Fun Summer Treats for Kids

Cereal and Fruit Has Never Been So Creative!

The kids will love making these with mom and of course eating them too! Here is another fun idea to do with those darling kids this summer to create another moment to remember and some great quality time with them too. Remember to have the children help with the prep, making them up, and they all need to share in the clean up!

Krispie Treats and Fruit on a Stick

Looks Yummy Don't It! Mmmmmm...I so love anything with FRUIT!

Here's what you need and do!

Ingrediants:

3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 package 10OZ, or bout 40 regular marshmallows -or- 4 cups of miniature marshmallows
6 cups of Rice Krispies
32 regular marshmallows
32 pieces of fresh fruit such as strawberries, kiwi, grapes, melons, pineapple, etc.
16 (12 inch long wooden skewers
Some fun shaped cookies cutters if you have them too!

Directions:

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat, then add marshmallows and stir until completely melted then remove from heat.
2. Add rice krispies cereal and stir until well coated.
3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixuture into a 13x9x2 inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool, and then cut into 1 inch squares or use cookie cutters to cut in shapes.
4. Alternately thread cereal squares or shapes, marshmallows and fruit onto the skewers. These are best served the same day.

Microwave Instructions:

In microwave-safe bowl heat butter and marshmallows on High for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Follow steps 2 thru 4 above. Microwave cooking times may vary.

Note:  Prep Time: 20 minutes • Total Time: 40 minutes • Servings:16
For best results, use fresh marshmallows. 1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow crème can be substituted for marshmallows. Diet, reduced calorie or tub margarine is not recommended. Store no more than two days at room temperature in airtight container.

Celebrating The Little Hands that Hold Our Hearts and the Memories and Times We Make With Them While We Can!

YEA! Schools Out! Let's Keep the Kiddies Busy!

Hurray! Hurray! Summer is finally here! School is out, now it's time to keep the babes busy, but how?! Well we're going to try to help you out in that department with fun simple things and crafts for those busy hands and minds called KIDS!. Some times just that little bit of stimulation and giving special attention can go a long ways to help have a calmer happy day with having the kids home all day now. Plan some activities to spend some fun time together each day, and you might find you can still have your own moments doing what you want to do too. Children are much happier when they aren't so darn bored day in and day out all day long! And TV, computer games, WII, and the likes shouldn't be their only diet of entertainment moms and dads. Remember school kept them busy and learning everyday, all day. They still need that even if it is summer vacation. Those little brains need the exercise.

Here is one simple idea that kids might just find fun and, you can make this a learning adventure too. This is fun for any age child, made with one thing I believe almost every kid loves, and most every home usually has it in the pantry. What is it you may ask? ......Why it's Cheerios of course! Dry or with milk, Cheerios has been the cereal treat packed in most diaper bags across America for generations! It is the perfect treat for quieting a child in the car, the doctor's office, the grocery store or shopping, when visiting friends, and a great snack at snack time. My mother gave them to my sisters and I and she also seem to magically have them in her hands no matter where we were right in the all mighty baggie. When my kid's were little cheerios were a NECESSITY, and you could usually find them hidden in some room of the house by the little hands that ate them until they were too big for the cheerio gig. My grandbabies are no different. It was always the first thing given as soon as they were able to eat table foods back in my day, my kid's day, and now today with the grandbabies. It was better than medicine! It cured every situation a mom could find herself in with little ones, or just about anyway! They seemed to be perfect for not only eating but a play tool too by my son anyway.

When my son was little he use to love to see how high he could stack them, and then get a kick out of them falling down so he could try again. Kept him busy for quite a while most times lol. Well here's another thing to do with cheerios! CHEERIO GARLANDS! Have the kids make "cheerio garlands" for the birds outside. They're fun to make, it's a snack while they're doing it, and they will have lots of fun watching the birds eat their creations too. This would be a great time to teach your little ones about birds and nature also. Teach them how to identify what type of birds are visiting, and then you can also do a little research with the kids on the birds habits through each of the seasons and how they live and behave. This can be great fun along with teaching children that caring and knowing about nature is important to life. 

Here's what you need for this fun time and a memory of time well spent together for you and the kids too:

(A) Cheerios cereal (regular; or use fruity for colorful pattern-making)
(B) String (small enough to fit through Cheerios)
(C) Plastic straw or stick

   
Instructions:
(1) Cut a piece of string about two feet long.
(2) Tie one end tightly to the middle of the plastic straw (to keep the Cheerios from sliding off).
(3) Slide the Cheerios onto the string one at a time, pushing them down toward the straw as you go.
(4) When there are only about six inches of bare string remaining, untie the end from the straw.
(5) Hang your garland outside from a tree branch. You can tie the two ends together to make a loop, knot one end and tie the other to a branch to make a straight line, or tie both ends to the branch to make a swag (shown in photo).
(6) Have the kids watch the birds enjoy their new treat!

Now Another Idea!

Lets make a "Birds of my Yard" mobile to hang in the children's room or on the patio to keep track of all the birds the children see! Every time you see a new bird just continue adding it to the bird mobile.

Here's what you need for this:
(A) 2 straight sticks or dowels, each about 18 inches long
(B) Lightweight string
(C) Bird photographs, computer prints, or drawings on heavyweight paper
(D) Scissors
(E) Pen 

Instructions:
(1) Cross the two dowels or sticks so they form an "X." Bind the point where they cross with string, going around and around each stick several times in all directions. Tie a knot so the sticks stay in place.
(2) Tie a piece of string, about two feet long, to each of the four ends of the sticks.
(3) Bring all four strands up to a single point, and adjust them so the "X" is balanced. Tie a knot in this spot.
(4) Hang the mobile someplace where it may move freely.
(5) Now, for the birds: Online or in a reference book, find pictures of the birds that you have seen in your yard. Either print the pictures on heavy paper, or make a drawing of them.
(6) Cut out the bird along its outline.
(7) On the back of the bird, write its name, the date you saw it, and any other information you want.
(8) Punch a small hole near the top edge of the bird, at a point where you think it will allow the bird to hang evenly.
(9) Cut a piece of string between 4 and 12 inches long. Thread the string through the hole, and make a knot on the other side so it is secure.
(10) Tie the other end of the string somewhere on your "X" mobile structure.
(11) Repeat steps 5 to 10 with different birds that you identify. Hang them at different lengths, and on different parts of the mobile, trying to keep the balance.
(12) Now enjoy the birds you've identified spin and flutter in the breeze!

Inspire your children to learn and care and have a great summer!

 

Celebrating the Little Hands that Hold Our Hearts

and the Memories We Make With Them!

The Littlest Graduate

Boy are the emotions running away with me lately!  I keep wondering "Where does the time go?!!

Thursday night I attended my littlest graduates graduation this year. This is Aiden Jacob, he is 4 soon to be five in July just a couple of days after my birthday. Master Aiden successfully graduated from Pre-K on May 20th, 2010. He was so proud! I so cried! I'm one of those women who is very emotional and when it comes to my kids or grandkids I have spewed tears with every little success they have had and, just about every little thing they have mastered in their little lives. Everything is a big deal to me when it comes to any of them. I'm always so amazed by their little minds and always wonder what goes through them.

As I watched this tiny little guy walk up to receive his diploma, I couldn't believe he was acutally going to be starting kindergarten this next year! It seems he was just a baby yesterday! I also was struggling with so much emotion because with him and his baby sister I have missed so much of their baby years because of my husbands stroke.

Prior to the stroke my husband and I had the kids just about every week for "Grandma's day". One day during the week I would have the little ones which at that time it was Parker and Lil Ryan (My son's little boy is Lil Ryan). They would spend a day and night with us and it was time doing fun things and making memories. On the weekends the older grand kids would stay and there again we would always do something fun and make a memory. Aiden was pretty little when my husband had his stroke two years ago now, so I haven't been able to spend the time with him like I did the others and I always feel so bad about that. Miss Emma who is now two and Aidens little sister has been even worse. I have missed just about everything with her and haven't had much time at all with her. This stroke has just sucked the life out of us in so many ways but the worst of it is not being able to have the family times that we used too have.

These children belong to my daughter Heidi. She has four, 3 boys and 1 girl.

Master Chase Micheal who is 18 and is graduating high school on June 3rd. That will be another tear jerker big time! He and his mommy lived with us until Chase was 11 years old. He was more like my own son and again I can't believe he is all grown up. I so miss him and how it use to be. Now he has a girl and grandma doesn't get to see him much these days, you know how that is. More about him later.

Then there is Master Parker Allen. Parker is 7 now and will be finishing 1st grade. For the 1st year and a half of his life Parker was so sick all the time mostly because of being in day care. He caught everything and some times it would be 3 or 4 illnesses all at the same time! One time we came close to losing him because he just couldn't totally recover from one thing when another illness would hit him. Grandma spent alot of time at home with him so he had a very special spot with me. But now he is doing great and active in just about every sport you can name. He will be my sport star one day and I just know he will be playing sports on TV. When this child was 6 months old he would sit and watch an entire football game on TV and not move a muscle! All he has ever talked about is Football and that is one of the sports he now plays along with soccer, and baseball. He wants to learn to play golf, basketball and tennis too. He will be my superstar I just know it! He lives and breaths sports!

Then comes Master Aiden Jacob. Aiden is Aiden. He is wild and crazy, on the go ninty to nothing, fearless, major attitude, (just like his mommy), but at the same time sweet and so handsome! Aiden also likes sports and plays soccer and baseball. These type of sports are just what this kids needs! Football and wrestling would probably do him the best because he just loves that contact thing. One little oddity about him is you can't walk by him where he thinks he has to hit you. Hope that gets under control before he starts school or he'll be in the principles office every day!

Then we finally have our girl Emma Grace. She is a spittin image of me when I was little. She is another one with a bit of an attitude but it's kinda of cute in a way. She is extreamly smart, but all of Heidi's children are. Miss Emma is very much the little girl. She loves purses, clothes, and shoes! Every time she comes to grandma's, she always gets my purses out and has to put every pair of shoes I own on her little feet! By the time she leaves I find shoes all over the house. She puts on one pair walks a few feet then goes and gets another pair until she had gotten them all, and thats about 30 pair or so. She already picks out her own clothes, and thats at the darn store! If she don't like it you better not buy it because she will scream if you try to put something on her she doesn't like! She has her own mind and you aren't going to change it! She loves to help clean and do chores. But she also is like a hurrican when it comes to making messes! And God help her stay a sweet little girl because those boys love teaching her all the bad stuff. She can hold her own with them though and oh my you should hear that set of lungs of hers! It will knock your socks off!  Boy does she remind me of her mother when she was little! I always told my daughter that I hoped she would have one just like she was, but instead of just getting one like she was, all four are just like she was lol! I don't envy her a bit!

But I do have to say I wouldn't trade any of them for the world. I'm so glad God gave them to us and I don't think I could POSSIBLY live with out them. They are a handful now but thank God they are healthy and ok. Before we know it they will all be grown and all their funny little ways about them now, will be the memories we will all remember and laugh about when they are grown.

I love watching them grow and being apart of their lives. There is nothing more important to me than that. I love my family, they are everything to me. But the worst part, especially at my age now, is the older they get the older I get and that stinks! I will not be one of those ladies who will grow old gracefully! I'm starting to have trouble keeping up with them and I don't like that much! I'm also already missing them the way they were and are. I wish there was a way to freeze time. Sending lots of hugs and kisses to my grandbabies. I do so much love you all, even if you are a crazy bunch! XXXXOOOO

Some of my favorite photos of Aiden and a favorite memory. These are of Aiden when he was 1 and we all went to the mall to take the little ones to see Santa. While waiting for Santa us big girls toured some of the ladies shops. Aiden got the brunt of that with Mima dressing him in all these ladies accessories, and it was all caught on Mima's camera. Mima is what they all call me. (So glad I took the camera that day), is Aiden just the cutest! I love his gorgeous eyes! We had so much fun that day and got some great photos which became a story in a photo album for their great grandmother's Cristmas present that year who lives in Michigan.

The Best Buds! Lil Ryan, Parker, and little Aiden

And Now it's already Kindergarten here I come! And I am the luckiest Mima in the world!

A Memory Maker With Kids

Here's and idea we would like to share with you to help you create a special

moment and memory with your children or grandchildren. I have six

grandchildren who are the breath of my heart.  I love spending time with

them and creating moments and memories of us as often as possible. 

A few years back we were doing projects for the kids to give their parents

for Christmas gifts.  Handmade and homemade.  This one year we did this

little project on sweatshirts (will post that next Christmas), and after it was

done and over with, I was laying in bed one night and was trying to think of

another way to use our little idea. It was just so darn cute! 

Then wa-la an idea was in the making.

This was what I did and the kids and I had so much fun and once again,

we made a wonderful memory, plus a wonderful gift for their parents,

and a treasured keepsake which we called "The Footprints of my Heart".

  

My Little Ryan's Foot Print

My Sweet Taylors Foot Print

We took white fabric paint and painted the bottom of the kids feet

(boy was that a trip), and then placed their foot on the wood plaques we

bought at Micheals Craft store.  Once they dried I made bunnies out of their

foot prints.  I painted cute little faces, added bunny ears, and made the toes

into easter eggs. On my granddaughters we added a white ribbon bow on

the bunny ears with white satin ribbon that had pink, blue, green, and yellow

polka dots.  We then sponged with pink for hers and blue for my grandsons

around the edge of the wood plaque.  To have them hang, we added metal hangers

on the back and strung it up with wide satin ribbons.  (Taylors wasn't totally

finished yet in this picture).  One of the best parts.....is watching the children just

beam with pride with the gift they have created when they present their parents

with their presents. These were for Easter that year and yea I know it's a little

late this year, but I just started this blog!  It doesn't have to be Easter to do these,

but if you want to do it for Easter....Next year will be here in a blink of the eye!

These are the things that us moms love so much to hold on to, 

when these footprints have grown and take that walk out

our door to a life of their own.

 Now Get to Making Those Memories!

Celebrating the Little Hands that Hold Our Hearts

and the Memories We Make With Them!

TATA for Now!

Debi