Cookie sheet + shaving cream =

. . . a whole hour of fun play for McKenna. I found this little gleeful trickarooie when Bailey was this age and we were attending a mommy and me activity. The teacher set out cookie sheets and cans of shaving cream and I thought, "What the heck kind of class did I sign us up for?!" But as the kids got their hands "dirty" I was surprised to see all the happy, silly, goofy fun they were having and all from such simple inexpensive ingredients. AND you can tell them to make as big a mess as they want and they will always come out cleaner in the end. It won't stain, discolor, mess up the carpet or turn their skin blue. What more could a mom ask for in a plaything? We use this to practice shapes, letters and numbers and TODAY we got a little crazy and added in some plastic beads to make towers and designs while reviewing colors. I highly recommend this action to my fellow mommies. It is a winner in my kid's art arsenal! Just make sure you don't exhaust your husband's supply and your off to the races!

Welcome Back!

Today I feel like an old friend came to visit and we caught up! I've been meaning to send a photo of my updated scrap space so here it is. The table is my Christmas present from IKEA. I actually used it today. Maybe it was the awakening of some of my senses that haven't been stimulated for awhile. My ears had the pleasure of listening to Maroon 5 (both CD's please) and soundtracks from Moulin Rouge and Elizabeth Town plus the fabulous voice of my 3 year old in the background. My eyes were surrounded by color and memories as I worked through photos and fantastically visual paper, ribbons, hardware and paint. My nose happily accepted the paint and glue smells. My mouth was refreshed by a never ending cup of Diet Coke (ice please) and some chocolate. And lastly my fingers really had the best time of all, the other scenses should be jealous as they were covered in paint, glue and ink. Even the new table joined in and welcomed it's first paint and glue stain. Thank you IKEA for making the table user friendly, comes up with a wet wipe. So what did I work on? I finally added my niece, Ellie and my nephew, Gage to our family tree album. That poor album has been wishing for their presence for some while. I really don't know why I have been in such a creative slump for the past 6-9 months now. I could blame it on a busy live with an intense church calling, family and a traveling husband, chronic leg pain, the need to start Alias all over again from season 1 (NEVER get tired of my friend Sydney Bristow) and Felicity from start to finish (love JJ Abrams). Maybe it was the physical experience of handing over my primary binder to a new sister that actually made me feel 10 pounds lighter mentally and physically, or letting go of the need to do the dishes, laundry and clean the house for one day. Whatever it is WELCOME BACK old friend, I really missed you. And here is another sense that was stimulated today, my funny bone. As you look at the photo of McKenna you will notice that she is pointing out a work of art that ended up on the table not the paper which is where it is supposed to go. When asked "what happened?" without skipping a beat she says, "Angela did it mom". That darn Angela, (McKenna's invisible friend for the past year) she sure is mischievous. Maybe some day I'll catch her in the act but for now she remains illusive and continues to be the scapegoat for most mischievous behavior centered around my 3 year old. So invisible friends, paint and a day full of creativity ROCKS!