sword.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Finn tripped and fell over:

We should put that on Finnanigans!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mom, did God make furniture?

Mom, did God make tools?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finn: Mom, when I get my own phone, when I’m as big as Dad, I’m going to put the love song on it.

Me: What’s the love song?

Finn: You know, [singing] the “love calling, love calling” song.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mom, when I’m as big as Dad, I’m going to use the men’s restroom.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Checking on Finn who was in bed after he’d been sick all morning:

Me: Finn, you feel warm.

Finn: Thanks, Mom! That’s why I laid next to Dad.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Me: Finn, you’re getting so big.

Finn: Yeah, it’s because I’m four and I ate food.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

xo

nessa dee

Crafty Friday: Monsters

I’m running a bit late today. I really had no plan for Crafty Friday today and I was scrambling to find something to do when Finn said, “Let’s make monsters!” So monsters it is.

Here’s what you need:

-a variety of colored paper, felt or material cut into various shapes and sizes

-buttons, pom poms, or googly eyes

-stickers

-ribbon, yarn, fringe

-glue

-scissors

-imagination

I didn’t take the time to snap a lovely staged picture of the craft supplies. Instead, you’re going to get this:

This craft is pretty straightforward. Just have the kids start creating monsters out of the different supplies. They can use simple shapes like circles and squares for the bodies and start layering on hair and eyes, arms and legs until they make a monster they’re proud of. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Here’s Finn’s underwater monster lady and her monster cowboy husband, plus their weenie dog:

Here’s Audrie’s Dr. Seuss-like creation:

Have a great Labor Day weekend and I’ll be back real soon with some new paintings!

xo

nessa dee

A pop of dragon

Here’s Audrie’s vanity all gussied up in a shade called dragon fruit. [It’s missing a drawer pull because I have to find a screw to attach it].

This piece makes quite a statement in an otherwise calm and soothing room. I like it! I think Audrie did a wonderful job of picking out her color combinations. Now I have to finish transforming the chair and paint some artwork for her room, and we can call it complete!

xo

nessa dee