The Inadvertent Farmer

Addition Twister! Math Fun and Games

May I just start by saying that I am for the very first time posting this from away from home!  We are at an indoor water park and have been since yesterday...isn't technology just grand?  Heck I almost feel like Pioneer Woman posting from one of her swell trips...well almost.  Except that I don't go on book signing tours, or live on a cattle ranch, or have lovely red hair, or would ever take pictures of calf testicles...besides that I feel just like her!

Sweet Girl is learning her addition facts.  All the wonderful combination that make 10...which in an of itself if I must admit rather boring.  We decided to spice it up a bit...

I cut out two sets of numbers from 0 to 10 then we glued them onto some colorful construction paper.  The name of each number was written on them and Sweet Girl has started to color and decorate them.

Next lay out all the numbers...

Touch two number that equal ten. 7 + 3...yep!

0 + 10 is perfect!

Even the little guy joins the fun with a little help.  Good job baby 9 + 1 is TEN!

Good thing you have long legs girlie!

Addition doesn't have to be boring...and the fun is contagious!

A big brother could just resist joining the fun!

Very good adding, 5 + 5 does equal 10!  All that college is paying off...

Yes using your head and feet work!

His enthusiasm knows no bounds...notice the little eyes watching!

The kids even figured out that if they held up their ages that they too equal 10...good job guys!

The kids just had a blast and by the end Sweet Girl knew all the combination of numbers that add up to ten!

Next Big Brother turned over all the cards and made it into an addition memory game...much more challenging but again great fun!

Now I'm off to go play in the water with my two littlest kiddos...the big ones baled on me.  Darn kids, they just couldn't bring themselves skip work to play with me on the water slides.  So when did they learn to be all responsible and stuff?

One final thought.  I am here with my sweet hubby.  I love him dearly but he has one considerable flaw...he has not gained even one pound since I've known him.  I on the other hand have birthed 6 babies and have gained a pound or two...or twenty.  May I just state here for the record...it is NOT fair.

My thighs second that!

Back to Basics Scrap Art 101 supplies

There are so many projects that you can do with kids.  From yarn crafts to wood crafts to beading and stamping to paint projects...

The list is simply endless!

But sometimes it is great to just let them use their imagination...no boundaries...no plan!

I keep some basic art supplies on hand for my kids (big and small) to use...

   

A basket full of bits of fabric and scrapbooking paper.

Left over bits of felt...

A carrying basket with scissors both plain and fancy edges, rulers, stick glue, and paper punches...

My kids LOVE paper punches!

I also keep a various supply of stickers.  Wooden craft sticks and stencils are added and you might get something like this...

Fabric dress, paper shoes and head, crayon drawn arms and legs...

Crayon curls, marker face, felt hat and bow...paper pet owls!

The flower is made of scrapbook paper, craft stick stem, felt leaves and a left over plastic Easter egg that got stepped on!

And even though well thought out and organized crafts like these are wonderful...

Sometimes just letting creativity flow is the order of the day!

 

So go and make some scrap art...it'll do your imagination some good!

*****

Oh and I almost forgot...

Every kids needs a big bucket of crayons, makers, and colored pencils! I have long since given up trying to keep them orderly and in their boxes...no I just let them throw them in a big blue bin. We have had the same blue bin since my big boys were little...yes I have issues with hanging onto things.

Speaking of colored pencils and boxes...

Mama has her very own set...and don't even ask if you can use them!

Mama has shared her body, her bed, her shoulders, her laundry room, her toilet, her sanity, and her very soul with these kids...

She does NOT share her colored pencils...period!

So don't even go there...

 

And speaking of imaginations...don't forget to join us for our children's gardening contest! Fun for all and prizes too!

Kids Spring Easter yarn egg Craft Bumble Bee tutorial

As a beekeeper's wife I have a soft spot for the little buzzing creatures that do so much for our gardens.

As promised yesterday here is a fun easy craft for kids and grownups alike.

 

Supplies:

Plastic Eggs in yellow (other colors will work but I used yellow in case any showed through the yarn)

Yarn in yellow and black

Waxed paper (wings)

Black chenille sticks (pipe cleaners for antenna) 

Hot glue gun (optional but helpful)

Glue

Small black buttons

Step 1

Determine how long you want your piece of fishing line for hanging your bee to be.  Cut.  Then tie a good sized knot in one end.  Place the knotted end between the two halves of your plastic egg.  Snap shut, this will be your hanging line.

Step 2

This is the part I did with the glue gun, you can use regular glue but I wanted this part to dry fast so I knew the kids wouldn't pull it when they were wrapping yarn.

Make a small swirl of yarn with your fingers leaving a long tale of yarn for wrapping, place hot glue on the rounded end (not the more pointed end) of your egg.  Place your little swirl of yarn on the glue.  This will be the face end of your bee.

Step 3

Place glue around your egg and the start wrapping your tail of yarn around your egg.

Cut your black yarn when you get the desired amount of black applied.  Make sure your cut ends are on the bottom of your bee.

Add more glue and start yellow where the black left off on the bottom of your bee.

Keep alternating until you get to the end of your bee and it is completely covered with  yarn.

 

Step 4

Cut out 4 wings from waxed paper.  Put a small dot of glue at the bottom of two of the wings and place another wing on top.  You now have two double wings.  Make a small fold at the bottom of the wings and use this to slip between two rows of yarn. Put a small dot of glue and then move the yarn back.

Step 5

Cut your pipe cleaners the length you want and shape.  Make a tiny bend in the end and slip between your yarn where you want the antenna to be.  I used a dot of hot glue to hold but you could use regular glue as long as you make sure they stay in place until dried.  Bring the yarn back together.

Step 6

Place your buttons on the face for eyes using glue. Add a ribbon if you like for a girl bee

Step 7

Hang your new little bees!

My kids had a great time making these with their friends...I'm sure yours will too!

 

And if you have any extra yarn you could always make some sheep!

Do it yourself Chalkboard Paint furniture Craft Tutorial

If any of you hang around here much you realize that I am completely enamored with chalkboard paint.  My family teases me that if they were to sit in one place too long that I might take my brush to them...which could be a bit of an exaggeration...

A bit.

Well this is the tale of a dresser that my husband had loaded into our van to take to the local Goodwill center.  He was tired of it in his garage.

When his back was turned I took it out and hid it away.

While he was at work I did this to it...

Lovely isn't it?  Plywood and fake wood veneer really turns me on, lol!  Nothing that a coat (or two...or three) can't fix.

Looking better already...

I had not originally planned on painting the back...

But when I looked and saw that it had what looked like two canvases on it I could not resist...I had an idea!

After three coats of paint that were allowed to dry thoroughly in front of the wood stove...snort.

I took what I thought would be the perfect circle size and proceeded to trace around it in pencil on the back.

Hmmm what am I up too you ask....

Any guesses?

Yep...I'm painting on the outline of a little girl!

Sweet Girl helped me every step of the way.  She determined hairstyle and skirt length.

And since there were two sides to the back it was only fair that Baby Boy got his own!

Big sister, little brother.  Together forever...well until I decided to paint it again!

The kids had a great time doing this...

They have spent hours behind that dresser so far!

I left the sides of the dresser blank for free form fun! I did some minor tweaking of the front...

Here is what the drawer pulls looked like before...

After!  Brushed nickel from Lowes. 

Of course the screws that came with the new pulls were too short so I had to drill out all the holes!

And since the whole thing is painted with chalkboard paint it was just crying out to be doodled on!

About half way through the project I decided that it was going to be a cabinet to store all the kids' art supplies in.  So of course I labeled each drawer with chalk.  After I have gotten all the supplies exactly where I want I may paint the labels on but for now just chalk.

I love chalk!

Not to want the top to feel left out and neglected I did something fun up there too!

I painted 'I made this' on it then had a piece of 1/4 inch glass cut to fit the top.  That way I can display some of the kids' artwork under the glass!  Again being painted with chalkboard paint it can also be doodled on too!

I put little clear rubber bumpers at the corner to make it easy to slide the artwork in and out

There you have it...saved from Goodwill re-purposed dresser turned fun art supply storage/chalkboard cabinet!

Costs:

Dresser                          Free

Paint - half a can    $7

Hardware                      $40

Glass & bumpers        $30

Total                                $77

Fun factor - Priceless!

   



  

Sock Monster Kitty Cat Craft

Do you have a sock monster that eats your families socks?

Mine has eaten dozen of socks over the years...

Dirty rotten scoundrel that he is!

I have finally figured out a way to turn the tables on him...

Meet my very own handcrafted from a stray sock kitty!

This little darling is made from one of Sweet Girl's baby socks that has been mate less for years.  How's that for showing that darn sock monster?

Want to know how to make one of these?  It is so easy that Sweet Girl is making one too!

Start with a stray sock...you know the one that was left after the dryer monster ate the other!  If you have one with a different colored toe and heel.

Cut a narrow "U" shape from the top of the cuff down to near the heel.

Cut a small hole in the toe that you will use later for turning and stuffing.  Turn the sock inside out.

Hand stitch around the bottom of the "U" up to where you want the ears to end (these socks I will turn down after it is turned inside out)

Turn the sock right side out and turn down the cuffs and carefully stitch them together. Stitch across the very top of the 'ears' so the stuffing doesn't come out the top when you stuff her...hmmm maybe a few extra stitches would keep my stuffing in, yes I'm projecting again...sorry.

This is what it will look like with the ears done...she's ready to stuff!  Stuff it through the hole at the bottom, stuff firmly being careful to fill the ears evenly.

Once it is stuffed stitch up the bottom hole.  Sit it on a flat surface and adjust until it stands up nice and straight.  Correct posture is something every girl needs!

Now the fun part!

Ready to put on her face...

Pick a couple of buttons for the eyes...sew them on pulling them with a bit of tension to give them an inset look.

Next is her nose and mouth...

Choose your favorite embroidery floss color...

Use your imagination...round nose, triangle nose, no nose...smiling, pouting, sulking...eyelashes, glasses, whiskers.  Sweet Girl wanted this to be a girlie cat so it was pink floss and eyelashes! It think she will be a perfect addition to our library decor...

Our new little kitty friend will spend her days bird watching out of our library window...

There is wide array of books she might be interested in...

And Sweet Girl is always anxious to have someone to play dress up with!

The only thing that would make her life perfect would be a new little friend of her own to play with...

And maybe a tail...but with a 2 year old boy running amuck we decided to forgo the tail, it wouldn't have stood a chance!

Maybe that can be arranged!

Now go ahead...go find the stray socks that have driven you crazy all these years.

And exact your sweet revenge on the sock monster!

For more monsters go here...you'll find another kitty, a rabbit, and a pig!

*****

If you are looking for someone that is a true stray sock artist, Daniel, take a look at this book

*****

In honor of the fact that I have now had just over 5000 comments on my blog I am giving my 5000th reader that left me a comment her very own stray sock creation...

Jen from Muddy Boot Dreams was that very person!  She is one of my very favorite bloggers, an amazing photographer, and as sweet as can be!  Congrats Jen...let me know what your favorite color is and I'll get started on your little guy...or gal!

 





 

 

BaaBaa Black, Pink, and Blue Sheep? An easy yarn Craft

Twice a month we have a little homeschool group that gets together for a rockin' craft session.  Since our group happens to be all girls our crafts include some form of pink, usally ribbon is involved too!  This was no exception.

Today I'm going to show you one of our latest creations...yarn sheep...baaaa!

These are super easy and inexpensive to do...and the type of sheep are only limited by your creativity! 

(I had originally seen something like this a year or so ago on the internet but so far have not been able to find it again...if I do I'll link up)

First you will need some clothes pins...the old fashioned wooden spring type.  You're gonna paint them any color that floats your boat.  Most of ours were either black or pink, but this one I decided to go wild and paint red!

 

Set your clothes pins to dry and start painting...

Pieces of cardboard that you have cut into kidney bean shapes.  You can make them any size you want, mine were between 2.5 to 4 inches.  Paint one end for the sheep's head.

When all is dry clip your painted clothes pins onto the appropriate spots on the sheep.  Check to make sure that it can stand up.  When you have them where you want go ahead and put a dab of glue between the cardboard and the clothes pin to hold it tight.  While the glue was still wet I slipped the end of my yarn in there so it was held tight also...

Then the fun part...start wrapping your little guy with your chosen color of yarn! 

Keep wrapping making sure to cover the springs of the clothes pins and any cardboard.  Add enough layers until you sheep is as fat as you would like him. Tuck the end of the yarn into the sheep and put a dab of glue on it to hold it.

Next cut little ears out of felt, and a tail too if you like and glue them on.

These were the two I made in the morning with the girls.  Later when the kids were at grandma's I noticed I still had supplies left so instead of starting dinner, doing the laundry, or even the mountain of dirty dishes, I snuck upstairs to make some more sheep!

I made this sassy little girl sheep with her ears flying in the wind...for this I flipped the cardboard bean shape around so her head is up unlike the others.

 

Next came our little red legged sheep with her lace collar! 

I even tried one with multi-colored yarn...what fun he is...the life of the party actually!

You can embellish you sheep with ribbon, lace, or tiny little bells.

The options are endless...you could use tiny flowers or beads, those would be adorable too!

What do you do when you are all done with your sheep...well have a photo shoot of course.  At least if you are easily amused by things like that, which I admit I am!

I will say that a photo shoot with these little guys is much easier than with my kids...who were still at grandma's while all of this was taking place.  I would have had to share otherwise and frankly that would not been as fun!

Look at those legs...they seem to go on forever! 

And oh my...what a shot!  Obviously someone has been doing their squats! 

You might want to see a stylist about that frizz... 

OK little lambs...one final shot, then you can go play.

Thanks!

***

STOP

Just before this post went to press Sweet Girl found her sheep and insisted that she be included.

So without further ado...

Cotton Candy sheep with paint on her fur and a Sharpie drawn face...yep the options for these really are endless!

So a quick list...clothes pins, cardboard, paint, yarn, felt, glue

That's all you need for this great little craft!

Now go make yourself some sheep!

 

Not Me Monday...Yes I went to college, Why?

 
Sweet Girl and I made a great little project the other day...

We cut our wood, measured our lines and then carefully painted it with lovely pastel colors...

We then painted itty bitty numbers, taking care to not get any paint on ourselves...

We of course would not be so messy.

Yep...we're making a place value chart...

Sweet girl is learning about this in math...

The 1's place, 10's place and the 100's place 

Of course being a college educated mother this is all just kids stuff to me...

I also painstakingly put little x's on each of the number leaving the 's' in each one plain to add some artistic punch...it would certainly not be because I was tired of painting little x's...

And if any of you smart readers can see what I'm going to not be admitting to please don't let me know how fast you noticed...it would make me feel much better about myself, thank you very much...my tender ego thanks you too!

Little flowers were meticulously painted in the direct center of each column...

Meanwhile my 21 year old college student son comes in to watch, the following conversation never happened

Hey mom, what are you doing?

Making a place value chart for Sweet Girl's math lessons...cool huh?

Yeah but...

But what?

Have you looked at it...really looked at it?

Why did I mess up the paint somewhere?

Didn't you say you went to college?

Yes I did...what's with the sarcasm?

Just look at it mom and you will eventually figure it out.

He heads to the refrigerator while chuckling to himself...

I look at my little chart...

and look..

look some more...

No! I would not do that...

I slap my hand on my forehead and my son laughs out loud, Sweet Girl looks puzzled, and Baby Boy laughs just because his brother is.

No, a smart cookie like me would not get the chart backwards, I would certainly not put the hundreds where the ones go or visa versa.

I then did not have to pry all the numbers off, scrape as much glue off as I could, repaint and re-glue...I would have to do that because that would be an irritating waste of time.

I also would not realize after I was all done that the tens column actually did not have to be redone because it was correct...no, I did not remove it also.

Of course there was not evidence left on the lovely chart of my mistake...never.

 Who put that arrow there?

Of course my darling college student son would never tell his brothers about this with great amusement...no, he would not embarrass is mother like that.

Of course I did not spend all afternoon wondering what my oldest children and their lovely friend were thinking of their college educated mother... 

Because I was too busy watching Sweet Girl's soccer game...

And being cool...

In my drugstore glasses...

And my Bonne Bell over glossed lips...

I certainly could not be bothered by sarcastic older children...

 Besides...Baby Boy knows nothing about place value...

Yet!

Come visit and see what else we are NOT doing!

Note when I get the number cards done I will show the completed...and correct...place value chart to you

Tea Party Crashers

Do you know what is so good about having a little girl?

Tea Parties!!!

After 3 boys and lego wars, and fort building, race tracks and all things with wheels it is fun to see what a little girl loves to do...

She still likes legos and forts but she also spends time on the floor with her friends sipping tea...

Meet Katy and Cassie...they are sisters that live in the country and grow flowers.  They especially love catnip.  Peppermint tea is their very favorite...

 

Bubbles, Fifi, and Callie join the fun.  Bubbles if from Los Vegas where she is a regular in long running show on the strip.  Fifi is from the big city of New York where she spends her days getting her nails done and walking around town with glamorous human.  Callie is a farm cat who is visiting from the Dakotas...Green tea with lemon and honey is their choice.

 

Meet Laura...Sweet Girl's special friend.  Laura is from the prairie where she lives in a little house with her ma and pa and three sisters.  She is drinking pear tea with a spoonful of white sugar...she doesn't get white sugar very often at home.

 

Finally there is Mary...she is the girl that all of us know.  She has brighter eyes, clearer skin, prettier hair, and more fashionable clothes.  She is a bright and shining star...and we do our best to like her anyway.

 

She has declined any cookies but is having some white peach tea with lemon.

 

 The party is going perfectly with Laura and Mary hitting it off splendidly...we attribute this to Laura's down to earth country charms...even a spoiled girl like Mary cannot resist such sweetness.

All the girls are giggling and and sipping tea when...

Who should saunter in but the ruffians from Baby Boy's room next door.  Who invited these characters?

 

Lance is the leader of this gang of delinquents...he tries to hide his tender heart behind that sneer.

 

  Rufus talks a big game...but he actually as dumb as a post.  He also has no manners and slurps his tea and gets crumbs on the floor.

 

OK...hold it one cotton pickin' minute.

Who invited the camel?

Mary was that you?  There are no camel allowed in the house...ever.

 

Why is it that girls always like the tall boys?

 

In spite of the party crashers a good time was had by all...

Laura enjoyed her time so much that she has decided to leave her little house on the prairie and move in here with the camel...

Ohhh the scandal...

 

Fun With Photo Editing and Manipulating

This photo was taken a few days ago in my mom's garden.  It is pretty typical of the kind of photos you find here.

Editing this was super quick and easy.

But sometimes when the kids are asleep and I am avoiding the sink full of dishes and the laundry pile that is growing at an alarming rate downstairs, I like to play around with photos.

I suppose you would actually call it photo manipulating instead of photo editing...

Here is the same hydrangea as above that I have put through a couple of filters and color saturation taken down...

Now before I go any farther let me state I am not even remotely and expert on any of this...

I have photoshop...I have heard nothing but wonderful things about it...

I have never used mine.

Yes I have yet to learn to use it and it has been residing on my computer for almost 2 years, sigh.

I still use an old Microsoft program that you can't even buy anymore, 'Picture It'

I will learn Photoshop one of these days...when the laundry is done, the kids are bigger, the garden is weedless, and the camel quits breaking the fence!

On this I made it black and white, softened the edges, brightened, upped the contrast and then sharpened just the little fuzzies.

 

On this one I selected the pumpkins using a little tool that grabs the edge pixels as you work your way around them.  Then I inverted so the background was chosen and made it black and white.

I love these little pumpkins they are just too cute...I'm going to plant many more next year!

 

A Dahlia up close and put through 6 filters until it looks like a painting!

 

When I was looking at the original photo I was trying to imagine what I could do with it that would be fun and different.  I thought having one of hubby's bees look like they were pollinating an old painting would be unique.

So I carefully selected the bee to make sure I got all his little parts.  Then I inverted the selection just like the pumpkins.  Next I put the flowers through a bunch of filter till I liked it and and voila...a bee on a painting!

 

Even my kids aren't safe from being manipulated...well their photos anyway!

You saw this photo last week in my homeschool post.

This I did similar to the bee and the pumpkins but when I was all done I overlaid a grunge border I had...I must say I LOVE this one.

I think I will redo this one to clean up the edges of Sweet Girl and her doll then have it printed and framed.  I have the perfect spot in her room to hang it!

 

And one last photo...

 Kiss Me....I'm Irish!

First Day of School...Ballerina Style!

As many of you know we homeschool.

There are many reasons why we do.

But if I had to pick my favorite reason it would be this...

 

Because if Sweet Girl wants to spend all day in a tutu...

 

 

Hanging out with her beloved doll...

 

 

Hey...why not?

 

Even math is more fun in a tutu!

 

 

Wearing satin and tulle makes counting by 10's much easier...

 

 

Besides I can't even tell you how much I would miss my little ballerina if she was gone all day!

 

 

Sweet Girl...

Living life on the tips of her toes!