pet rocks, rocks for pets

I can hardly look at these pet rocks without cracking up.

One sunny day last week, Maddy, Owen, and Cora had a blast creating pets out of a bunch of rocks and seashells that we lugged home from the beach. Sure, although there's little (okay, or maybe no) educational value here whatsoever, this crafty-craft got little fingers moving.

And when little fingers are moving, fine motor skills are being worked. And when fine motor skills are worked, actions like the tripod grip and cutting with scissors are improved!

• Pet Rocks: I set up the ole trusty sand and water table, filled a few buckets with warm soapy water, and grabbed the toothbrushes we've used for cleaning and painting.

Then I dumped the bucket of rocks and stones we picked up at the beach, and I asked Maddy, Owen, and Cora if they'd be up for cleaning some rocks and making rock pets.

They were totally psyched, like they usually are any time they can play in soapy water. So they scrubbed, cleaned, washed, and rinsed. For a long time.

Then we put the rocks and shells on towels and let them dry for a while. . .

. . . and when they dried, we brought the rocks to life.

After everything dried, I brought out googly eyes (these make everything fun), some pom-pom balls, glue, and some paint pens that I bought on clearance a few weeks ago. I was thinking that the pens would be easy for the kids to use and relatively un-messy. I thought I'd love them, but I was wrong.

They worked well, and they gave Maddy, Owen, and Cora something new to try, but blending was difficult, and it was also tough for them to control how much paint they squirted out onto the brush.

They made people, animals, and just whatever came to mind.

They made so many pet rocks, that for kicks, the next day, I lined them up at Maddy, Owen, and Cora's breakfast seats as a 'good morning' surprise. It made me laugh more than them, I think. . .

Maddy chose one and made a bed for it, and Owen and Cora shoved a bunch of theirs in a little 'box-bed' as well.

It was silly, it made everyone laugh a bit, and it gave us something fun to do one sunny morning, working fingers and brains and smiles.

I don't know what it is about these little Pet Rocks--they still make me laugh every time I see them.

I need a life.