Look! Something Crafty!

After all of your sweet comments and suggestions on Monday’s post, I’ve felt really inspired to do a few things that will hopefully make my time in Uganda a little easier on the four year-old here at home. Alex and I have had some great bedtime talks the last couple of nights, and aside from the fact that he says he wants to go to Africa with me and find all the bad guys and fight them and put them in trash cans, his little heart really is becoming increasingly tender for the people on that side of the globe.

And truth be told, I’d sort of like to put all the bad guys of the world in trash cans myself.

Anyway, I’ve had big fun putting some of your ideas into practice. Bailey’s Leaf suggested that I take a Flat Stanley with me on my trip so that we could make a scrapbook (HA! HA HA!) with all the pictures when I get home. I LOVE the idea (aside from the whole making-a-scrapbook part, because OH, THE TWITCHING), so we have the beginnings of a Flat Stanley in the works.

Only I’m calling him Flat Howard. Naturally. And we’ll be coloring him later this afternoon.

Elizabeth also had a fun idea. She suggested that I make a paper chain to help the little man count down the days until I get home, and I thought that oh-so-cool since time can be such a nebulous concept for a preschooler.

And y’all? To do this little craft?

I ACTUALLY USED YARN.

Somewhere in Colorado, Barb is clapping her hands.

I found a template online for a Valentine’s paper chain (oh, I realize that I could’ve drawn the hearts myself, but that could have possibly resulted in some sort of pencil-related injury), and after about two hours, I managed to cut out eight little hearts.

The things you do for your kids.

I also thought it would be neat if each heart had a Scripture reference on it so that when my hubby helps Alex take a heart off the chain every morning, they can read that verse together and say a little prayer.

Now, of course, I want to cry.

Excuse me while I compose myself.

All better now.

Alex asked me to put the chain in the living room, and I hung it over a painting because, well, that’s where the nail was. Here’s what the finished product looks like.