Riot and Frolic

(It's like Shark Week, but totally different.)

In an effort to be even more of a nerd, I have declared a theme for every week around my house.  This week, it's LEAF WEEK.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I "pinned" some super cool leaf magnets: leafs!  trapped in time!  under plastic!  on your fridge!

Stoked and clearly underestimating the size of a standard leaf, I bought these laminating pouches:

Really? 2.5" by 3.5"? Have I ever seen a maple leaf?

And since it was spring, I waited for fall…

Two and half years later, after the inception of Leaf Week, I remembered that I had the supplies for CRAFT-TIME waiting for us.

Here's the thing about making stuff with little kids.  It has to be STUPID EASY and take less than an hour.  Less than 10 minutes is usually even better.  And a back-up plan should be in place.  

(I still have anxiety/inadequency issues about my kindergarten class going outside in winter [in full Minnesota snow regalia] to find nature-y things which we would then glue on paper.  I had bad-ass mittens on, so my hands were toasty, but I COULDN'T GRAB ANYTHING.  When I did take off a mitten and pick something up, it would fall out of my claw-like grasp the second I put my mitten back on.  Hence, back-up plan.  To eleviate future therapy concerns.)

Leaf Magnets in 10 Easy Steps

1. Walk to the park across the street, which is "soooooo far".
2. At first mention of gigantic distance of park from house, start oooh-ing and aaaah-ing over the gorgeous leaves on the ground.  
3. Pick up leaves to make a "bouquet".
4. Point out small leaves for small children to pick up to fit in inappropriately-sized laminating sheets since most of the leaves they have delighted in are bigger than their heads.
5. Direct leaf-selecting characteristics such as: pretty, green, brown, tiny, huge, yellow, orange, red, not covered in bugs.
6. Walk "all the way home" with booty.
7. Spread leaves out in the entryway and let small children tell you which ones will fit in the laminating thingies and which will not.  Be ridiculous in your estimations.  It's funnier that way.
8. Place leaves on sticky surface of laminating pouches and marvel at the relative ease of this project.
9. Glue magnets on backside of leafy refrigerator decorations.
10. Give yourself a high five by pouring yourself some coffee.

waiting for the glue to dry

magnets in action

Those extra leaves from the bouquets?  Yeah, they're table decorations now.  In vases.  And falling out of vases.  It is very autumnal around here.

[Ingredients: leaves, laminating pouches, magnets, glue]

Nathan! It's NOT Shark Week

 One year ago: LLLL, in which I was horrible or not.