Cousins and Creativity -- With a Side of Karaoke

{Inventions made by Eleanor}

Nothing says fun like 10 kids under one roof!  :)  Hahaha.  Last Wednesday, my sister Sarah rolled into town with her four little girlie bugs.  They were tagging along on my brother-in-law's business trip and swung through to visit us on their way home.  The kids had so much fun playing together and many a happy mess was made in the name of creativity! ;)  Top activities of the week included: painting/decorating the "tree house;" coloring with melted crayons on the electric griddle; playing house; lots and lots of Shopkins Spot It; and singing at full-volume on Sophie's karaoke machine.

Word to the wise -- it's best to make sure that things like OIL PAINTS are not left where young children can get into them.

I kept Jane home from school on Friday to more fully enjoy the last day that the cousins would be here.  And they lived it up!  Hahaha.  :)  Creative juices started flowing {unbeknownst to us} as Jane, Eleanor, and Penelope started decorating and painting the "tree house" in the back yard.  Their materials consisted of paint, sequins, "jewels," and sidewalk chalk.  They got a lot done before we noticed the red paint all over their hands and arms.  Hahaha.  Thankfully, it washed mostly off their skin.  The tree house, on the other hand, might be another story.  

After herding them all in and getting them cleaned up, I set up an electric griddle on the counter for the kids to use for melted crayon pictures while Sarah went to pick up Andrew.  My kids LOVE this activity (the idea for which I stole from a favorite children's museum) and Eleanor and Penelope jumped in on the love as well.  After covering the griddle with foil and turning it to it's lowest heat setting, they placed paper after paper on top of it, to color with crayons that melted as they went.  I have to say -- it's strangely therapeutic to scribble with a crayon as it melts and glides across the surface of the paper. Hahaha.

We ended our Friday evening with an outing to a new steak burger and frozen custard place that opened up not too far from our house.  It was a hit.  To quote Ethan, the custom vanilla custard sundae with hot fudge, hot caramel, and M&Ms that he had for dessert was "the most amazing thing [he's] ever eaten."  Hahahaha.

The time passed by WAY too quickly and we were sad to see them head home on Saturday morning.  Any time together is better than NO time together, though, and we'll just have to start planning the next get-together.   Family reunion in 2017 anyone?  :)

 This "Shopkins" version of the game Spot It! was the BIGGEST hit of all.  The kids all loved it and I was surprised to see how well they caught on without needing a grown-up present to moderate the dealings

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Spot It!