Father's Day

I thought it would be a great idea for the boys to make their Dad cards for Father's Day. I also thought it would be a great idea to incorporate this project into school time. I thought it would be fun. That's what I get for thinkin'!

Step One: Find recipe for finger paint. The Internet has a wealth of information on making crafty things like finger paint. Since gas is over $4 a gallon, I decided to be creative instead of just running to the WalMart. Plus I'd have to buy paint once I got there, and what fund does that come out of?
Step Two: Prepare the area. I know my kid. I cleared the table (no small challenge), covered it with the ultra-ugly table cloth, put plastic on the chair, got out an old non-stick pan (I have a feeling All Clad may not have considered finger paint when they made their cookware), and wrapped my old stand-by apron around the would be painter.
Step Three: Bluff way through math/science lesson while making paint. It involves flour, salt and water. I'm pretty sure there's chemistry going on, but I was more concerned about the mess on my stove. I need to learn to compartmentalize.
Step Four: Add color! Benton chose blue and purple. We used this opportunity to discuss primary colors and how combining blue and red would make purple. (He already knows this because he gets colored oatmeal if Mommy's in a good mood).
Step Five: Wait for the paint to cool off enough to touch. Since our project had been boiling recently, we did some addition with chocolate chips. I would love math if it involved chocolate chips.
Step Six: Choose paper. Benton chose pink. He was very insistent that Daddy would want pink.
Step Seven: Attempt to explain the concept of painting with fingers to a pre-schooler convinced he needs a paint brush... Again... And again... And again...
Step Eight: Demonstrate by doing a picture yourself. Demonstrate by sticking his hand in it and making a hand print on the paper.
Step Nine: Help sobbing child wash his hands because they are "just too dirty."
Step Ten: Coerce him into trying it with the other hand and repeat Step Nine.
Step Eleven: Let the baby try
Step Twelve: Drag shrieking baby (who apparently discovered in the two seconds "in the paint" that it was what he was born to do) away from the paint to wash his hands.
Step Thirteen: Leave pre-schooler doing math with chocolate chips and baby crawling around in diaper while you try to clean up your brilliant project. Next time, we buy finger paint.

The cards turned out super cute, and Daddy loved them: