I wish I had found this site BEFORE the royal wedding.  It would have been a stupendous activity for little granddaughters to do in anticipation of The Big Event.  Sigh.

I’d like to take a break from our regular programing to bring you this flash bulletin.

This fun picture has been circulating around the Internet.  Maybe you’ve seen it.  Do you think one of Walt Disney’s artists designed Kate’s dress?

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Jeromina, a very clever person, has posted directions and pictures on how to make this fabulous crown.  (By the way, you need to read her story about how she got engaged.  What a charming story.)  Here is the link to the pattern for her crown.

You can make this delightful crown ANY time with a granddaughter and she will feel like a royal princess.  It is so simple to make you might want to make several out of different colors to match the different colored dress-up gowns that you have.  (You DO have dress-up clothes for your grandchildren, now don’t you?)

I know that craft stores have different jewel shapes that would be fun to hot glue onto your crown to jazz it up.  You’d just have to be careful that the plastic can bear the weight of the jewels.

I know that some of you grandmas might not have a princess granddaughter.  Never fear!  You can take this idea and make a princely crown for your grandsons.  Here is a link to a masculine crown and another link to a different style of crown.

You can use the crown patterns for birthday celebrations or Halloween costumes, too.

Have any of you made crowns with your grandchildren?

Last Friday night, my husband and I went to Seussical (which is a Broadway musical).  I didn’t know anything about it. But, boy oh boy, am I glad we w ent!

The cast did a phenomenal job of singing and acting.  The costumes were so bright, funky, and clever.  And the music was so toe-tapping-makes-you-wanna-get-up-and-dance!  The little community theater that put it on did a tremendous job.  (If you’re in the neighborhood of Oren, Utah, I highly recommend that you get tickets and see it.)

I have purchased many of Dr. Seuss’ books.  And have read them many, many, many, many times to our children.  And I was so glad because there were lots of subtle references to other Dr. Suess’ book besides Cat in the Hat that added humor and delight to the musical.  I think it would be fun to get the soundtrack so I could play it and sing at the top of my lungs (which capacity is amazingly pathetic) with my grandchildren.  And dance while singing, too.

There was a little girl about 8 years old at the play.  She sat in the second row hugging a stuffed animal.  I would love to take my grandchildren to see this musical when they are a little bit older — if it was playing somewhere nearby.  If you get a chance, I would recommend that you take your grandchildren to see it.

Saturday, I happened to drop by a local fabric store.  They had a sign on their door saying they had Dr. Seuss material.   That got my grandma brain a-thinkin’.  Hold a Cat in the Hat activity for your grandchildren!  (Or an activity based on any of Dr. Seuss’ books.)  Here are some activities you could do.

• You could purchase some Dr. Seuss fabric and make book bags, shorts, skirts, bookmarks, or pillowcases for your grandchildren.  (You could have your grandchildren sew these items if they are old enough to use a sewing machine.)
• Play games and do activities on Seussville with your grandchildren.
• Print up Cat in the Hat coloring pages or these coloring pages.
• Make some of these Dr. Seuss snacks and treats. (I love the green eggs and ham idea!)
• Order some items from the Oriental Trading Company like Cat in the Hat bookmarks, stickers, or window clings.
• Make these activity blocks.  (This woman cut her own wooden blocks.  Methinks you could probably find them already made at a craft store.  What do you think??)
• You might want to buy a Cat in the Hat accessory kit that has a hat, tie, and gloves for grandchildren to dress up in.
• Buy copies of The Cat in the Hat to give to your grandchildren that don’t have the book.

Have you done any Cat in the Hat activities with your grandchildren?

I hope all of you grandmothers had a delightful Mother’s Day.  I had a delightful time with our daughter and her family, my sister and her husband, and my mother.

My sister made a delightful and delicious marshmallow bouquet.  I was so enchanted with it that I thought I would share it here.  She assured me that even I could make these.  (I don’t know if she knows about my cake pop flops . . . )

She said that all she did was melt some dipping chocolate, put a sucker stick in a marshmallow, dip the marshmallow into the melted chocolate, dip the marshmallow end into white sprinkles, and tie a green ribbon on the sucker stick.  She put pieces of dipping chocolate in a bowl and stuck in the marshmallow ‘flowers’.  The chocolate pieces held the flowers upright to make the marshmallow bouquet.

If you wanted to make a spring bouquet (I am hoping that spring will make it to my neck of the woods sometime before I turn 95 years old), I thought that you could get different colors of dipping chocolate (yellow, pink, blue, orange) to make a bouquet of different colored ‘flowers.’  And, instead of using pieces of dipping chocolate in the bowl, you could use multi-colored candy like jelly beans or lemon drops or other candy to add color to your bouquet.  You could even use mini-marshmallows for baby flowers.

If you wanted a bouquet to match a holiday, use colors that are associated with that holiday.  Pink and white marshmallow flowers would look lovely for Valentine’s Day.  Green and white would be terrific for St. Patrick’s Day. Red, green, and white would be great for Christmas.  Red, white and blue would make a wonderful bouquet for the 4th of July.

This would be a great activity to do with grandchildren that are at least 8 years old.  They could insert the sticks into the marshmallows, roll them into the melted chocolate, and dip them into the sprinkles.

You can make these with your grandchildren and use the bouquet as a centerpiece for a family dinner or an activity with the grandchildren.  When you make them, make sure you make plenty for your bouquet and plenty to eat!

Pajama-rama. Pajama-rama!  Don’t you just love saying that word?

Gather your grandchildren around for a Pajama-rama.  Have them wear their PJs (and  you, too, grandma!) and come prepared for lots o’ fun.  (You don’t need to connect it to a sleep over — unless you want to.)

What does one do at a pajama-rama?  Anything a grandma wants to plan.  The fun thing is that you do your activities in the comfort of your pajamas!  Here is a list of ideas to get your noodle thinking.

• Instead of having your grandchildren bring/wear their pajamas, give them new ones when they first arrive.  Purchase different types of pajama bottoms (flannel, cotton, silkie) and buy colored t-shirts to match.  One activity could be decorating the t-shirts with iron on appliques, rhinestones, buttons, bows, or fabric paints.
• Make fuzzy flip flops.  Have each grandchild bring a pair of flip flops.  Have an assortment of pieces of fake fur (spotted like a leopard skin, wild colors like neon orange, or camouflage).  Trace the flip flop bottom on a piece of paper as your patter.  Cut out the pattern and then cut the shape out of the fake fur.  Make slits in the fur where the toe and the side straps are.  Get some 3M Super Strong Automotive Attachment Tape or double-sided cloth carpet tape.  (Maybe your local craft store has some really strong double sided tape. I’ve seen ‘flip flop’ glue.  This would work, too.) Put pieces of the tape on the flip flop.  Put the fur on top and firmly press down.  Now your grandchildren have a fuzzy, soft-soled flip flop.
• If you have grade school grandchildren, have them bring a stuffed animal.  Grandma hides their stuffed animals and then have an indoor safari while the grandchildren hunt for their stuffed animals.
• Get white pillowcases and a set of fabric markers or fabric paint.  Let your grandchildren decorate them.  Be sure to slip some cardboard inside the pillowcase so the markers don’t bleed through.
• For grandchildren who are a little older, you could have some fun fabric and teach your grandchildren how to sew their own pillowcase.
• Read stories to your grandchildren — or have them read them to you.
• Play the sleeping bag guessing game.  Send one grandchild out of the room.  Have the other grandchildren switch sleeping bags and hide inside them.  Bring the grandchild back into the room and have her guess who is in the which sleeping bag.
• Design and make a door hanger.  Here are some ideas and also some templates that you could print and decorate.  Here are some more blank templates.
• For granddaughters, have a make-up make-over.  Purchase inexpensive eye shadows, blush, lipsticks and nail polish.  Have your granddaughters select the colors they like and then apply them.  Have curling irons, flat irons, etc. and have them try new hair styles.  Have bows, clips, and flower hair accessories that they can use (and keep).

What fun pajama party activities have you done with your grandchildren?