Tomorrow is April Fools Day and I am still in Easter mode. Just saw these great ideas on Fun For EP Kids and Spoonful.com that I thought I’d pass along.
Click here : April Fools Day Ideas for Kids.
Brownies after dinner
Googly Eyes surprise in the fridge
Surprise Toilet Paper Notes
Turn the house upside down
Blue water – unscrew tipd stick in kid’s blue bath tablet. Rescrew.
Chicken Not Pie
If the tooth fairy could sell teeth, The Hendrix family would have just given her a bonus! All 3 kids have lost a tooth in the past 2 weeks and we have five more wiggly ones. The tooth fairy needs to stay on top of it because we are keeping her busy.
Because I can not remember who lost a tooth when, I made this printable keepsake. Now I have the date and their cute message like “Please do not take my tooth.” “Have you ever seen the Easter bunny?”
I first made the one on the left which my boys laughed at as too girly. Hence the non-girly version below. Feel free to print any of the printables from the link below. Click to print on cardstock:
I thought I’d share this note she left Campbell a while back. I imagine she wrote it in a word document and then shrunk it into a really small font. She probably then folded an envelope out of the paper and taped it.
Today is the beginning of Passover. Last night our family read the Old Testament story about when God “passed over” the blood-stained homes of the Jews. A lamb had been the provision of escape for His chosen people. We then switch to the New Testament story in which Jesus celebrates Passover with His Disciples. We use the Jesus Storybook Bible, a gift from my sister, which is hands down my favorite children’s Bible. Here is an excerpt that had my children rolling with laughter in a not so funny story:
“Jesus and his friends were having the Passover meal together in an upstairs room. But Jesus’ friends were arguing. What about? They were arguing about stinky feet. Stinky feet? Yes, that’s right. Stinky feet. (Now the thing about feet back then was the people didn’t wear shoes. They only wore sandals, which might not sound unusual except that the streets were dirty – and I don’t mean just dusty dirty – I mean really stinky dirty. With all the cows and horses everywhere, you can imagine the stuff on the street that ended up on their feet!)”
Why did Jesus voluntarily do such a chore? Do you think He needed to be reminded? We talk about what it means when Peter asks Jesus to not just wash his feet but “ALL of me.” We pray together and ask God how he wants us to respond to this story…which leads us to today’s Holy Week activity.
Lily told her brothers about an activity we had done on our missions trip to Malawi. We had washed the feet of the African ministry leaders who tirelessly serve those in the villages. We were there for 10 days but these faithful servants spent EVERY day feeding and ministering to the needs of the poor. They are truly the hands and feet of Jesus, and we were humbled with tears for the privilege of “washing their feet”.
My children select a beloved teacher who has touched each of our lives in a special way. They get a bowl and some towels. Campbell comes to me with a handful of random travel-sized shower gels, “Which of these is the most expensive?” We study them and are certain by the smell we had found the most precious. Ding Dong. Hugs are given. Chairs and towels are laid out. Hot water is added to the bowl. They wash. They dry. They lotion. I’m convicted for all the stinky feet I didn’t want to wash; for the times I grumbled allowing another to compensate for my selfishness. Not just my feet Lord, ALL of me.
I awoke this morning to the rumblings of a thunder storm and the excitement of a day in our jammies; the first day of Spring Break! As I think about our upcoming week, I commit to making this not just another Spring Break because it isn’t. This is a week in which we remember Christ’s suffering on a cross and His resurrection. Jesus knew this was His last week in earth. If you knew it was yours, what would you do? Doesn’t it make you want to read the scriptures of that final week to see what Jesus did? I’ve been rereading Max Lucado’s book called “The Final Week of Jesus” which walks you through just that. So this is my challenge, how can I prepare my heart and home to receive and see clearly all God wants to teach us this week? I have planned a different activity for each day of this Holy week. Today we start.
DAY 1 – Simplify
I was inspired by an idea on Pinterest this morning called “Get rid of 100 things this weekend”. Yes! Simply our surroundings. Clear the clutter so that we can breathe…think…hear. This is where our family is starting; a practical exercise in simplifying.
I explain to my crew that God desires to be seen by us. He wants to be heard but sometimes our crowded and cluttered lives distract us from His voice. We discuss the idea of simplifying; cutting back the stuff to make more room for God. I propose the challenge. Can we each find 100 things to give away? It can be clothes, toys, books, toiletries. We set up bins for donations, consignment and garbage. We crank the music and begin. My 10 year old daughter, Lily, takes a mad dash for her room throwing piles of clothes and books into the donations bin. I rescue some classics and sentimentals but am impressed with the enthusiasm. My 7 year old, Campbell, approaches it from what the recipients would want to recieve. He immediately begins writing a note and coloring a picture for them which he counts as #1 of his 100. My youngest has no interest in anything except playing with the neglected toys that have just been put in the donate bin. One item put in, 2 removed. 500 items starts to sound like a big number and I begin wondering if we should have aimed for 100 total, not per person. Then I remember my overflowing closet and feel convicted. We got this.
DAY 2 Palm Frond Crosses
It’s Palm Sunday, a special day in our home because it is the source of our son’s namesake. When I was pregnant with my 3rd, with no agreed upon baby name, Lily came home from school waving a palm frond. She explained that the people waving palm fronds as Christ entered Jeruselum were called “palmers”. I went into labor on Easter and our Palmer was born the next day. To
day we are making crosses out of palm fronds. Now I do feel compelled to tell you that Palmer thought the crosses were more fun as guns. Bang Bang. Here is a great tutorial:
How to Make aPalm Frond Cross Tutorial:
Day 3 – Crown of Thorns
“The soldiers wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head. “Matthew 27:29 “They mocked him and spit on him”.
When I think of a crown of thorns, I like to imagine it differently. I don’t like to think about the blood dripping down Christ’s cheeks or the piercing sensation of constant pain. I ask what it means to suffer at school? Has anybody ever spit on you, hit you, insulted you? How did you feel? Why did Jesus have to suffer? We pull up grass from the ground and weave it together into a crown. We pierce it with toothpicks. The kids are both eager and reluctant to put on the crown. A few minutes later, Campbell hurts his elbow. He comes to me sprinting. There was nothing I could do, but he wanted me to know his suffering. We are each going to experience periods of suffering. I take comfort knowing that God knows my human suffering first hand. “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all of my tears in a bottle and recorded them.” Psalm 56:8
Day 4 Beauty for Ashes
About a month ago the forest immediately behind our home caught on fire. We watched as the fire moved from hundreds of yards away onto our property. As it crossed over our brick wall, I was advised to grab what I could. A reverse wind came blowing the flames in the other directions permitting just enough time for the firemen to push it back. For a week the tall pine trees sizzled and smoke filled our home, but we were thankful.
For today’s project, my husband and children hopped the brick wall towards the burnt remains. They found the perfect logs.
With rope and humility, Jimmy ties the ash stricken trunks together. The mid-afternoon sky turns black. The skies thunder and gusts of wind begin blowing. We all race inside later learning tornadoes were passing over our area. We talk about the parallel between our afternoon and that Friday in Jerusalem so many years ago when the skies turn black and the earth shook as Christ died. This cross, made from the ashy wood which took the brunt of the fire that could have destroyed our home,is now a physical representation of not only God’s sovereignty over our family but the freedom to live because we are not bound by our sin.
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Click here for a new Holy Week post”Stinky Feet of Passover”
Click here for a new Holy Week post”Stinky Feet of Passover”
A first grade play is one of the great joys in life. Today my 7 year old, Campbell, was in the Peter Rabbit play. He was, brace yourself, Onion #2. My highlight of the play was not the adorably painted rabbit faces, the garden of 1st grade vegetables, or even the live bunny Beatrice Potter carried around. My joy came in the friendship between the 2 onions. They say onions can make you cry, and this pair of onions succeeded.
When the lights when down and start of the play was imminent, Onion #1 was overcome with anxiety. His mom and I quickly prayed his heart would be flooded with peace and that he would recover. Onion #2, who is also prone to anxiety over sounds, lights, and all things overstimulating, quietly whispered to Onion #1. We all waited with breathless anticipation. What was going to happen to the little onions in the garden patch.
The play began, and without a pause Onion #1’s tear stained eyes cleared as the corners of his mouth began to turn up. I whisper to his mom, “I think he’s smiling.” What had changed? He proceeded to sing louder and motion larger than any of the animals and vegetables on stage. As the children recited their lines, Onion #1’s mom points out that my Onion #2 is saying both sets of lines. After the play, I asked just what was whispered between the 2 onions and teacher in those crucial moments when the lights when down. Onion #2 had simply agreed to take his lines and reassured him with “That’s ok, I get scared too sometimes” . Onion #2 understood the burden of anxiety. His own life experience had taken him to a place where he could relate. He loved this friend and reacted accordingly. 
There are times as adults when we are overcome with the pressures of a situation. We need a little relief to be able to see the hope that lay ahead. We need room to recover. How thankful I am for the friends in my life who have taken just a little bit off of my plate, so that I could sing louder and motion larger in the rest of my play. May our hearts be sensitive enough to see when we can offer up that same hope to those in our garden patch.
The Wrap Party
I had to post a picture of this adorable Peter Rabbit cake. Each of the children’s names is written on the side of the cake. I will find out the name of the woman who made it as I know she makes cakes for all occasions.
My kids love any excuse to make cake pops. We made a batch by combining Key Lime cake with vanilla icing dipped in Orange colored chocolate. Peter Rabbit’s Carrot garden was complete. Here’s a picture I took at the last-minute
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To show our support of those cast as veggies in the play, we made “I love Onion” necklaces to wear during the performance!
March 10, 2013
What is it about dressing up in ridiculous costumes that puts us in a good mood? Last night we had the privilege of attending The Geneva School’s Roaring 20’s gala. They were celebrating their 20 year anniversary and did so in style.
When I first learned that we were to “dress the part”, I immediately thought Flapper. After sifting through my closet, I changed my tune. I came across a dress my aunt wore to her son’s wedding that screamed the Great Gatsby. I googled Great Gatsby/20’s and pieced together a list of 5 defining elements to dressing the part.
5 Musts for a Roaring 20’s/Great Gatsby look:
1. jewelry – a long strand of pearls or vintage silver sparkles are a must!
2. Gloves – white, cream or black long gloves add polish to the look.
3. Feathers – feathers are a great accessory. Grab a boa, feathery jacket, or even stick an individual feather on your clutch or in your hair.
4. Headpiece- feathers or an oversized flower can be stuck into hair with a barrette or bobby pin. A chignon or waved bob were also popular. A rhinestone necklace can be used as a headband. Also a cloche hat is perfect. Party City sells one for under $20.
![20s-bridal-hair-jewelry[1]](https://thehouseofhendrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/20s-bridal-hair-jewelry1.jpg)
So I pieced together a boa, long strand of pearls, and some white gloves I wore in my own wedding. I went to Clarie’s and bought a headband to which I attached a flower pin I already owned. After texting my mom and sister pictures of different hairstyles, they decided for me. I would still like to try a wavy bob but just don’t have those hair styling skills.
My husband is always game when it comes to dressing up. I bought a gangster hat and sequins suspenders at the Party City for his look. He added a pinstriped suit and we were ready to go!
Cups! Cups! and more Cups! That’s what I was cleaning all day long. There are only 5 of us yet 10 cups on the counter. My children also had the habit of drinking from any cup on the counter. So if one child had a cold, we quickly passed it around. That’s when I had the idea of everybody has ONE cup that they are allowed to use. If it’s next to your bed and you’re thirsty, go get it. This simple idea was so easy to implement and drastically reduced the amount of washing I was doing. Here’s how I made these:
Here is how I made these:
tutorial coming soon
I am a little obsessed with my Die Cutting machine at the moment. So when I saw these boots on sale, I knew my sister needed them to wear as she cleared out the woods behind her house.
Here’s how I made them:
click the cross for our other Holy Week activities.
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