14 minute read
Paper Magic
Paper Magic Simple Puppets to Make at Home
By Kelly Mindell
Irecently had the opportunity to create some crafts inspired by one of our family’s favorite movies, The Sound of Music. These puppets and theater are based on “The Lonely Goatherd,” one of our most-loved songs from the movie. The good news is that you don’t need a real puppet theater in your house to have a puppet show. You can turn any desk, table, learning stool, or play kitchen into a marionette theater with just a simple DIY scenic background. We added some scrap fabric (you could use sheets, dish towels, or pillowcases) to turn our play kitchen into a full theater. When it was time to make the marionettes, we reached for a material everyone has: toilet paper rolls. We replicated two of the goats from the movie, but you could also apply this same technique for other animals and make a whole farm, jungle, or herd.
Lonely Goatherd
Marionettes + Theater
• paper in desired colors • scissors • scrap cardboard (cereal boxes are great for this) • 2 toilet paper rolls (per puppet) • paint and/or markers • school glue or hot glue • black rope, yarn, or ribbon • white/neutral rope, yarn, or ribbon • 2 Popsicle sticks • cardboard, paint, and sponge for background
Instructions
1. For each goat you will need to cut the following out of paper: two rectangles (one 6” x 4” and one 6.5” x 4”; cut fringe on each 4-inch end), two ear shapes (fringed), one tail shape (fringed), one beard shape (fringed). You’ll also need to cut out two horn shapes from cardboard, and cut one of the toilet paper rolls in half. 2. Paint the half-toilet paper roll; this will become the head. Decorate and add a face to it. You can make a paper hat by rolling a half-circle shape into a cone and folding up the bottom edge. 3. Glue the horns, ears, beard, and any other adornments to the head.
4. The other (whole) toilet paper roll is going to become the body of the goat. Poke four holes in the bottom of it. Cut four short pieces of black rope or yarn. Tie a knot in one end of each. Starting from the inside of the toilet paper roll, feed one piece of yarn/rope through each hole. (The knot will hold it in place.) Then knot the other end to become the feet. 5. Glue the larger fringed rectangle over the toilet paper roll. Then glue the smaller one on top. Glue the tail to one end.
6. Cut a long piece of neutral/ white-colored rope or yarn. Poke a hole through the top of the head and the bottom of the head on an angle, and string the rope through both. Then poke two holes through the top of the body, one at the front and one at the back. String the same rope from the head through both holes on the body. 7. Glue two Popsicle sticks together to make an X shape. Tie each end of the rope to opposite ends of the Popsicle stick X.
8. To make the theater background, paint a large piece of cardboard blue, like the sky. Then cut out several mountain shapes and, using a sponge, paint those with different shades of brown and green. Glue to the sky background. Use clips or zip ties to attach the completed background to a table or other item in your home. Voila! You have a theater. Now you’re ready for a puppet show. ¶
Kelly Mindell’s brand, Studio DIY, is a kaleidoscope of DIY projects. (Miley Cyrus wore Mindell’s “stick of butter” costume on the singer’s Milk tour.) Find her at studiodiy.com.
Smoothie Power! Supercharge Kids’ Bodies
By Karen Barski W ith a pandemic roaming the globe, the one thing on all parents’ minds is making sure kids stay healthy. As a nurse for 25 years and a wellness coach, I can tell you this: When it comes to keeping the doctor away, you can’t beat smoothies. The best time to have one is first thing in the morning, when the stomach is empty and this superfood immunity-boost can go right into the cells. The body has been sleeping all night and is not digesting any food, which means it has more time to do what it should: keep your organs clean, healthy, and functioning at their highest level to prevent sickness and disease. Here are two recipes kids will love. Both serve 2–3 people. Just blend the ingredients in a blender or VitaMix and drink away. ¶
Karen Barski has been a registered nurse for more than 25 years. She is also a wife and high-energy holistic mom of five (including twins) plus one angel child. She is an Infant Care Specialist, wellness coach, and inventor of the global swaddle brand Woombie. Through her Woombie social media and her blog, Juiceboxes + TEQUILA, she connects with parents about raising happy and healthy kids. Find her at woombie.com and karenbarski.com.
Keep-the-Doctor-Away Smoothie
1 cup organic frozen mixed berries 1 banana 2–3 scoops of vanilla protein powder (we choose dairy-free, plant-based) 2–3 tablespoons chia seeds or chia/flax blend 2–3 big handfuls of greens like kale or spinach (try Earthbound
Organics Power Greens from Costco) 1 ½ cups of water or almond/soy/nut milk (avoid dairy)
Kid-Approved Purple “Green” Smoothie
1 whole lemon peeled (seeds and all!) 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger 1 cup leafy greens (kale or spinach) 1 cup coconut water ¼ apple ½ cucumber 1 small celery stalk ½ cup frozen berries ½ banana (can be frozen, too)
Jellyfish Cam
Just Floating Along
The Monterey Bay Aquarium draws people from all over the world. Right now it’s closed due to COVID-19, but thanks to its live cams, its tanks are still available for all to see. We love the shark tank and jellyfish displays, now available 7 a.m.–7 or 6 p.m. PST. But check out the penguin and sea otter cams, too, as well as the variety of other footage available at: montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams ¶
Laurie Berkner
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Kids Music Online
Laurie Berkner started creating children’s music in 1992. Her performances and recordings grew in popularity until she became what People magazine calls the “queen of kids music.” With the aim of making sheltering-in-place a bit easier, the performer has posted free videos on her Laurie Berkner Band Facebook page (facebook.com/LaurieBerknerBand). And she’ll be doing a live online concert on June 21 at 3 p.m. PST. Tickets are $20 and available at laurieberkner.com. Special $10 needs-based tickets for those experiencing financial hardship are also available. Write katie@twotomatoes.com for more information. ¶
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Just Don’t Ask 6 Questions Kids Won’t Really Answer
By Pam Moore
They say there are no dumb questions. They are wrong. There are, in fact, many dumb questions. I know because I ask them more often than Kim Kardashian posts a selfie. In the spirit of conscious parenting and minimizing the urge to stab myself with a Lego, I’ve composed a list of dumb questions to stop asking my kids. 1. Are you ready to go? Before asking this question, assess the situation. Are the child’s shoes on? Has the child gone to the bathroom? (Alternatively: Is her diaper smuggling a wrecking ball?) Is the child already holding whatever toy, doll, or tchotchke she needs to bring? If not, save your breath and some aggravation. The child is not ready to go. 2. Can you wait a minute? If you say this to someone who has no idea how long a minute is, prepare for the aftermath: A small voice will ask, “Has it been a minute?” approximately
every 15 seconds until you lose your mind. Multiply the number of uninterrupted minutes required to complete whatever you were doing by 7,832. Plan to finish sometime next year. Next time try saying, “Not right now,” and then placing either the child or yourself in a locked, soundproof chamber where you or she will remain until your task is complete.
3. Did you poop? (toddler
exclusive!) You saw her disappear into the other room. She smells like a dumpster. And you know that every day of a toddler’s life is sponsored by the word no. Skip your lame attempts to get a confession; grab the child and change the diaper. 4. Aren’t you hungry? Never in the history of humanity has this question inspired a child to eat the meal his loving caregiver carefully prepared (or frantically threw together). If your child had an attorney, he’d accuse you of leading the witness and request the question be overruled. Kids don’t care how you’ll feel at the crack of ridiculous o’clock tomorrow morning when they’re STARVING. For miniature, enlightened yogis (aka children), the only moment is right now. And right now, they’re not hungry.
5. Why did you push your
sister? All kids do stuff we don’t understand. They bite siblings, TP the bathroom, or wear footy pajamas in July. And we want to know why. Repeat after me: They do not know. (Also: They get this from your partner.) When our kids behave, we credit our stellar parenting. When they don’t, we remember children are just animals, acting on instinct. They probably have no clue why they did what they did. 6. Do know how late it is?! If, like me, you’re asking this question of someone who uses a Tot Clock to tell time, stop asking this question. You are talking to an overtired, undersized human whose life goals include becoming a ballerina or maybe an astronaut and staying up all night. Letting her know exactly how long she’s been winning the war on fatigue will only embolden her to keep pushing through.
Life’s too short for dumb questions, so I pledge to do my best to stop asking them. I don’t know about you, but I would rather spend my precious time asking the important questions like, “How long until bedtime?” and “Will they expect me to pay for therapy?” ¶
This article was originally published on Motherly.
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READ TOGETHER THIS SUMMER!
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511 S. ORCHARD AVE., UKIAH • 707-472-5000 2020-21 Kindergarten & Transitional Kindergarten Registration Opens January 7 th
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Register online at www.uusd.net Register online at www.uusd.net If you need assistance with registration, or access
If you need assistance with registration, or access to a computer and printer, visit your school’s office. to a computer and printer, visit your school’s office. Calpella Elementary Frank Zeek Elementary Grace Hudson Elementary Calpella Elementary 151 Moore Street 472-5630
Calpella Elementary 151 Moore Street 472-5630
151 Moore Street 472-5630 Nokomis Elementary Frank Zeek Elementary 1060 Bush Street 472-5100
Frank Zeek Elementary 1060 Bush Street 472-5100
1060 Bush Street 472-5100 Oak Manor Elementary Grace Hudson Elementary 251 Jefferson Lane 472-5460
Grace Hudson Elementary 251 Jefferson Lane 472-5460
251 Jefferson Lane 472-5460 Yokayo Elementary Deadline for Grace Hudson Kindergarten registration: February 21, 2020 Nokomis Elementary Oak Manor Elementary Yokayo Elementary 495 Washington Avenue 400 Oak Manor Drive 790 S. Dora Street 472-5550 472-5180 472-5690
Nokomis Elementary Oak Manor Elementary Yokayo Elementary 495 Washington Avenue 400 Oak Manor Drive 790 S. Dora Street 472-5550 472-5180 472-5690 Deadline for Grace Hudson Kindergarten registration: February 21, 2020
Deadline for registration at your elementary school of choice: March 31, 2020 495 Washington Avenue 400 Oak Manor Drive 790 S. Dora Street 472-5550 472-5180 472-5690 Deadline for registration at your elementary school of choice: March 31, 2020 Children age 5 by September 1, 2020, will enroll in Kindergarten. Children age 5 by September 1, 2020, will enroll in Kindergarten. Children turning 5 between September 2 and December 2, 2020, Children turning 5 between September 2 and December 2, 2020, will enroll in our Transitional Kindergarten Program. will enroll in our Transitional Kindergarten Program. June 2020 MendoLakeFamilyLife 23
Thank you for trusting us as your health partner
Adventist Health and Mendocino Coast District Hospital have joined together to care for our community.
On behalf of all of us at Adventist Health, we are grateful and humbled by your confidence in our ability to build on the legacy of healthcare delivered in this community. We look forward to leveraging the skills and talent of the great team that cares for all of you, our community and neighbors. Together we can bring you and your family access to more services and more coordinated care available right here, close to home. As part of a larger health system, we bring a deep sense of service, a passion for caring, and technology and resources that can help us broaden our focus from not only caring for the sick, but bringing health and wellness and prevention programs that will help to keep you living well – physically, mentally and spiritually.
Thank you for welcoming us into the community. I know that choosing a health care organization for you and your neighbors was a very personal decision. Ultimately, you trusted us with your care, in return we promise our unwavering commitment to you and your health. Jason Wells, President Adventist Health in Mendocino County
