I decorated graham cracker halves, quarters, and sticks with brightly colored frosting and sprinkles. A half for the head, quarters for the legs, and sticks for the body.

I took two large cupcakes, frosted them, and placed them together, to create the body.

I then decorated them with dumdums, fruit loops, m&ms, and black decorating frosting.

Here they are:

cross posted on From Dates to Diapers

Create a plan

• Draft up a menu and take it with you on your shopping trip. This is very helpful in avoiding coming home with a random assortment of items and not knowing how to make them transform in to a meal.

Stretch your food and your dollar

• Purchase whole chicken versus parts, and use every piece of it, from the skin to the gizzards, to prepare different meals.
• Make your milk stretch by adding 1/3 cup water to every 1 cup of milk. You'll get 3 cups more milk by doing this and the kids will never know. (Unless, of course, it's broadcasted as a suggestion to your parents on national television - My kids have not stopped asking if we water down the milk!)
• Begin the habit of portioning small quantities of snacks for the kiddos in to small ziploc baggies. Doing this will also help teach healthy eating habits.

Grow your own garden

• Now, this is something that my kids are super-excited about. They can't wait to help till the ground, plant the seeds, and tend a garden full of tomatoes, watermelon and herbs. We're thinking about a few fruit trees, too.
  

HSLDA is pleased to announce that all the major California-based homeschool organizations have come together in order to better serve California homeschool families.

The following organizations, California Homeschool Network, Christian Home Educators Association of California, Private and Home Educators of California and HomeSchool Association of California, represent the major California-based organizations working on a statewide basis to support private homeschooling. They, together with the Home School Legal Defense Association, which also works in California to support private homeschooling and which has members in California, jointly issue the following statement:

1. We are united in the goal of protecting the right of parents to teach their children privately at home without additional governmental interference.

2. We believe that children deserve to learn in the environment that best meets their individual needs. We support the right of parents to direct their children’s education including, if they desire, teaching their children privately at home apart from any public school program and without a teaching credential.

3. We believe that the opinion rendered by the Second District Court of Appeals in the case titled In re Rachel L on February 28, 2008 is excessively broad in its scope and incorrectly states the law as applied to home education in California.

4. We believe that the interpretation of California law, as understood by our organizations and by the California Department of Education prior to the issuance of this decision, is correct, that the interests of both the State of California in ensuring that children are educated adequately and of parents in directing their children’s education are well met by this prior interpretation of law, and that no change in California law regarding the teaching of children privately at home is needed.

"What has occurred is another egregious decision handed down by a California appeals court that strikes at the very heart and soul of families and their children," said Focus on the Family founder and chairman Dr. James Dobson, in a broadcast Friday. "How dare these judges have the audacity to label tens of thousands of parents criminals – the equivalent to drug dealers or pickpockets – because they want to raise and educate their children according to their deeply held values?" -Christian Post Reporter

In a statement released Friday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called the ruling "outrageous" and said, "If the courts don't protect parents' rights then, as elected officials, we will." -SacBee.com