Improvise

Did you miss me?

I've been a busy lady for the last 2 1/2 months: we sold our home, had a baby (our eighth, and we're thrilled!), moved to a temporary rental home, and bought another house two states away. Whew.

We're about to move to the new house, and I've packed up most of the household again, including a lot of our children's things.

So what are they supposed to play with now?

I was quite pleased to find them this morning, playing with dolls and accessories they'd improvised from pipe cleaners. Not a single "I'm booooooored," or nagging from Mom for them to find something to do.

A slice of pizza

Table and chair, with a flower centerpiece

Hairbrush

Basket

Doll #1 in the chair

I'm told Doll #2 is pregnant :D

When was the last time you played with Legos?

Legos are as important as bread in our house. We just can't live without them! My kids and I have had many late nights working on some Lego project, most often some kind of house or building of some sort. After the hours and hours of building, our masterpiece will be proudly displayed on the family room shelf, and taken down often to be examined, played with or adjusted.

Legos, or other similar building blocks, are the ultimate creative toy. You can make just about anything you think of with the right assortment of Legos. If you haven't gotten the Legos out in a while, why not make an afternoon or an evening of it with the family?

You might just end up with something awesome, like this:

It's a Lego hotel, with two guest rooms and a pool!

Creative fun on the North Shore

Our family went on vacation to the north shore of Lake Superior recently. My husband's parents came along with us, and we all had a fabulous time despite the chilly northern Minnesota weather.

We spent a lot of time chillin' out at the beach, enjoying the waves and relaxing near a bon fire. On the first day, Abuelo (that's Spanish for Grandpa) built this for the kids:

Now, that's what I call creative outdoor fun!