Make Monday: Printed Paper Cookie Cutter Ornaments

I had been trying to rack my brain on some ideas for safe ornaments to hang on the tree for my curious, touch everything toddler. We put up our Christmas tree finally on Saturday only to have Judah take half of the tree decorations within reach down. He has been carrying the ornaments all over the house, playing with them any chance he gets.

It is probably a good thing we did not put up any breakable glass balls on the tree as well as our sentimental homemade cookie dough ornaments we made our first year of marriage. What few nice ornaments we do have remain towards the top half of the tree, out of reach.

So this week's project is designed to create a safe, fun ornament that your toddler/preschooler can enjoy and be proud of showing off: homemade cookie cutter ornaments. And you do not mind if they end up being played with.

Supplies
cheap cookie cutters
printed Christmas paper or wrapping paper scraps
Elmer's glue
ribbon
scissors
pencil
hole punch

Instructions
First, trace the outside shape of the cookie cutter onto the front of your printed paper with a pencil. Cut out the shape from the paper and hole punch the top of the shape so that the object will balance when hung. Turn over the cookie cutter and line the edge with a tiny squeeze of Elmer's glue. Turn the cookie cutter back over and press onto the stenciled shape with the glued edged. Make sure the printed paper faces the front of cookie cutter. Let the glue dry before tying some ribbon through the hole. Hang the cookie cutter ornament onto the Christmas tree so that the paper backing lies next to the tree.

Lessons Learned
This project is a little above a toddler's age group, making it a project more for older kids. However, Judah had fun playing with the cookie cutter shapes and picking out the paper to match each cookie cutter. He even attempted to help glue the ornaments. To actually glue proved to be a bit tricky but we found that Elmer's glue still was the most effective and easiest form to use as long as you apply it to directly to the edge of the side of the cookie cutter you want to glue down onto the paper.

Shuffle Saturday: Lifeguards ARE NOT Babysitters

I am sick and tired of it. I'm tired of parents blaming other people. Maybe I'm still angry about the Casey Anthony verdict. Maybe I'm just plain fed up with people pointing fingers. But place blame where blame is due.

A death of a child is always a sad thing. Always. And I don't want to cause any unnecessary pain or hurt to parents who have lost children. I guess it just makes me angry when people are always so willing to lay blame on others, rather than taking it upon themselves.

Recently, a five year old drowned in a city pool in our town. And when I read that, my heart ached. That child is the same age as my oldest. And my son is fearless when it comes to the pool and water. However, I ALWAYS make sure he has the swimmie vest on AND I (or my husband) are with him AT. ALL. TIMES.

On my facebook, I shared the link how the child had died and wrote, "So sad. He's the same age as Liam. As a former lifeguard, I know they cannot watch EVERY child in the water. PLEASE, if you take your kids swimming, watch them AT ALL TIMES."

A family member responded, "I agree! Those Life Guards also need to remember the purpose of their job."

Um, no. Parents need to remember their jobs. I responded with, "Lifeguards aren't babysitters. If you want a babysitter, hire one."

I was a lifeguard for two summers at our city pool. I can't even begin to tell you how often we were used as a babysitter. Lifeguards ARE NOT babysitters. We are lifeguards. Still, that didn't stop parents from dropping their kids off at the pool at noon and picking them up at 6.

If we had to close the pool due to weather, forget about it. These kids had no where to go because, "mom and dad are at work and we're supposed to stay here until they come and get us." Great. And then there were the kids who were banned from the pool for a few days-weeks at a time for behavior. When the parents found out, they came down and chewed us out with "What am I to do with him/her during the day? I have to work! You should do your job and watch my kid swim!" Maybe if they'd discipline their child like they did the lifeguards, their kid wouldn't have been kicked out for behavior issues in the first place. Just sayin.

And yes...that is me...three babies and 14 years ago.

SO here's the deal. Lifeguards were not there when the child was conceived. You do not pay them an hourly rate for each child they watched. More people would go into lifeguarding if that was the case. Yes, it is their job to watch the kids and keep them safe. BUT, it is YOUR job as a parent to watch your child AT ALL TIMES.

It's time for people to stop placing blame and start taking responsibility. Lifeguards are not babysitters, parents need to be held responsible.

Toy Thursday: No! Stop! That is not a toy!

It might backfire on me but up until now, I have been teaching Judah not to touch things by saying it is "icky" and that we do not play with it. You know items like electronic cords (his particular favorite), cords to the blinds, outlets, a piece of used trash outside on the ground, and so on; things that are dangerous in nature.

Well now that Judah can talk, everything now becomes "icky" from the smallest fuzzy to pieces of food on his hands. He walks by something on the ground and you here this "ICKYYY." Glad to know we cannot touch it Judah (but of course mommy removes it, picks it up, or moves it to keep him from getting it which defeats the point).

Anyways, Judah still has gotten into things that are not really toys. Imagine my horror when Judah found the piece of claw from the cat laying on the floor only to pick it up and eat it. I got there too slow. I had prepared myself for the cat food (which we went for even after lunch time) and someday probably the cat litter (yuck!) which is currently gated off. You are still never quite prepared for your kid to eat things like potting soil by the mouthfuls which you realize after the fact might be poisonous as it contains fertilizer.

I know I am biding my time until Judah really gets into stuff that are certainly not toys to play with. I have only to think about our friends and neighbors as we share the embarrassing stories. My personal favorite story is still about our best man's four-year old daughter. While mommy and sister were still taking a nap (and because she was not sleeping), she decided to get out the nail polish and paint her nails pink. And her toes. And the floor. And the magazine. And the bathroom rugs. Then on her way to the makeup drawer, she somehow decided that the toilet with the lid down looked like a big giant toe. At least that is what she told mommy. After that came the mascara. Mascara on the doll house. Mascara on the play dishes. Mascara all over her face. Next came the sunblock. Sunblock all over the bathroom floor. Sunblock on the dolly because "she was hot." By this time, mommy woke up to find her eating a snack of frozen blueberries and shredded cheese. You know all that talent makes you hungry.

You laugh because you are currently in the bathroom trying to picture how your toilet looks like a big giant toe. And you realize that it does look like a big giant toe. Thankfully we can laughingly share these moments (after discipline of course) between moms. That is if we are not too embarrassed to admit that our child was that child that ate poop or played in the toilet when you were not nearby.

Laughter aside though, perhaps this is a good, simple reminder to have safety precautions around the house. You know the phone number for the the poison control center (which is very helpful by the way), locks on the cupboards, chemicals put up high, or the blind cords cut short. As a new mom, I am still learning as I turn each corner but for the time being at our house, it is "Icky." You never know when the child will turn it into a toy!

Find your local Poison Control Center!
Take a First Aid Course!