Making Corn-Shuck Dolls with M & M

It was a freezing-cold Monday with Marshall this week. The high was maybe 40 something. Marshall wanted to go "feed the fish," and I said, no, that it was too cold for Mimi. I said to go ask Papa, knowing he'd say the same thing, but surprisingly, he said, "Sure. Go get your coat and hat!" Here they are all bundled up with a baggie of crackers to go feed the fish. They didn't stay long....

but when they got back, Marshall had very pink cheeks!!

The big prize of the day was a double acorn--we called it "twins." We picked up Macy from school at 2:45, and they began making a long chain using a whole package of pipe cleaners. Marshall didn't quite have the idea of making the circle-shape, but he had fun anyway, and the race was on! This occupied them for about an hour!! I told Julie she could have it for her Christmas tree, but she declined!

This is an old corn-shuck doll that Julie made when she was in kindergarten---28 years ago! I always put it on the tree, kind of tucked deep in the tree where it isn't too visible. Macy found it the other day and pulled it out and began asking about it. I explained that this is what the little Indian girls used to make dolls many, many years ago and that her mom had made this when she was her age. She begged to make one, so I promised we'd do it Monday after school. Marshall and I went to Michael's and bought colored felt, chenille balls, tacky glue, and pipe cleaners. Julie bought a package of corn shucks at HEB. At first Macy decided she was going to make hers a bride doll, then changed it to a "flower girl." Marshall wanted to make an army man, so he picked camo felt. Macy helped quite a bit with hers, but Marshall needed much help. In fact, he mostly just said "yes" or "no" when I asked him how he wanted it. (It was not an easy craft, so don't try this with kids younger than 5!!)

The "Flower Girl" and the "Army Man."