LEGO builders extraordinaire

My Bookworm Buddy

We have a pattern all worked out.

picture book together-chapter's worth on our own-picture book together-chapter's worth on our own

I kind of suck at enforcing bedtime, his and my own.  Oh, well.

"I just have a little pile." Yeah, me too, buddy.

Perler Bead Magnets

I l-ooo-ved playing with perler beads when I was younger. Turns out, I still do.

It was CB's idea to bust the beads out this morning, but I stayed at it long after they had moved on to other endeavors.

CB made a star so she could sing Twinkle Twinkle to it every night while she is lying in her bed and BBD made a "friend snake".


I made magnets.

That is a panda, ninjas, and butterflies unless you were uncertain.

I also made photo corners, but my magnets are too big so I need some smaller ones to complete them.
AND they glow in the dark.

Valentine Swap: The Giving

I participated in the Valentine Swap organized by Aunt Peaches. I am so glad she did this. I thoroughly enjoyed making them and waiting to see to who and where I would be sending them. I can't wait to see the Valentines I will receive in the mailbox!

While I made my Valentines, I put out a smorgasbord of Valentine-y materials for my kiddos as well.

Here they are with their finished creations:



Here are mine:

I stamped, colored, and applied glitter glue.
Oh, and I used pop up dots because I love them.

I also included a punny Valentine wish:


{I can't show you my made-for-family ones...not yet}

I am seriously hoping this can be a new tradition. I love it so.

Shutterfly

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.


Pretty pleased with our card.

Thankful for

Flower Petal Suncatchers

We gathered flowers from our garden.

My daughter wanted to do this outside which made the project even more enjoyable.

We pulled off the petals and got creating by placing them onto clear contact paper. We sandwiched the petals with another piece of clear contact paper and cut around the edges. We then taped them in the window.

I was pretty pleased with my butterflies.


Please note: The beauty of this project is temporary. The petals will still wilt.

Inspiration for this project was found at The Artful Parent.

Explosive Art

We made some explosive art using paint, baking soda, and vinegar in baggies. Directions found here at Share and Remember.


It was really neat.

But following the recipe and staying on the paper were only the beginning. Free for all is more our style.

After making several exploding baggies, CB declared, "And now, I'm going to experiment."

And they both did their own thing.


CB: It's thick. I didn't add in much vinegar. I added in lots of baking soda.
I'm being a scientist.
And for the grand finale!
The purple is the star of the show!


BBD: I'm mixin'.
This needs some red. {insert each and every color}
I need more vinegar.
I need more baking soda.

Prettiest puddle ever.


The paper became rather obsolete.


"Daddy's going to like all these colors on his concrete!"

Linking up:

Play Academy Idea Swap

Sewing For Sweet Dreams

I have not sewn with a sewing machine since high school, when I took Home Ec from a crazy lady in a hideous wig.

My avoidance was mostly due to an irrational fear of the bobbin.

But a friend was trusting enough to let me borrow her machine so I faced my fears and another friend took the time to patiently run me back through the basics.

Kelli did not don a crazy lady wig and she taught me a magical bobbin threading slight of hand. The relearning process was not traumatic like I had been mentally preparing myself for.

I even fixed a few hiccups all by myself without panicking.

As soon as CB saw what I was fiddling around with, she requested a sleeping bag for her beloved mermaid Barbie doll.

Being just recently reacquainted with the sewing machine, our sleeping bags do not have zippers. The small children do not care. And I threw in some matching pillows to cushion {I am sew punny!} any disappointment, had it arisen.

I had some lovely assistants.

They helped stuff their own pillows.

The mermaids thanked me and rushed off to take a nap in their new designer gifts.

Naturally, a story and lullabies were required.

Hide and Seek

CB found a great hiding spot. Daddy had to call "olly olly oxen free".

BBD was visible as soon as you stepped around the counting tree.

Hiding together


Searching

"Found you" faces


All found

ps
this is the gazebo where we were married

Big Eye Puppets

These puppets are ridiculously easy to make and ridiculously fun to play with.




I was inspired by Fave Crafts.

I like the soft texture of the pom pons over Styrofoam and went for simplistic over fancy-fied, but the openendness and ease of design is the beauty of these bad boys.

I simply put hot glue on the end of a pipe cleaner and smooshed it into the pom pon. Repeat and hot glue on some large wiggle eyes. And ta da!