Creative Kids

I used to be a horder and unfortunately I think i've past this  habit onto my kids. Whenever something new comes into the house be it food, electrical goods or gifts with interesting packaging  my three little girls have an almost compulsion to take and turn said packaging into something new and exciting.
The majority of the time i'm inclined to say no but as we all know kids can very persuasive.
So I have a house full of beaded jewellery, toilet roll binoculars, miniature shoe box doll houses, cut outs of hearts and squares stars and tiny little pictures they've drawn, egg box creatures, cardboard glasses even a cereal box headstone (don't ask) and much much more.
But when you have kids that like to create you have to go with the flow, let them do their thing and enjoy the results.
Today I was given a real treat.  Middle daughter kept a box that had the Mr and Mrs cups inside  given to husband and me as an anniversary gift last year. (It was a pretty box and even I couldn't really bare to throw it away).
My little gem decided to turn the box onto a puppet theatre. She made several scene backdrops and found an old puppet of mine. She then made tickets and arrows to direct us to where it would be in the house. Oldest daughter was the 'ticket giver' and 'ticket stamper' (a hole punch was used for that).
The play started at 3 O'clock sharp and had two intervals.
It was obvious that she had very carefully practised the whole thing so the whole family was able to enjoy a funny, clever play with audience participation.
So fun was the play that she inspired her younger sister to immediately go and write her own story based on the play.
I think when we have children it's very easy to see the world through their new young eyes, the first time they feel sand in their toes or go in the water..... We enjoy these things with them as if it's our first time too. But as they get older i'm finding I have to remind myself of this. Everything is still new and exciting to them even when they are 7 or 9 or 11 and they are constantly looking for new and exciting things to discover. Maybe that's the key to creativity, to always have young eyes and to look at everything as if it's the first time we've seen it too. 

Playing at the Table

Kids really can play anywhere and with anything! I don't usually allow toys at the table but as Teenager is off school for half term we are a bit more relaxed. So fireman Sam and Elvis joined the breakfast table along with some finger people too.
FINGER PEOPLE..... who invented them?  They're everywhere I turn,even when there are no toys brought to the table finger people always seem to manage to sneak their way there.
What to do? Join in!

When Hubby Put His Back Out

When hubby put his back out I thought he would finally be able to get the rest he's needed for a really long time. I truly believe that sometimes if you overwork yourself and don't give your body a break then God finds a way. "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures" Psalm 23:2.
Well thankfully hubby did get a rest, a really good one. He caught up on loads of the paper work that he's been meaning to do for ages all in a semi flat position and laptop nearby.
I was at hand to get him everything he needed and I really didn't mind..... To begin with it made me much more efficient than I had been recently,(i'm thankful for that) having to be super organised with homeschooling, tidying, cooking, cleaning all while tending to poor pained hubby. He was very gracious and kept apologising "i'm sorry you have to take care of me", but 'in sickness and in health' right? He'd do the same for me, and has done in the past. But here's the twist, after a while as much as I love my dear hubby it did get pretty tiresome going up and down stairs to fetch him things or bring him things or help him sit up or help him lie back down etc..... I couldn't even really get annoyed because he was just too sweet although I was beginning to get just a little eensy weensy teensy bit frustrated. Now I've got kids so i've done the broken sleep thing, the doing things around a baby's schedule thing and all the other things. I've done it FIVE times so really I should have the patience of a saint, but the more I think about how much time i've spent taking care of my kids the more I realised one very important and very different element between them and my lovely hubby.
BABIES ARE CUTE.
They're a bundle of absolute adorable squishy loveliness that's how we get through it. They look at us with their tiny little vulnerable faces, chubby little fingers outstretched letting us know they're hungry or tired and through our hazed half opened eyes we love them more and more. This is clearly how it's supposed to be, how God designed it, otherwise with all the little mites put us through we wouldn't want anymore. Would we?

I Like Make Up!

I like make up! I don't wear it everyday but when I do I feel polished, sophisticated a grown up. I didn't really start using it until I had one if those free consultations you get at department stores a few Weeks before my wedding (age 20). I did use mascara and lipstick but that was the extent of my make up knowledge. So as you can imagine it took a lot of practice before I could recreate what the nice young lady in the department store did. But thankfully for my wedding day I managed to pull it off. I've gone through many experiments since then (haven't we all?)  Make up too heavy, eyebrows too thin..... Nowadays I go for the natural look, trying to enhance what's there not cover it up. I was explaining this to my husband who was telling me I don't need make up (sweet I know) but still, I want to make my face appear smooth young and blemish free. Ok ok ok so i'm vain I admit it.
I think my husband had it right when he said "you're just trying to photo shop your face with make up right?"
I guess I am!