She’s Crafty!

Kira making Lion and Lamb Note Holders

For us here on the West Coast, April weather seemed to roar in like a Lion, but move out like a lamb.  So, I thought these crafty Lion and Lamb Note Holders that my co-worker Robyn, mom to Kira (10-years-old) and Alyssa (2 ½ -years-old), created for their refrigerator last year were apropos.  Not only were they fun to make, but their family still uses them on a daily basis! The ‘legs’ hold small pieces of paper that are useful for writing all of “those lists and notes” that so many of us parents must tally and keep track of.  I found a couple of different ways to make these nifty holders, depending on your (and your child’s) attention span and skill level. 

Option #1: (up to 2 hours)
Difficulty Level: 2 (of 10)
Note: This uses quilling, a decorative paper-rolling technique.

Materials:

• Colored construction paper (white, orange)
• Toothpick
• Card stock (white, yellow, black)
• Glue (Elmers type and non-toxic)
• Googly eyes (found at your nearest craft store)
• Colored Marker Pens (orange or black)
• Clothes pins (2 per note holder, and found at your nearest hardware or craft store)
• Magnetic strip (optional)

Directions:

Step 1

1. For each, start by cutting a few dozen 1/8-inch-wide strips of colored paper, each at least 4 inches long. Curl each strip tightly around a toothpick.
2. Next, cover a rounded, 3-inch card stock body with glue and attach the curls. Cut out a card stock face and ears, adding googly eyes and other facial features, and glue them all in place. Allow the glue to dry (20 minutes).
3. For the legs, which also serve as note holders, glue 2 clothespins to the back of the body. Stand the critter on a table or attach magnetic strips to the back and stick it to your fridge, then post your message in the clips. For an added touch, either paint the legs to match the bodies or cover them with an appropriate colored cardstock.

Option #2: (up to 1 hour)
Difficulty Level: 1 

Materials:

• Cotton balls or white pompoms
• Orange yarn
• Card stock (white, yellow, black)
• Glue (Elmers type and non-toxic)
• Colored Marker Pens (orange and black)
• Clothes pins (2 per note holder, and found at your nearest hardware or craft store)
• Magnetic strip (optional)
• Googly eyes (optional, found at your nearest craft store)

Directions:

1. For the lamb, cover a rounded, 3-inch white card stock body with glue and attach cottonballs.
2. Cut strips of yarn and glue to a rounded, 3-inch yellow card stock body with on end starting in the center and moving to the outside of you circle.
3. Cut out a cardstock face and ears for each. Draw the nose and mouth on the cardstock then attached googly eyes (or draw on eyes or cut eyes out of colored paper). Glue faces in place.
4. For the legs, see option one (3).

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Time for a Change? Day-Care or Preschool?

I’ve been struggling with the decision to move my daughter from a full-time family day-care into preschool. Lilah has loved her secure “home-away-from home” since she was 5 months old. Developmentally she appears to be progressing at a normal pace – at 2 ½ she knows the letters of the alphabet (and their sounds), can count to 15 and knows many colors and shapes. We have been working on her ‘basic skills’ at home and her day-care does offer music time, craft time, and intermittent teaching – but mostly they play. I am confident she is gaining healthy social and emotional skills in this situation, and I certainly don’t want to push her to excel academically at this point – after all, you only get to be a kid once!  My question is “When to make a change?  I certainly do want to keep her challenged!”

On a day to day basis there are 3 other children that are within 4 months of her age, while the rest are much younger.  One of the ‘older children’ made the jump to preschool a few months back, while others are like me – trying to weigh the decision whether to move our children from a secure, happy environment to one that might offer increased opportunities for learning and interaction.  It would be great to move Lilah along with some of her ‘peers’ – especially one little boy who lives near our family.  His mom also seems unsure when to make the jump!

Lilah is probably “ready” for preschool – but this is a big decision for our family.  Our routines will change; there will be increased costs and most certainly a ‘period of adjustment.’  Can anyone share what they have done and how it worked out? I have heard that it is optimum to spend at least one year at preschool before kindergarten – so our deadline will be by age 4. All of my friends seem to be doing something different with their children, and every parent seems to have opinions…but this parent needs more information.  Help please!

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