Mom's Library Link-Up (#3 for me)

Co-Hosting Mom's Library Link-Up
(#3 for me)

Welcome Back to Mom's Library!
Filled with parenting tips, activities for young children, devotionals, crafts, recipes, and more!
Check back again and again to see the new posts!

Follow the Mom's Library Pinterest Board to see all of our featured links.
Click here if you missed the last Mom's Library!

If you are linking up please be kind and follow my blog  
Hey Mommy, Chocolate Milk.
If you enjoy the Link-up you might consider liking us on Facebook as well, click here!
Visit my co-host, True Aim Education, for more features like Chai Tea Mix.  

Thank you to everyone who shared last week and I hope you will join us and share again!!
If you are featured here, please feel free to grab a featured button to display proudly on your blog or post.

    My features this week:

1. Felt toy letters by Buggy and Buddy
2. Learning about Worms by No Doubt Learning
3. Pumpkin Pie Pop Tart Pops by Pint Sized Baker
4. Tracing Name Activity from Home Learning Journey
5. Puzzle Piece Ghost by Crafty Moms Share  

Please visit at least two other posts and leave a comment. We all enjoy encouraging words once in awhile, so make someone's day and spread some cheer!

Don't forget to stop by and follow my co-host, True Aim Education.
Thanks for stopping by again this week. C-Ya next Wednesday!

*By linking up, you are granting me permission to use and/or re-post photographs from your blog or website.

Insect Rearing - Science Play

We collected several caterpillars while on a nature walk the other day. Of course we had to bring them home and see what they were going to "grow up to be"!

We constructed them a large double-cup home and made sure to poke several small holes on the top. The cups were taped together so we had no escapees! We also added several stalks of the plant they were found on, all creatures need to eat!

After 2 days, three of our guests had gone into Chrysalis. 

I released the others back outside and then we waited .... 

and waited ....

After 6 days... we have our first butterfly!

A chrysalis is the pupal stage of butterflies. The term is derived from the metallic gold-coloration found in the pupae of many butterflies, referred to by the Greek term χρυσός (chrysós) for gold.
When the caterpillar is fully grown, it makes a button of silk which it uses to fasten its body to a leaf or a twig. Then the caterpillar's skin comes off for the final time. Under this old skin is a hard skin called a chrysalis.

On emerging the butterfly uses a liquid which softens the shell of the chrysalis. Additionally, it uses two sharp claws located on the thick joints at the base of the forewings to help make its way out. Having emerged from the chrysalis, the butterfly will usually sit on the empty shell in order to expand and harden its wings. However, if the chrysalis was near the ground (such as if it fell off from its silk pad), the butterfly would find another vertical surface to rest upon and harden its wings (such as a wall or fence).
Moth pupae are usually dark in color and either formed in underground cells, loose in the soil, or their pupa is contained in a protective silk case called a cocoon.
It is important to differentiate between pupa, chrysalis and cocoon. The pupa is the stage between the larva and adult stages. The chrysalis is a butterfly pupa. A cocoon is a silk case that moths, and sometimes other insects, spin around the pupa.

             

A Day of Praise in the Park

My husband and I have recently started our own business which we call "Wear It 2 Share It". He has been drawing a series involving the whole armor of God. Each piece is printed alone on a t-shirt and when he completes the entire set, he will put them together and make a complete soldier. He is extremely talented and always gives the credit for his ability to the Lord!

Every year in October, a near by town hosts a festival called Praise in the Park. There are all kinds of vendors from all over the U.S. Christians bands play throughout the day on several stages around the downtown area. The main event takes place late in the evening when several 'big name' christian bands take the stage in the city park. This year was Building 429 and The Newsboys!

We were lucky enough to be able to set up a booth for the event. We had a amazing time. The weather was wonderful and the people were great. This was our first experience at an event this large. We learned about things we should do next time, things we will not do again and what we need to do differently!

We also made some great contacts to help expand our business. All-in-all it was a successful week-end!

If you would like to see what we have to offer, check out our etsy shop. It is still under construction but take a look around and leave some feed back. I love suggestions!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/WearIt2ShareIt

Yarn Germs

Look at the reason we WASH our HANDS:

Germs! YUCK!

 It's really hard to explain to little one's about things they can not see, so we made some cute "giant" yarn germs to use for teaching about the importance of washing your hands!

 We started by mixing pieces of yarn and small pom-poms in a bowl with glue. I added a dash of water to help with the mixing process. Little Mister liked this part even though he kept saying it was gross and glue-y!

We put a few pieces into each cup of an old muffin pan. Then, we placed it in the oven for about 40 minutes at 200*. We let them cool then removed them from the pan.

Here are a few of our creations:

Then the science/hygiene lesson began:

Germs are a group of tiny invaders that can make our bodies sick.

Some kids may think that germs are bugs or cooties or other gross stuff. Actually, germs are tiny organisms, or living things, that can cause disease. Germs are so small and sneaky that they creep into our bodies without being noticed. In fact, germs are so tiny that you need to use a microscope to see them. When they get in our bodies, we don't know what hit us until we have symptoms that say we've been attacked!

What Do Germs Do?

Once germs invade our bodies, they snuggle in for a long stay. They gobble up nutrients and energy, and can produce toxins, which are proteins that are actually like poisons. Those toxins can cause symptoms of common infections, like fevers, sniffles, rashes, coughing, vomiting, and diarrhea.
How do doctors figure out what germs are doing? They take a closer look. By looking at samples of blood, urine, and other fluids under a microscope or sending these samples to a laboratory for more tests, doctors can tell which germs are living in your body and how they are making you sick.

How Can You Protect Yourself From Germs?

Most germs are spread through the air in sneezes, coughs, or even breaths. Germs can also spread in sweat, saliva, and blood. Some pass from person to person by touching something that is contaminated, like shaking hands with someone who has a cold and then touching your own nose.
Steering clear of the things that can spread germs is the best way to protect yourself. And that means . . .
Hand Washing! Remember the two words germs fear — soap and water. Washing your hands well and often is the best way to beat these tiny warriors. Wash your hands every time you cough or sneeze, before you eat or prepare foods, after you use the bathroom, after you touch animals and pets, after you play outside, and after you visit a sick relative or friend.
There is a right way to wash your hands. Use warm water and soap and rub your hands together for at least 15 seconds, which is about how long it takes to sing "Happy Birthday."
Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze and cover your mouth when you cough to keep from spreading germs. So if you have to cough, it is best to do it in your elbow so your are not contaminating your hands.
Using tissues for your sneezes and sniffles is another great weapon against germs. But don't just throw tissues on the floor to pick up later. Toss them in the trash and, again, wash your hands!
Another way to fight and prevent infections is to make sure you get all the routine immunizations from your doctor. No one likes to get shots but these help keep your immune system strong and prepared to battle germs. You can also keep your immune system strong and healthy by eating well, exercising regularly, and getting good sleep. All this will help you to be prepared to fight germs that cause illness.
Now that you know the facts about germs, you may still pick up a cough or a cold once in a while, but you'll be ready to keep most of those invading germs from moving in.

This guy is hanging on our bathroom mirror as a reminder to WASH our HANDS

Washing your hands is the best way to stop germs from spreading.  

When germs go down the drain, they can't make anyone sick.

                  

Little IS Much

   Occasionally at our church, all the seniors get together and sing some of the old hymns. I really enjoy this! Some songs I know while others cause me to wonder if they aren't made up on the very spot. But they are all singing the same words even if their tunes are varied! So that theory is blown! The other day I heard a song for the first time and it has stuck with me, "Little is Much when God is in it".

   This sort of struck as a kind of 'motto' for my son. Those of you who have actually read by posts may remember about Little Mister's health issues. For my new readers, here's a quick catch up. My Little Mister is well, little. He is extremely small for his age, he doesn't really eat and he runs constant fevers. We battle breathing issues and sickness often. He has been going to specialists for well over a year and has been tested for just about everything under the sun. We've seen pulmonologists, endocrinologists, oncologists, infectious disease folks, geneticists, gastroenterologist, dieticians, etc... So far we know he has delayed bone growth and they are now testing for Russell-Silvers Syndrome. Which does not explain all the symptoms but it is a start!

    Anyway, not long after I heard the song, I was unlucky enough to get a bad case of the stomach flu. I was laying on my bed in severe pain and Little Mister came prancing in my room. He looks at me, climbs up on the bed and placed his little hand on my head and said, "Thank you Jesus" then continued on praying for several minutes. Unfortunately, I could not understand anything he said after that except, Amen.

   Right then and there I realized that my little guy may be small but if God can use a little stone to bring down a giant, He can use my Little Mister to do great and BIG things as well! He may be physically small but he has a big heart. He is gentle, caring and kind. People are always telling me sweet stories and saying things about him that makes my heart swell!

He may not be physically big but he will do big things for the Lord.

And I truly believe that

Little IS much when God is in it!

Make Your Own Picture Book - Simple Saturday

So simple yet so much fun. And think of the memories this will make later on down the road.

We simply started with some folded sheets of copier paper. I handed Little Mister some crayons and asked him to draw me some pictures. Then, I asked him what each thing was and wrote exactly what he said below each drawing.

Some were just down right funny and I marveled at his imagination!

We finished it up with a construction paper cover which he decorated as well! 

Blow like the Wind

Recently, we found a leaf shaped hole punch and have been excited about using it. 
Today we finally got around to making some Fall trees with colorful foliage. 
Little Mister really enjoyed our new 'toy' and made ever so many leaves!

We then, painted his arm (about half way up to his elbow) with brown paint. 
We stamped 3 different trees, of varying heights, on the card stock. 
I then let Little Mister use a glue stick and add some leaves to our trees.

As you can see, we had a pile of leaves left over, so I made an impromptu graph and let him place the colored leaves in their correct places. Quick and easy math lesson!
However, this only lasted for a few minutes before he discovered the real fun of the day .... wind! 

Wind moves leaves!

 This turned out to be so much fun. We "raked" leaves off the floor and did this over and over and over again! I thought he was going to hyper-ventilate. 

Oh the belly laughs!

For the Record

This totally dates me, but I remember when a record store actually had records! 

We were perusing through a thrift store the other day and ran across a pile of old 33 records. Since they were just 10 cents a piece, we loaded up. I have no way of playing these relics but I thought surely we could find something to do with them.

After cruising the internet and racking my "Mommy Brain", we decided to make some record bowls. They ended up being perfect storage containers for cars and trains.

Here's what we did:

Pre-heat  your oven to 200*. Use a cookie sheet and place a glass cup or oven safe glass in the center. Put the record on top of the glass.

Place the whole thing in the oven for about 6-7 minutes. This time may vary. I made several bowls and the times were different for all. It is ready to be removed when all the sides are drooping. Remove from the oven and place the record in a large metal bowl. I used a candy tin to press the record into the bowl slightly and then shaped the folds with my hand. It was not to hot to touch and it cools rather quickly so try to work fast.

I don't know who Eddy Arnold is but his record made a really neat storage container for Little Mister's small toys!

Co-Hosting Mom's Library Link-Up (#2 for me)

Welcome back to Mom's Library Link-Up.

This is my 2nd week to co-host and I'm lovin' it! I have seen some pretty amazing things from y'all and look forward to seeing what's to come!

I would love if you followed my blog Hey Mommy, Chocolate Milk and liked us on Facebook!

If you are featured today, please grab my button from the sidebar to proudly display on your blog/post!!

My favorite link-ups from last week are:

Ramblings from Utopia made a darling little colored corn necklace! LOVE it!

Making Boys Men gives us more ideas of what we can do with acorns!



Thanks for coming by again this week!

Welcome to Mom's Library!

Filled with parenting tips, activities for young children, devotionals, crafts, recipes, and more!

Check back again and again to see the new posts!

Follow the Mom's Library Pinterest Board to see all of our featured links.

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If you are new and would like to link up please checkout the Mom's Library Page. Support your fellow bloggers and comment on at least 2 other links. Please follow the host: True Aim

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