of course….since i shouted to the world how much i loooooove being a mom…
my kids gave me the hardest day they have in a long time.
crying.
no dessert.
drive me nuts kind of day.
starting immediately at 6:50 AM with a full blown temper tantrum about a shower ending with tears at dinner.
it's like they knew i had written that yesterday and they wanted me to prove that i love it.
i proved it by giving myself a time-out.
after a frustrating dinner that took me 45 minutes to make never leaving the stove top….
which was met with tears and complaining to no end….i cleared my plate and took a super long hot bath.
daddy put them to bed.
and i watched Oprah's Favorite Things on dvr.
and you know…after watching that show how could anyone be unhappy?
everyone is so excited and crying and hugging.
i made it through another day.
and i still love being a mom.
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ok….it's turkey time.
this craft was really fun.
the first part was nice…we went for a walk and filled a grocery bag with colorful leaves.
then we turned the leaves in to turkey feathers.
we started with large circles cut from cardboard.
i just took stuff out of our recycle box and traced around a plate.
you can also use paper plates….but i wanted them to be bigger than that.
i covered annie's with glue.
talby used the glue gun.
we covered the circle completely with leaves.
it was so pretty watching them.
the glue was being used generously.
we had to cut the stems off with scissors because when they tried to break them off with their hands
the leaves would rip.
and i admit that about now in this project a fight broke out about….glue? markers? who knows.
but i yelled "NO. we are NOT doing this! GET CRAFTING NOW!"
because i know that when your hands and mind are busy with art…the fighting ends.
the head was cut from a grocery bag.
the beak and feet were orange painted cardboard.
but construction paper would be fine.
googley eyes!
all kids love googley eyes.
talby made some glasses.
sean's has the mustache.
annie came up with the idea for making clothes, arms and writing "Don' eat me for thanksgiving" – so cute!
if you live somewhere that doesn't have all these pretty leaves on the ground…you could use paper.
or fake leaves.
i found this craft through the crafty crow.
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some of you have asked me what i do with all their art projects.
i hang them up!
some of them.
talby has hung most of hers in on her closet door.
and we pass them out to friends or family who visit.
and i am ok with throwing projects away after time.
i am not a saver.
i can throw stuff out without the guilt.
The Best Thanksgiving Activities for Kids - Joy in the Works - […] Nature Collage Happy Thanksgiving Banner from Joy in the Works Zentangle Turkeys from Play Dr. Mom Leaf Turkey Craft by Meg Duerksen of Whatever […]
alice mendoza - Hi!
I loved your continuous drawing owl project but cannot find it when I click on your website from Pinterest. I looked it kids projects too. Thanks for any hints! Alice
Kristin Hayne - Love the art wall.
Love the turkey art (made placecards like that for the kids this year and everyone thought it was genius. Gave full credit to you!
Congrats on the COKE trip. Well deserved!!
You are awesome and you do plant the seeds in a lot of minds out there. This world needs more Moms like YOU!!
jennyonthespot - those are Cuuuuuuuute! I LOVE the googly eyes!
Cassi - Your turkeys look adorable! Thanks so much for linking to The Crafty Crow 🙂
Jen - love the turkeys, how cute! we hang up kid artwork too, then I feel like we really get to enjoy it and I don’t mind tossing them after a few months 🙂
Mary - I wonder what each turkey’s name would be ~ they have such distinct personalities.
i proved it by giving myself a time-out . . .
A perfect solution.
Ky - Meg, can I be one of your kids? I promise not to fight or eat too much.
Jennifer - man we had to look high and low for leaves in So. Cal but we found some, and just made our turkeys, thanks! love it!!
Kristin S - I love my family but… would you adopt me? 🙂
Jeannie - If your testimony for God was not so strong, satan would not have had any reason to mess with you! bless you for boldly sharing your faith and guiding many of us to say out loud that we, too, choose to give honor to God in our days of dirty dishes, laundry, and children squabbling. thank you from the bottom of my heart!
The Fairy's Apprentice - I loved your post because I’m feeling so guilty when I’m upset with my 3 kids! It makes me feel I’m not alone and this is not a battle.
This craft project is such a good idea! You’re such an inspiration!
Leslie P. - Hm…I like what you said about how doing art together makes the arguing disappear. Insightful. I adore those turkeys. Wish we had better and more fall leaves in Socal. Mostly I love the way you regularly demonstrate that beauty in a family is FOUND in the mixture of personalities and emotions, not just in the happy parts.
Casey - Love all their artwork hanging up! Can’t wait to have kiddies of my own to do things like this! I have taken a few pieces of my old artwork/schoolwork and few of my husband’s and plan to frame it for a playroom one day. :]
amy jupin - love talby’s turkey’s glasses.
love the art wall.
love that my kids aren’t the only ones acting wild and crazy. 🙂
and i loved reading about your coke trip. you are awesome.
you really are!
Vicki - So do we call it karma when that happens…when we say, “oh ya, he is a really good dog, never messes in the house.” And then you come home from dropping the kids off from school the next day and the darn dog has just pooped all over the play room. How do they know is my question!
Kori - Things I love about this post:
1. You yelled. Makes me feel normal although I know there are moms yelling at their kiddos all over the world even as I type this.
2. Daddy put the kids to bed while you took time for yourself. My son is 13 and still likes to be tucked in by me, which I have no problem with, but sometimes it’s nice for dad to do it while I read.
3. (my favorite thing) You are capable of throwing away projects. I sooooo need to learn how to do that! I recently tossed a cereal box/paper towel roll robot my son made when he was three and I STILL have guilt over it even though I’ve kept TONS of other stuff!
Your honesty and kindness is such kind gift you give to us blog readers daily that I really appreciate. Makes me wish we were neighbors. 😉
crystal - I give myself time-outs all the time! I’ll say to my daughter: “Mommy needs a time-out,” then I’ll stomp up the stairs and close the door. When I come out, I’m a much nicer Mommy! I think all of the time, how does Megan do it with 5 kids??? How did she survive when all of them were so little! My kids are so demanding, and I only have 2!!!!
Rach - Have you ever thought about being a referee? I can imagine that you come highly qualified after keeping the peace with 5 children in the house.
Tracy - Am off to get some google eyes – my daughter saw these and we now have to make them!! Great idea!! Love it!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Jen R - I love reading your blog…it is so honest & real! What a great craft too. If I can find some leaves(I live in California!) we are making those turkeys. Thank you for sharing Meg! Happy Thanksgiving!
april - those are super cute and colorful….
candace - i will have to save this idea next year for my classroom. too cute! and your art wall makes me happy, dreaming of the day i can do that with my own kids!
Ali Richardson - I love them, they look GREAT!!!! I posted on my blog about the Water4Christmas Etsy shop and linked back your blog and to the shop. Hope it helps 🙂 My ornament is on my way to Del Mar as we speak. Thanks again for doing what you do 🙂
Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - I love the gallery. I used to hang them on my bedroom window before we moved… I need to get back to that! Have a very happy Thanksgiving sweet Meg!
a pocket full of posies - Too cute!!! and I LOOOVE them all hanging together- a little art gallery!! (we have several of those around here- cause I can’t seem to throw anything they do away- wish I could!- we are running out of walls!)
Happy Thanksgiving!
Many Blessings!
Jill
Beth - so cute! Glad you showed what you do with crafts, I’ve often wondered. You’re not the only mom out there throwing away old projects ( I do feel guilty, but NO MORE!)
beth
Four Flights - we have tons of leaves in our house right now. this is a great project to do with them!
Toni :O) - Such cute turkeys! Sorry to hear about cranky kids…I’m cranky because I have to work tomorrow and my whole family is off…sigh…I DESPISE new jobs…blech! Here’s a suggestion, before you throw them away, just take a picture of them since you’re such a great photographer! I usually do that before I recycle art projects…then I don’t feel so bad when I do it.
Staci - Love it!!!!! This is what my kids can do while I”m chopping and dicing and chiffoning for 35 people that will invade our house on Thursday 🙂 But I love it! Thanks Megan!
Laura Phelps - SO TRUE! Just wrote how good I am with children, and ALREADY TODAY I wish I had none around me!!!!!
I throw everything away. My kids must think we have a hidden gallery somewhere…they think I have it all…
home, out of the backpack, in the garbage, the end.
can’t save it all.
Elizabeth Gleason - I don’t know what it is. I don’t even know you. . . but just reading your blog makes a bad day not so bad. So Happy Thanksgiving! I’m thankful you brightened my day:)
Heather R. - Love the turkeys. One wiggly eye big,one small…ha! And Annie’s clothes on her’s(reminds me of Chick Fil A). 🙂
Hope you have a better day. Bickering is great, huh?(ugh.)
Stephanie@Geezees - Love this Thanksgiving Day craft!
Katy - Ooh, I think I will make some turkey art with my girls. 🙂 Hope today is a better day for you (and you get dessert)! PS: I love Oprah!
carols - I usually smile at the artwork, but these are so dang cute I even laughed. Ah yes, I also had some monster mommy moments yesterday with my 12 yr old son. Yup, my kids get my highs and my lows. Their darn good kids though, so I gotta believe in the end, it is all working. Enjoy all your little turkeys this week!
Kimberlee J. - I don’t keep all our treasures either. I put them up on our back door and when the door is full, I take a picture. I then throw all but anything with hands or footprints away.
Suzanne - What treasures! I’m working on the “throwing things away” deal-it’s just so hard.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your lovely family!
Suzanne
Penny - Sorry about the cranky kids! I get so angry when I work hard on a meal and no one appreciates it. Glad you were able to relax with Oprah. I love how you have the kids artwork hung up like that! It looks so happy and cheerful. You are a great mom!
Amy Lynne - I love those turkeys! It is so cool to see the art wall! Thanks for sharing the good and the bad, it keeps it real!
Gemma - Hi Meg.
The Turkeys are so funny!!!!
Love that you can throw them away after a while…I need that kinda attitude!!
Gemma x
Katy Stone - i love how each personality came out in these! i also love how you display their work- i’m sure it makes them so proud and encourages their creativity.
yay for craft thursday! 🙂
Holly - so cute!