Finally Finished The Llamas (sortof)!!!

Daddy, Kaden, Morgan and the Last-Minute-Llama

Remember waaaaaaaaaaaay back at Christmas time when we did that Sheep Unit? No? Well, me either. Just kidding. We've had a leftover craft project from that unit half-way done and lying around since before Christmas. In our homeschool family, when a craft project gets set aside in the name of advancement and "moving on to other things", it REALLY gets buried. We have a list of these little unfinished projects that we MUST get done in the next three weeks before school ends. So, each of them is being miraculously resurrected and patiently addressed.

Yesterday was the Llama's turn. The two naked llamas (a cruel papier mâchè joke) were painted and patched. The cat had been chewing their flimsy tape-covered legs off. [Don't be mad at the poor kitty, she was probably scared that they were our last pets that had been punished for doing something wrong. They probably were giving her catnap-mares and deserved to be pounced on and mangled.] We then began to try and get the microfiber "wool" to stick on the wet white paint, and it looked all WRONG. Llama #1 was dripping glue from it's armpits. Llama #2 had tape curling up from it's hindquarters and looked more like it had an albino afro than llama wool. Both of them kept falling over and finally, a leg fell off. That was the last straw. We got frustrated and TOSSED THEM IN THE TRASH. Yes... after sitting on the banister near our entry way (making our house look more like a strange, twisted Peruvian antiquities museum) for nearly six months... we threw them out like so much used-up newspaper. [Hey! That is exactly what they were made of!]

But I'm no quitter. Not me. If the lesson planner says we make a llama, by golly, we're gonna make a llama. So we made a llama - no plans, no pictures... just pure creative genius [see photo below to see my masterpiece]. Or, rather, I made my own llama (trial run) so I could have a model for the kids to use when they make their own llama next week. We got the pieces together for them (popsicle sticks - broken into correct sizes, paint, brushes, fabric, yarn, pipe cleaners, hot glue gun) and it is something they can do with little supervision (just watching over the hot glue would be your only parental issue).



The other llamas looked much more professional online, but the instructions were lengthy and I wanted to do it MY way (should have been my first clue that things would go wrong). But... I actually like our little llama a lot better. He has character. He has spunk. He has style. He has a lot shorter supply list. The kids like him better, too. If I can find a photo of the mummy llamas for you, I'll be sure to post that later. What a laugh! We are glad to be rid of them (however sad it was seeing them go). They had been around so long I almost felt like we needed to perform some kind of funeral. It feels good to get things finished up!


Other Quick Links:
Fleece Navidad
Lamby Links
Bee, Sheep and Stuff to Eat
The Llama Song
The Emperor's New Groove


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