Jenny sent us this picture. John Michael's kindergarten class dressed as desert critters yesterday after a trip to the local zoo earlier in the week. Here's John Michael the rattlesnake with his friend Sam the scorpion. Each kid got to choose the animal that they researched, dressed up as, and reported on. John Michael chose, but Jenny had to make.

She bought a faux snakeskin fabric and googled how to make a snake costume.  She made a hood and sewed it to a long piece of the fabric that goes all the way down John Michael's back.  She glued eyes and a red tongue on the hood and used 2 plastic eggs filled with dried beans and covered with brown paper (from a lunch sack) for the rattle.  She tried tying the rattle to his belt loop but he couldn't seem to shake it (LOL) so it would make sound.  So Jenny just hot glued the rattle to the bottom tip of the costume.  He had to hold it and shake it to make the rattle sound. 

I've seen several rattlesnakes in my day, but this one is clearly the scariest.