Our Pumpkin Painting for October

The Painting Party, where we all painted a Sunflower, that I taught at my town library a couple of weeks ago was a such a success that we are doing it again in October. The ladies I first taught requested a fall theme for our next painting and requested this painting that my librarian found on Pinterest. 

I tried finding the original source of this image but didn't have any luck. 

This is my version of the chevron pumpkin. 

When I teach the class I'll probably do it a bit differently; more orange and less red. I think I'll get rid of the spirals in the background and maybe do polka dots instead. 

I'm loving these 2 hour painting classes. They are just too much fun! I've been on the Internet looking for ideas and I've found that these painting parties are quite popular, especially in the big cities. They have painting parties with thirty some students. I'm not in a big city but maybe I could make this a business! Maybe I could travel around and lead these painting parties. I could see a bunch of women wanting to do this instead of Tupperware! 

Montezuma Monets - A Painting Party!

I am soo very excited because we have a date set for our first painting party!! And I GET TO TEACH IT!! Yay for me!! 

Seriously, this is going to be so much fun. Would you care to come join us in our creative party? 

The Montezuma Township Library in Montezuma, Kansas will be hosting this first painting party on Tuesday, September 24th from 9-11 am.  We are calling ourselves The Montezuma Monets.....love that name, wish I could take credit for it...ha! 

Our first painting will be this Sunflower! A very appropriate theme for Kansas I thought and it shouldn't be too difficult for anyone. I'll lead everyone through painting this flower. 

Are you thinking you don't have any artistic talent and couldn't possibly embarrass yourself by trying to paint in front of people? No worries!!! Everyone will who comes will be newbies and we are here for FUN!! And what's more fun than making a mess with paint?? 

 Anyone interested in signing up for the class can contact Angie at the Montezuma Library (620)846-7032. There will be a cost for the class but I don't know exactly how much, I'm thinking it should only be $20 or so but that fee will include all supplies and a snack! Cost for the class is $.... which includes all needed supplies (brushes, paints, canvas, snacks).You may want to wear an old shirt or bring an apron and a FRIEND.

Yay!! I can't wait. This will be so much fun for me. I'm hoping that this is the first of many parties for the Montezuma Monets!! 

I wish...for a TOY library!

Over the past year I've been lucky enough to help our local Kansas Parents as Teacher (KPATA) coordinator, Melissa, plan out play dates in our town. Kids ranging from 0-5 come into her PAT (Parents as Teachers) room in an old high school building and do all kinds of stuff! We play games, read stories, sing songs, do art projects usually following a different theme every month but Melissa is awesome and has so much energy! She does different things every month! We are just gearing up for another year since we haven't met since November. 

While Melissa has tons of energy, her position is time consuming She is always traveling for many play groups in our area and has a couple rooms in this old school building to store things but has never had boxes or shelves to put them on. It's kind of become a dumping off spot for her before she takes off to the next town and the next group of kids. 

So this last week she and I have been digging through two rooms worth of stuff; cleaning, organizing, and throwing away. Toys, games, puzzles, blocks, art supplies, Little Tikes toys (that I drool over), manipulatives, books...all this stuff that ranges in age appropriateness from birth to kindergarten. 

She has so. much. stuff. 

As we've been cleaning and going through stuff she was kind enough to let me borrow anything I wanted to! This is only a few of the things I've brought home. It's been great because we've gotten new toys that all my kids are interested in (and it's gotten them away from the tv) and I haven't had to shell out a bunch of money for new toys and games. Plus Melissa has some great DURABLE toys and games you can't find at the local WalMart. I HATE spending money on a toy or game that breaks easily or doesn't work. (Like Elefun. Hate that game. It doesn't work. Don't buy it!)

Wasn't Christmas only a month ago? How many of your kids aren't playing with their presents anymore. It's true with some of my kids' toys. I've heard the advice to rotate toys around so your kids won't get tired of them. My problem is I don't have the time/space to do that or if I do when I bring them around my kids have out grown certain toys in a short amount of time and don't want them anymore. 

Wouldn't it be awesome to have a TOY library? (Not Goodwill where everything is broken!) A place where any parent or child can go into and check out a game or toy and bring it home for a couple weeks before they have to return it! Just like a library but with toys/games instead of books. 

How many problems would that solve? Parents wouldn't have to spend money buying new toys that their kids may or may not like. A toy library would be giving low income families the opportunity to enjoy high quality toys and games! Toys could be rotated as your kids outgrow them, especially for toddlers! Just like recommending a great book to a friend, parents could recommend great toys to other parents. 

I'm not sure if or how someone could even get a Toy Library started. I don't live in one location long enough to start one myself or I'd figure it out. 

That's what I wish for though, a toy library. That would be awesome.