Play-Doh Wars

Every evening last week, just before supper, I would do my daily chore patrol and pick up the day's books, clothes, toys, dishes, food, and wrappers that litter the house.  I enjoy this time of day.  In fact, I love it!  My children are sprawled out on the couch enjoying their one hour of screen time for the day, and I am alone with my thoughts.  Each of these discarded items have a tale to tell, and for the most part, they are stories of laughter, learning, and love.

But what made last week's patrol stand out was a small, lump of red Play-Doh.  Every evening, I would find it nestled in between my flower pots on the end table.  And every evening, I would pick it up, squeeze it into my palm, and place it back in it's container on the kitchen counter.  After three days of this routine, Avery came over to me and asked in exasperation:

Why do you keep putting my Play-Doh away?

It will dry out if it is left out like that.

THAT'S WHAT I WANT IT TO DO!

Ohhhhh!

Why didn't I think of that?

So, Avery opened up the Play-Doh container and went straight to work trying to fix what I had yet again destroyed.

After he was done and had gone back to his television show, I went over to check out this Play-Doh creation.

What is he making?


Then it dawned on me.  This is probably my Mother's Day gift.

 Awwww . . . my sweet little boy was making me a gift.  


My heart melted.

He can be so thoughtful.


I bent down to take a closer look at the small, red lump, and noticed an imprint of one of his Star Wars Lego men on the inside.

Well, that is strange.


Then it dawned on me; this is NOT a gift for me!  It is an encased Han Solo from one of the earlier Star Wars movies. Remember that?  Han is solidified in a metal grave by the evil, and very disgusting if I may add, Jaba the Hut.

Remember now?

Mother's Day?!  What was I thinking?  All that is on these boys' mind lately is Star Wars . . . nothing but Star Wars!


Sometimes, we, moms, can be very dense.


tee hee!

Happy Monday!




And in case you haven't heard, yet, I will be teaching a Children's Writing Course this summer.  Check out this link for details.  I already have students signing up.  We are going to have a blast!  Hope to see your kidlets there!

The Group of Two

With all the rain we have had lately, I thought this would be a perfect time to share a few photos from one of our recent outdoor art classes.  Since September, we have been studying Canada, and I have tried to incorporate a Canadian theme into our art lessons.  So, it goes without saying we have spent a couple of weeks studying the Group of Seven.  Much to my surprise, the boys are loving art class!  Sure, it pales in comparison to our weekly skates at the Qplex, bikes rides, swimming, and our soccer and football games, but, nonetheless, they seem to really enjoy painting, drawing, and working with clay.  This thrills me to no end because it adds an additional layer, perhaps a more sensitive layer to the always wrestling, refusing-to-change-their-underwear, rough and tumble boys I deal with everyday.

Here they are quietly studying the "Canadian landscape".  Oh, and yes, in case you have forgotten, it is sunshine that is lighting this picture up and warming their little bodies so they do not have to wear a jacket . . . tee hee!

They started with viewfinders to help them narrow down the area they wanted to concentrate on.

They sat here for forty-five minutes drinking in their surroundings and drawing what they saw.  Needless to say, I was shocked!

While they drew, I talked to them about drawing what they saw rather than what they think things look like, and I was happy to see what they came up with.

Avery's

Elliot's (our neighbour's house on the water)

Then we headed back into the house to transform their drawings into paintings (the tricky part).

Elliot found this particularly challenging:

But he stuck with it, and I am glad he did because his painting turned out awesome.

Elliot's

 Avery's

And just for a while I thought, maybe, just maybe these boys have more Skov-Nielsen in them than just their looks; however, this thought quickly diminished as soon as they started their plans for a monthly art sale held at our house, where their priceless treasures could be auctioned off at top dollar . . . tee hee!

Yep, they're Websters through and through (with just a sprinkling of Skov-Nielsen).

Oh, and before you go and think: "Wow! That Krista is doing some amazing things with her boys", (cuz I know that's what you're thinking . . . tee hee!), here was today's art lesson:

Maple Leaf Foxes!

(Maple Leaf = Canadian, so we are good, eh?)

Meet Bling Bling Fox (Avery's):

And Phoenix the Fox, whom I am told by Elliot is a little crazy, which is indicated by his "crazy" eyes:

They are so cute!!  I have my awesome sister, Hilary, to thank for this great craft idea.

So, yeah.  I haven't been blogging much lately, but, as you can see, we've been pretty busy around here and up to lots of shenanigans. 

I'll keep you posted on our upcoming art auction.  I'm guessing Phoenix will go for big bucks! 

Tee hee!

.

The Birth of an Artist (or Two)

On Friday morning, I cracked open a new package of modelling clay and was immediately sent back to my childhood days of early Saturday morning art classes.  I love the smell of art rooms where clay and paint combine to form a unique mixture of earthy and chemical smells.  Mmmmmm!  Unlike my sister Hilary, who is a gifted artist, the smell seems to be the only thing I can remember from these classes  . . . tee hee!

Anyhoo, the boys were thrilled to finally get started on their art project!  They had carefully planned out what their statues were going to look like:

Avery's

Elliot's

Then they dove into the clay. 

Is there any better feeling than kneading cool, malleable clay in your hands?  I just love art class!

Elliot's sculpture quickly took form:

but poor Avery, who is a terrible perfectionist, found the clay frustrating to work with because he couldn't get it to look just right.

Initially, he wanted his sculpture to sit on a chair,

but after that collapsed, he opted for something more durable, a bathtub:

tee hee!

Elliot's man turned out very cool!

Add a little detail:

and voila, you have a little British Grandfather.  I love him! 

Initially, his sculpture was supposed to carry a briefcase, as his picture suggested, but Elliot later decided it would make a better club.

So, I guess he is a caveman Grandfather . . . tee hee!

Then, because one art project is never enough, the boys and I made leaf rubbings after Avery and I read A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry.  Unbeknownst to me, this was Avery's first time doing a leaf rub.  My poor neglected baby!  I used to do all these little art projects with Zoe and Elliot when they were toddlers, but I guess life just became too busy once Avery was born.  Not anymore though. 

Now, it is his turn!

He thought I was so cool for coming up with this trick.  Kids can be the best boost to your ego!

We really are having a blast here at the School of Shenanigans, and I can't wait until Wednesday when the boys can finally paint their sculptures!   Mmmm . . . clay and paint . . . I can feel the memories rushing back already.  I am so blessed to have this opportunity to relive my childhood all over again.  Except this time around, I don't have to worry about being outshined by my artsy younger sister . . . tee hee!