Easy & Fun Craft! Make Ladybug Rocks
by Abigail Beal
With summer coming many of us see ladybugs everywhere. Why not create some special ladybugs you can keep on the porch or even inside in some special places?
This is a fun craft that kids can do. They may need some help with putting the tape on to evenly paint a straight line, and you also may want to handle the permanent marker (for putting dots onto the ladybug) – but otherwise should be able to negotiate the project just fine on their own.
This craft does involve painting parts of the ladybugs and then leaving it overnight (or for at least four hours) to dry. This is very important to make sure the paint sets. This is the perfect craft for a weekend project to do with children – by the end of the weekend the bugs are done. Just know going into it that this is not an instant project so children won’t be disappointed.
Materials You Will Use:
Rocks that can fit into the palm of your hand. Select oval or rounded rocks. Can use larger rocks if you wish to.
Red and black tempura paints
Paintbrushes with assorted widths – medium to fine sized points
A black permanent marker
Masking tape
Scissors
Optional: gold or silver metallic paint pen (these are often toxic and are not child safe, if using with a small child be sure they do not put this in their mouths!)
1. Clean your rocks with warm soapy water and dish detergent. Let rocks dry.
2. Paint rocks red and allow them to dry. Drying may take four hours, or they may need to dry overnight. It is very important to let rocks dry completely before going onto the next step.
3. Take a piece of masking tape the width of your rock. We will now paint the ladybug’s head on. Place the masking tape on about 1/3 of the way onto the rock, creating a head. Now use your black paint and paint a head for the ladybug. Keep the tape on while the black paint is drying. *** When placing tape onto your ladybug, you only need to press the side that you will be painting onto the ladybug, so do not press the entire piece of tape down. Only press the side that will painted down.
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By using the masking tape – you are creating very clean and even lines. Your ladybugs will have a very tidy look to them.
4. Next we will create the black stripe down the ladybugs back. Take two pieces of masking tape and put them on the ladybug’s back, allowing for a thin stripe of red between them. Depending on how large your rock is, this could be 1/8th of an inch or even 1/4 of an inch. Paint this stripe black and allow the tape to remain on until dry.
5. Now it is time to draw dots on the ladybug’s back. You can use paint or even the permanent marker. It is your choice. Most ladybugs have many dots, but for space’s sake you will probably want to put three or four spots on each side of the ladybug’s back. Once this is dry you are done!
6. If you have several children making ladybugs consider writing their name in metallic paint pen along the side of the ladybug’s body. Your bugs are ready for summer!
It's a Sick World
by David Leonhardt
It's no joy to be sick. It's even less joy when your child is sick. But the most unjoy is when you AND your child are sick together.
That happened to my poor wife a few weeks ago. She and Little Lady, going on three years old, both had a cold -- with all the sneezing and wheezing, hacking and coughing, wailing and whining required for a certificate of authenticity.
Little Lady normally bubble-pops with zest and vigor. Actually "bursting at the seems, bouncing off the walls and ka-booming through the roof" would be a more accurate description. So it was quite eerie to see her mope around like the drooping leaves of a Siberian Peonies that's been fed too much stale beer...not that I have a clue how the drooping leaves of a Siberian Peoni 
It's a Sick World
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Reasons For Divorce; What Constitutes Viable Reasons For Thinking About Or Wanting A Divorce?
by Karl Augustine
According to the Center for Disease Control's National Vital Statistics Report of 2002, 50% of first marriages ended in divorce and 60% of remarriages end in divorce. But, the Center for Disease Control also found that 96% of Americans express a personal desire for marriage, and almost three-quarters of Americans believe marriage is a life long commitment. I imagine that there are somewhat similar statistics worldwide.
With these kinds of statistics, its easy to see how complex it can be when people think they want a divorce, they have difficulty identifying how a truly viable divorce reason might be defined. Wanting happiness through marriage and wrestling with what may seem an inevitable outcome (a divorce), can be emotionally and mentally c Reasons For Divorce; What Constitutes Viable Reasons For Thinking About Or Wanting A Divorce?
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Wrap Adorable Baby Shower Gifts
by Abigail Beal
Are you going to a baby shower? Gifts for babies are always so cute – here are some ideas to create gift wrapping that is just as adorable as the gift you are giving.
If you know the baby is expected to be a boy or a girl, sometimes it is fun to wrap a gift in “baby boy blue” or “baby girl pink” – but remember we have many other colors in the rainbow to choose from! Here are some other options to get your creative juices flowing.
Going to a shower and the mother is not sure if the baby is going to be a boy or a girl? Wrap the baby gift in white paper and tie the gift with two ribbons instead of one – use one pink and one blue. Tie the blue and pink ribbons together and tape to the back of the package. Then have the ribbon form a bow on Wrap Adorable Baby Shower Gifts
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A Chance for a Home
by Tanya Sturman
"He is happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home." - Johann von Goethe
Home. Family. Backyard cookouts. A table laden with more than we can eat on Thanksgiving day. These things ground us, offer us stability, and give us an environment where we can learn, explore, grow, and even self-actualize.
Yet for 210 million children, these basic human needs will never be met because most of these children will come of age in an institution, never knowing a family, never experiencing the warmth, joy and acceptance of a home environment.
These children are orphans. And for them, finding a family is like winning a lottery. It is a dream come true, when all the pieces fall together and home becomes a reality.
Those who A Chance for a Home
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