Heritage Clothespin Doll

Our second grade homework for the week was to create a doll out of a clothespin that resembles "the country of your heritage." It might as well as said, "create gold out of toilet paper." This is soooo NOT my thing. Seriously, the reason I chose to teach high school was so that I would never have to do this kind of thing. I don't make stuff out of beans, raisins, construction paper....OR clothespins!!! And, since I'm leaving on Tuesday for a week in Austin, the project had to be completed tonight. Ordinarily I would pawn this type of thing off on my retired elementary school teacher mother, but this time I was stuck.

So....Problem #1--What IS Thomas' heritage?? Since I'm not sure what the heck my own heritage is, I decided to stick with his father's side. Well, I know they're Jewish and I seem to recall Russia being mentioned, so we went with that.

Problem #2-What do you dress a clothespin in that will make it resemble a Russian Jew?? We headed to that great Mecca for all craft projects....Hobby Lobby! Twenty dollars, some felt, miniature top hats, needles, thread, glue, paint and hair later we were headed home to create some "heritage" on a clothespin.

Problem #3-Creating a Russian Jew out of a clothespin with an 8 year old. Thomas painted the clothespin, while I cut a coat out of black felt. Then we cut a tallis out of white felt and glued on his hat. All the while I'm trying to explain how all this makes him Russian. And quite frankly, I don't know. Yes, I have a degree in Social Science and taught Social Studies for 8 years, but this is one of those never ending questioning sessions that parents often endure where you try your darnedest to answer the questions as patiently and honestly as possible until something in your head just snaps and you know longer even know your own name your so tired! It's possible that I was just frustrated with trying to glue a hat and paius (the curls, for all you gentiles out there!) on a clothespin head.

Well, here it is. Our finished project...

I think it turned out pretty cute and Thomas is proud of it and excited about taking it to school. In the end, that's all that really counts.

l'chaim,
Leslie