In this Post: Puppet peg dolls for Pinocchio; Gumbo, Beignets, and fireflies for Princess and the Frog. Summer writing crafts and shaving cream fun. Also a look at Disney spirituality and how to deal with it.
*Next post in series here: https://amberdover.wordpress.com/2013/06/17/crafty-monday-disney-countdown-tinker-bell-peter-pan/
Well, I guess it’s out now. We are hoping to go to Disney World. I went as a kid but Chris and Michael have never been. I’m not sure exactly when we’re going but I have somewhat of a count down going on. We are taking a break from official school middle July until sometime in August. We will still be learning but not “officially”.
I wanted to do themes each week…like a camp. So I mixed Disney with corresponding themes. For example, Finding Nemo and ocean week. I want to fit as many Disney movies as I can in before we go to the most “magical” place on earth. So we started last week with Pinocchio, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Princess and the Frog. The plan is to have three or more Disney movies each week along with related crafts, games, and food.
I kept Pinocchio simple with just one craft. Michael and I made peg doll puppets. They don’t really work with the strings but they look neat and can be played with like dolls.
Michael made Pinocchio and I made a girl doll that’s actually in another Pinocchio movie (not by Disney). I think her name is Twinkle.
First, we drew an outline of the faces and clothes with pencil.
I cut Popsicle sticks and pinned them for arms.
Then we painted the dolls.
Then we added ribbons for the strings. I glued hair and fabric to Twinkle.
- The Princess and the Frog was really fun.
We had food from the movie. Tiana is one of my favorite princesses (if I can pick a favorite). She’s all about working hard and using her head. The jazz music is great too. So we listened to New Orleans jazz while doing school work.
PS: I didn’t add chicken. I had way too much sausage.
Warning: It’s delicious but it will clean you out!
- Beignets!
http://yumm.com/recipe/17496/easy-beignet
So they didn’t turn out perfect squares. Several of them were flat like funnel cakes (tasted like it too). This was simple and yummy. Maybe one day I’ll figure out how to hit the grease just right.
Michael was tickled pink to eat Gumbo while watching Tiana make gumbo.
I drew this picture for Chris and put it in his lunchbox. I wanted him to have some of the magic :).
By the way, I like to draw in my spare time. I have to look at tutorials or a picture of something to draw it. Lately, I’ve been caught up in nostalgia and drawing Sailor Moon characters. I was a big Sailor Moon fan as a teen.
Moving on…
- Frog and Lightening Bug/ firefly craft
Now the really cool thing about this picture is that it glows. We put glow paint on the moon and firefly (Ray~ man I wanted to cry when Ray died. Disney movies do this to me). My camera couldn’t take a picture of it glowing.
I’ve got a lot to say about Disney spirituality but before we get to that, here are a few other things we did this week.
We’re doing a bit of Summer writing each week. This week we read a couple of Summer poems. Michael copied part of “Summer is Coming” by Goodale onto this flip flop craft.
Then he wrote a Summer bucket list and glued together this paper bucket and shovel.
Home made Moon Sand with flour and baby oil
Chris and Michael put together this motor from Michael’s inventions kit (bought at Hobby Lobby I think).
Shaving Cream on the Slip n’ Slide
I moved things around. Now Michael can actually use his Lego table. I put his desk in the living room.
Michael and Chris playing with Lincoln logs. You can see the kitty is getting spoiled since his surgery.
I’m still getting things ready for the 2013-2014 school year. Teddy is helping :).
I have my fuel lol…I’ve yet to finish planning but I did get the whole Disney Countdown planned…all nine or more weeks.
I organized the homeschool room. Some of you won’t be able to tell the difference but I did move several things. Pardon the AC in the middle of the room. It keeps the room from becoming a sauna (thanks Stacie!).
The Lego table is now where it can be used and now our nook with the mural can be used for reading.
We’ve started a Summer reading program where Michael can earn tickets from me. You can see the books in the bucket. Michael’s already earned an ice cream and a peg doll set he can decorate on his own. Harder books equal better rewards.
- Disney Spirituality
*Heads Up- this is long so I put it at the end for those who really are interested. It’s my opinion and not up for debate in the comments. Take it or leave it 😉
So I really like Disney movies. I grew up in what I call the golden age of Disney. My first movie at the theater was The Little Mermaid and with both my parents (they weren’t divorced yet). I saw Aladdin on a “date” with a little boy AND my parents. I was probably nine lol. My Dad and I both about cried during The Lion King. Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, and Toy Story came out. My Mema (Dad’s mom) bought almost every movie on VHS for me. So I’ve passed down a lot of movies to Michael and because we still have a VCR we’ve found several Disney movies on VHS for cheap.
There are some great values in Disney movies but there are also many bad messages direct and indirect. One issue that I think many Christian parents deal with is the spiritual side of Disney. Yes, there really is one. Some people choose to ban Disney and others just overlook the magical/ spiritual aspect. There is a third option and this is where I am as a parent.
Using media as a tool
So I believe honest communication is the best way to stay connected to your kids and to teach them. I believe we can use the spiritual sides of Disney to teach and discuss. We as parents don’t have to just let our kids be brain washed with whatever spiritual lesson Disney is sending. We can teach kids critical thinking by asking questions. I believe this should happen with all media. We should know what our kids are exposed to and use it as an opportunity for learning.
(Note: I often use the word “magic” flippantly in my posts but I hope that you can tell the difference when I’m talking about the real life magic, not slight of hand but sorcery…conversing with spirits..telling the future and such. I don’t support the real thing. And my definition of witchcraft is according to the Bible, not what other religions determine.)
We watched The Hunchback of Notre Dame last week too. Now there are several lessons in this movie. Esmeralda dresses and dances like a hoochie (just being honest). She’s a gypsy and through out the movie gypsies are persecuted as thieves and witches. So Michael and I talked about how the way Esmeralda dressed and danced wasn’t pure but she had a loving heart. God looks at the heart not the outward appearance. We were able to talk about this theme throughout the whole movie. The jester sings in the beginning “Who is the monster and who is the man?”. We see that Quasimodo looks ugly but has a beautiful heart. His master on the other hand is a legalistic hypocrite and pure evil.
The movie also features Catholicism. We are not Catholics so Michael and I talked about the difference in our Christian beliefs. The persecution of the gypsies brought up the evils of racism. Some of these lessons Michael could get on his own, subconsciously by just watching. But other issues he needed to learn from me….like modesty and that we don’t pray to Saints (only to God). Also the evils of palm reading which is a real form of witchcraft. The Bible forbids fortune telling.
I really like The Princess and the Frog but it also has some dark spirituality. It’s one of the scarier Disney cartoons. Voodoo is the magic in the movie and voodoo is very real. The movie shows the Shadowman as the evil voodoo guy but then it shows an old granny who lives in the bayou as being the good side of voodoo. So Michael and I talked about voodoo in real life and how there is no good side. According to the Bible (what we follow), there is no good real life magic. Dabbling with sorcery and talking to the dead is forbidden because the “dead” are really familiar spirits (demons that mimic the deceased). The real spirits of people either go to Heaven or Hell. There is no in between life.
The Shadow Man plays with tarrot cards among other things. These things are dark and dangerous. In real life they open you up to demonic forces and should never be dabbled with. Even if you ban Disney, your kids may come across these things at school. We homeschool but still we saw a pack of tarrot cards at the Dollar Tree in the kids section! I was horrified. The Ouji Board and horoscopes are evil as well. If God wants us to know anything in our future he will tell us. I don’t want to hear what the dark side says. Even if they are somewhat right there’s always a dark twist.
Now obviously if a kiddo says “Gumbo gumbo in the pot” and pretends to play magic nothing will happen. I’m not saying be paranoid. But a kid’s curiosity may lead them to Google real magic or check out those neat looking cards. That’s the danger with make believe magic in movies. It can sometimes lead to the real stuff and more so if a tiny bit of real magical elements are in the story (why I think Harry Potter should be approached with caution if not avoided). But you don’t have to be afraid of this if you are frank with your kids about the dangers of real life magic and sorcery. They need to know the difference between what’s fake and real.
My Dad was a minister the last part of my childhood but he dabbled in Wicca and came in contact with Voodoo before that(we lived near a big voodoo town. Small town. Big hoodoo). He warned me with his own stories and that kept me from dabbling in magic because the opportunity was there at public school and also with neighborhood kids. I was definitely the type to try what I saw on movies and since I was sensitive to seeing demons and such I was a prime candidate for all that. Thankfully God saved me young and kept me from the direction I was going.
Anywho, this is getting long but I want to end this by pointing out that even if you avoid all magical movies it’s wise to discuss the dangers of real life sorcery with your kids. Once they leave the house they will most likely come in contact with the occult somewhere. The draw can be tempting. The scary thing is that the so called “control” someone thinks they have with a spirit guide etc is all backwards. The spirit (demon) is really doing all the controlling and all the tricks. The allure of controlling others is an illusion. It’s sad because when we rely on other things instead of God to determine our future we are worshiping idols and missing out on the best God has for us.
Lastly, wishing and praying are two different things. Wishing on a star is a big Disney theme. We don’t pray to stars in this house. That would be idol worship. There’s nothing wrong with dreams but we firmly believe in our family that God determines our future…not fate. So we don’t indulge in such a vague spirituality. It’s fun entertainment but it’s pure fantasy. Michael knows that. I would worry if he didn’t know the difference. I pray he has such a love and trust in God that he leans on God for all his desires. You can’t have a relationship with a star (unless you’re Ray the firefly but that’s another story lol…Evangeline!).
So we have fun with make believe but we know what’s real, what’s fake, and what’s dangerous. So I won’t be sharing my opinion of Disney spirituality every post on this count down lol…..just this one. But I figured it needed to be said that I don’t take these things lightly. I also don’t ban Disney. So there is a third option if you choose it.
God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover
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