Annie's Valentine Box

Right now in Minnesota we have been frozen for a few months.

 

 

I'm talking we are popsicles!!!

 

 

Which is one reason why I LOVE Valentine's Day so much!

It gives us sweet things to think about
& fills our home with love.

 

I mean, do you even know how sweet it is to watch little boys

SITTING STILL cutting out little hearts for his classmates?

 

 

And then there are the Valentine boxes,

Oh, do I love Valentine Boxes!

 

  

 And this year I think it is my favorite!

 

I love the time we spend together,

everyone usually pitches in.

 

 

When we are deciding what to make I just tell the kids,

"Make what you love!"

 

And Annie...well that girl loves Pandas.

 

 

So we made a Panda.

& I had one happy girl.

 

 

Then, today that little roly poly panda got stuffed

with candy and Valentines, and that Panda was pretty happy too.

 

I'll put the directions down below

but for those of you who aren't really into Pandas...

 

Happy Valentine's day!

 

Hope it's filled with lots of love!

Panda Directions

 

Tape down the "stem" of  a mylar balloon. 

(dollar store)

 

 

Paper Mache the balloon.

(Paste is just flour & water)

 

 

 At least 3 layers.

Allow time to dry between layers.

(fans work great)

 

To get it to stand make a little playdough nest.

 

 

Sit the balloon on it & paper mache around the nest.

 

 



 

 

 

When dry remove the playdough.

 

 

Cut a hole for valentines.

 

 

Here comes the tricky part...

Cover the head with a think fleece.

(Hot glue gun & lots of tugging.)

 

 

I got 1 yard of white & 1 foot of black.

It was more than enough.

 

The back is not the prettiest I'll admit.

 

 

 

Next, the ears.

 

Black fleece & sturdy plastic.

 I cut ears out of strawberry containers.

Cut the fleece as shown below, 2 different sized pieces for each ear.

Front small, back longer.



 

Glue plastic onto the back piece.

 

 

Hot glue the front piece on.

 

 

The longer piece is the tab to apply hot glue to attach to the head.

 

 

Play around with eye shapes,

 

 

and you have your Panda Box!

 

 

 

I'd allow 3 days for the paper mache part.

It really was fun to make together so I hope you give it a try!

 



Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Our family's favorite book is 

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

Annie just read it for about the 5th time

for a book report.  They have book reports once a month

and her teacher gives them a lot of leeway, "Be Creative!"

So this month Annie decided to do a Power Point presentation on the characters in her book.  We had a LOT of fun.  A lot.

I'll spare you the full report but here are some of my favorite parts:

The church busybody we used is her 

Aunt Cake who also happens to be her gym teacher.

We slipped in pics of some unsuspecting classmates.

Elmer ~ The pastor's kid who is tired of being Joseph year after year.  Even as a teenager his dad still makes him.  (His mom helped me by snapping the pic but wouldn't tell him why :)

 Alice Wendelkin ~ The Angelic looking girl who plays Mary every year.  She is a bit of a goodie goodie. (Annie's BFF)

Herdman’s Cat

The mailman would not deliver any of the Herdman’s mail because of the cat.

It would attack anything it could see out of it’s one eye.

Now here is where the real hoodlums come in:

Ralph Herdman

Oldest Herdman Kid

Joseph - No one else dared to volunteer to be Joseph cause they didn't want to be beat up by Ralph.

Imogene Herdman

2^nd Oldest Herdman

She found out everyone’s weight in the nurses office and used the information to control and bully classmates.

Was smoking in the church bathroom.

Mary - Bullied Alice out of her standing Mary role by threatening to “shove a pussy willow so far down her ear that it will start to grow.”

LeRoy Herdman

3^rd oldest Herdman

Started his neighbor’s tool shed on fire with the Chemistry set he stole from the hardware store.

Got the Herdman clan to start attending church because he heard a rumor that there was unlimited dessert at church.

Wiseman- brought his families wrapped Christmas ham from the ladies aid basket, instead of frankincense, to the manger in the pageant.

   

Claude Herdman 

& Ollie Herdman

Herdmans number 4 & 5

Even the littlest Herdmans smoked.

Claude stole donuts from the fireman, who were putting out the shed fire, and stuffed them up his shirt.

Wiseman

Glayds Herdman

The youngest Herdman.

The angel of the Lord- the little church boys were afraid to be shepherds because they were afraid Gladys (being the angel of the Lord) would punch them & knock them out.

You survived our book report!

Annie has practiced her power point a million times 

& is so excited to show it to her class.

Now I love this book because it makes 

me feel like maybe my kids aren't SO wild.  

I mean our family is a crazy mess...
but hey...we're no Herdmans!

Pic from our own church Christmas pageant this year.

What's your family's favorite book?