Hello everyone. This is my first entry on the Sqwahr website. I am Shannon, Don & Michele’s daughter. Alex’s sister. Michelle’s sister-in-law.
We had a busy weekend at our house. Saturday was our son Jack’s 5th birthday. It was also Opening Day of firearm deer season here in Michigan. My husband, Jamie, is a true- blooded Yooper, which means he was born and raised in the U.P. (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan. Jamie was away at camp for the day hunting deer. He happily came home for Jack’s family birthday party Saturday night and then traveled back out to camp so he could be there for the morning hunt on Sunday. Some hunters take the hunt so seriously that they leave home for weeks. Thankfully, my husband does not. He’s got too many other irons in the fire.
On Sunday, the kids and I went to church. This is an all morning event for us because Jack attends Sunday school this year. Sunday school is held an hour before the regular church service. I drop Jack off at his classroom and then my daughter, Elisabeth and I socialize a little while we stay at church and wait until the regular service begins. We all have separate places to go at church and that makes the morning run more smoothly. Elisabeth is 11 months old and has begun staying in the nursery while Jack and I attend the service until it’s time for Jack to go to Story Time.
Today, Story Time was especially fun for everyone. The kids made donut-hole deer and hunters, graham-cracker deer blinds and marshmallow snowmen. I’m not exactly sure what the biblical message in the activity was, but that was okay. Everyone’s actions were positive, all of the kids were using their talents, they were getting along, nobody became bored, the older kids helped the younger kids and the creative juices were soaring.
Items the kids were using were:
Mini-pretzels - for deer and hunter legs, hunter arms and antlers
Frosting - for gluing the graham cracker deer blind walls in place
Large and small marshmallows - snowmen and anything else they could think of
Uncooked oatmeal - leaves to provide camouflage for the deer blinds
Graham crackers - deer blind roof and walls
Plain and powdered sugar donuts - deer and hunter heads and bodies and snowmen
and last but not least
Chocolate chips - a.k.a. ‘deer poo’
The picture at the top of the entry is of Jack with one of his creations.
Very nice, daughter.
Our first 'guest' and what a great entry. It does sound like church is an all morning event, but it sounds like it is worth it for everyone. Jack looks like he is really into this activity. Never thought I would say that I'd love the 'deer poo'. Mom
Nice to meet you, Shannon, and it is great to read your entry to see things from your perspective. You could give your Dad a pointer or two. (I don't really know what that means, but I wanted to take the opportunity to rib Don - and your mom is delightful.)
All morning at church! Look, anything that teaches a positive message and keeps the kiddos happy while you reconnect with God and fellow believers is a blessing in my book.
Happy Birthday to big, boy Jack! I'm glad to hear that you survived it, Shannon. Sometimes making the day special takes a lot out of us moms.
Be careful that the little ones don't actually try to eat the deer poo. I almost did that as a kid. I wasn't very bright :).