WITH 3 FUN EARTH DAY PROJECTS SPROUT YOUR KIDS’ IMAGINATION
ONE FOR THE BIRDS Making a pine cone bird feeder is a fun and inexpensive project. In addition to creating and hanging your bird feeder, you’ll get hours of extra entertainment from watching the birds it will attract to your yard. If your kids are older, take photos of the birds or note their colors and features and look them up in a field guide or online. This craft just requires a pine cone (the bigger the better), peanut butter, and some twine or string. Top the peanut butter with “sprinkles” of mixed birdseed or small pieces of nuts and fruit to appeal to even more birds. For full instructions, visit TheSpruce.com and search “pine cone bird feeder.”
AN EGG-CELLENT PLANTER Save those eggshells from breakfast (and the paper carton, too!) and use them to start a garden! Your little ones will enjoy planting some seeds, watering them, and watching them sprout and grow into something new. When the sprouts are big enough and it’s warm enough outside, you can plant the shell and carton directly into the ground! This easy project just requires rinsed eggshell halves, some lightly moistened potting soil, and seeds of your choosing. Note that smaller seeds, like those for herbs, lettuces, peppers, or tomatoes, work best for this project. For full instructions, visit GardenBetty.com and search “starting seeds in eggshells.”
STICK WITH MAGIC Nature is a magical place. Many kids know this instinctively and often point out things adults take for granted or overlook, like bright-colored leaves, fun-shaped rocks, and acorn “hats.” Making a nature wand is a great way to let your kids explore their environment, whether that’s in your backyard, on a neighborhood walk, or in your favorite park. Let their imaginations run wild with what their magic wand can do! This simple project starts with a stick and masking tape. Your kids add all the extra flair by hunting for natural treasures and sticking them onto their wand. Complete instructions can be found at LaughingKidsLearn.com/ nature-wands-outdoor-play .
Meet Our Fantastic 4! THESE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPERHEROES KEEP OUR OFFICE RUNNING
The fictional superhero team the Fantastic Four includes the Human Torch, The Thing, the Invisible Woman, and Mr. Fantastic. While we don’t have any of those superheroes on staff here at Marshall Orthodontics, we can claim our own Fantastic 4: Celeste Starks, Emily Farmer, Haley Oie, and Sara Jennings. These kick-butt women make up our administrative team and do the heroic work of keeping our office open. Between them, they handle all of our incoming phone calls and do the challenging work of scheduling patients, answering billing and insurance questions, moving appointments, and keeping our office supplies stocked. They’re also the first people our patients see when they arrive and the ones who take care of them until they reach the orthodontics chair. Patient coordinator Emily is our newest recruit. She joined the team’s ranks last September and has been coordinating like a boss ever since. To highlight the Fantastic Four this month, we asked
each of them to share a “fun fact” about their lives. Based on these tidbits, what do you think their superpowers would be?
• Haley: “My family has a ‘castle’ in
Norway. The only way to get to it is to fly by float plane, and it has giant trolls at the entrance.”
• Sara: “I’m expecting my rainbow baby, Brody, on June 1.”
• Emily: “I’m the youngest girl out of 17 grandkids.”
• Celeste: “I was born with two extra pinkies for a total of 12 fingers.”
Personally, we think all four of these women would make iconic comic book heroes (or villains)! Next time you come in for an appointment, say hello and share your story ideas — you just might make their day.
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