Weekend Adventures

This weekend we thought we would have a quieter weekend but then things just kept popping up.  I took family pictures for a friend first thing in the morning in the beautiful weather.  As soon as I got home we hopped in the car to head to the first annual mini maker fair.  There was a good variety of activities for kids and engaging ideas for Andrew and I.  Emily fell in love with weaving.  We tried a large loom and then did a cardboard one which Emily continues to work on.

Nathan and Emily tried painting with all sorts of brushes and household supplies.  A local artist showed his artwork and shared how he brings art into his home (the kids can paint on any wall they want).  Nathan was exhausted but was completely in the zone while he painted.  We pulled him away to see some other exhibits.  The last time I tried letting Nathan paint with us a few months ago he just ate it, so it was fun to see his development.

Emily built a kitchen of her own while we learned about a group that is trying to redesign kitchens for Kenya.

Color mixing with lights!

After the maker fair we stopped at home for a quick lunch and quiet time before heading off to a hospital tour.  Mission accomplished: we know where to go when I’m in labor and where the ice machine is that Andrew can access while we are in the hospital.  The kids enjoyed seeing how high up we were from the parking lot.  The doctor hat and mask were an excellent perk and addition to our dress ups.

In the evening we went to donut night at our friends home.  They spend an entire day making donuts each year so that friends and neighbors can gather and chat for a few hours.  We’ve been going each year since we moved here in 2013 and we are grateful for how they have shared this tradition with us.

Sunday morning while Andrew as at his meetings, the kids and I spent some time just playing together.  I’ve started doing the majority of our church and Sunday prep the night before so I can relax and enjoy just being with the kids at least once a week.  We played pop goes the weasel with each of the kids jumping out of a box.

Emily made Cinderella’s house and then I told the story while she acted it out.  When it came to the part where they went to the palace, she took down the walls to make a large dancing floor with a spot on the side for the step sisters to stand.  The four peg dolls plus the little one I made for Emily are just the right number to tell that story – plus Cinderella has a pet pig :)

Nathan can spend hours building with blocks. He’ll pull out tools to assemble, build towers, houses and roads, and make spaces for animals.

After church our neighbors stopped by and invited us for an impromptu dinner. We quickly tossed a salad and dressing together and joined them.  We played the first half of Isle of Skye with everyone – kids included – before heading home to talk with family and put the kids in bed.  On Monday night Emily told us with great excitement that we played a date- night game with her.