Just an afternoon...

Although we do have a television in our home...we don't have a "dish" (for cable television).  Not such a big deal to many Americans, but the reality is...where we live ~ no dish = no television reception.  My nephews go crazy when they come to visit  because "they have nothing to do"!  (Guess that bat and ball in the backyard is nothing!  Oh, and lets not forget the summer that they played "chicken" with the mean heifer in the back pasure... or shooting beebee guns... or... do you get the idea?  We have a number of exciting outdoor activities to do.  Along with outdoor chores.  Kids learn very quickly when they come to my home not to complain about boredom!)
For my children, watching a movie when they get home from school is fun and exciting.  It is a reward for them to just "chill out" before getting to chores and homework.  Watching a movie is also a priveledge.  When Tyler came home on "Yellow" today ~ the color system in his kinder classroom, yellow is almost in serious trouble, but not quite...it's just a little bit trouble ~ he was told, "No movies and no dessert."  For my Tyler man ~ dessert and movies are his FAVORITE THING IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!!!!  After watching him entertain himself, I came up with a way to entertain him that was fun, creative, and somewhat educational!

STAMP YOUR SPELLING WORDS!

It is not a new concept at all!  Many teachers do it everyday!  I even used this same activity with my 5th graders when I was teaching.  Guess what?  Tyler loved it!

Don't be nervous about the construction materials on the calendar...

I'm just showing where I got the oversized paper...

The measuring tape was out because Tim couldn't find his "belt unit" (that's what happens when you let your three sons play in your tool bag!) and the level because he was hanging pictures!

So, basically, take whatever piece of paper you have laying around.  I've never liked these calendars, but they came in handy today!  See ~ there is a reason I keep random things around the house!

Flip it over to the back side...

tape it down to the table...

Give your kid some stamps, his spelling list, and stamp ink...

and say, "Get to it!"

Tyler had three different sizes of alphabet letters to choose from...

OK - so he needs a little practice with the direction of the stamp.

He was so proud of his letters!  He then moved on to his numbers...

then the little boys arrived...

Me: "Why is there a front loader on the table?"

Isaiah: "Because I'm pushing things over with it."

Hmmm...

Aiden is very proud of his castle with all the peoples inside...

Come Look!

Walls at varying heights...

peoples inside...

Looks like a building about to be destroyed by a tractor to me!

(Poor Tyler... he was having such a quiet moment with creativity.)

Stamping takes great concentration...

... unless he was simply planning his next attack on the fortress.

Those of you with children will understand why this is where I must end.

The carnage was great...

the city leveled and nearly tossed into the pits of fire (aka: Isaiah's head)...

I was forced to partake in the wreckage and demand a cleaning crew come in at once...

Oh the wars of stamping and boys...

Off to another adventure!