Egg Dyeing

We've found ourselves with a lot of eggs recently, so I decided it was time to hardboil some eggs and dye them as we get ready for Easter. I have fond memories of doing this as a kid, so I was pretty sure that Desert Boy would enjoy it too. (I think I remember the vinegar smelling a lot stronger as a kid--am I losing my sense of smell as I age?)

We started off by making three little pots of water, and Desert Boy got to choose the colors. He wanted purple, blue, and green.

He has an egg all ready to go in. One of the few uncracked eggs. Somehow we managed to crack some early on in the process.

Then he carefully lowered it into the dye.

He used crayons to color on some of the eggs before we dyed them, and that had a nice effect.

In the background, Desert Girl is waving the train tickets from the weekend adventure with the cousins. I will try to get that posted before too long. I have lots of blog material because we've been doing lots lately, but not much time to sit down and put it on the blog!

Daddy dries the egg and Desert Boy decides what to do next. The rubber band effect was also kind of cool, leaving a white spot on the egg. It would have been even better if we could have found more than one rubber band!

And here's our finished product! We might have to do it all over again, it was so much fun!

Expanding the Treehouse

Although Desert Boy and I still go and visit the old tree house (and remember the slide fondly; and sit on stumps and talk about life; and discuss the one-step ladder used to get up onto it), Desert Boy was ready to further construction on his new tree house.

So he talked to his Daddy and convinced him to help out. That was a good idea, as Daddy had some creative ideas. He brought back a couple of palettes to make walls, along with other assorted wood. He even bought nails that were the right length. What a novel idea!

Desert Boy was eager to help. Nothing on the tree house is level or straight, so attaching walls was a bit of a challenge.

A side brace helped. Then another wall went up, and the two walls were attached with a top brace. It was starting to look like a real tree house! But Desert Boy wanted more.

He wanted a roof.

He got a roof. Not just any roof, but a special sun roof for the tree house! We do things in style around here!

Finally it was time to paint, the part Desert Boy has been talking about for days. He did a little--but still has a long ways to go. He also wants to make signs. I think that might be a good activity to keep him occupied for hours in the upcoming weeks.

The New Treehouse

The strong winds knocked over the old tree house, so we decided to build a new tree house. We also found another location (one I could supervise better with less effort).

It's a big Lombardy poplar stump. The tree was cut down a couple years ago to about three feet high. Most of the interior was rotten. Nevertheless, it has already started sending up new growth, some of which is over 10 feet high.

Desert Boy and I gathered materials, some from the old tree house and some from various junk piles. Then we got some hammers and nails. Oh yes, I musn't forget: Desert Boy got a ladder. He really wanted a ladder for this tree house.

Attempting to pound in nails. It didn't go so great, but he didn't smash his fingers, so I'd say we did well.

After about an hour or two of work, it was snack time. I have a feeling, based on the joyous expressions my kids made, that snack time and the tree house are going to be integrally related. Snack time was special--fruit bars. You can't get better than that.

Desert Girl managed to get up into (onto?) the tree house all by herself. She may turn out to be a climber like her big brother. (She has also already fallen out of the tree house, so it's probably a very good thing that it's only 3 feet high.)

She quickly mastered how to eat a fruit bar.

We did a couple other modifications (do you like the Private sign?) and then called it a night. We still have lots of work to do. And Desert Boy can't wait to paint it.

Wouldn't you like a masterpiece like this in your yard?

Nativity Play Dress Rehearsal

Warning--this contains spoilers! Yes, you already know the story of the Nativity, but if you didn't know which kid had which part this year and don't want to know ahead of time, come back to this blog in a couple days.

Last Christmas Desert Boy had the chance to be a sheep in the Nativity Play. He played his role so well (Baaaa) that this year he is going to be a wise man. He even had to memorize a line, which was easier for him than for me. Ah, the flexibility of young brains!

We went to the dress rehearsal today, which is a much easier place to take photos than during the actual play. We could wander around and no one cared. We also had fun watching funnier moments of the practice, like the overly dramatic Joseph dreaming about the angel Gabriel informing him that his fiancee was with child, a child of God.

The very pregnant Mary was obviously uncomfortable, continually adjusting her giant bulge.

The angels always steal the show. They are so darn cute, and they have the funniest expressions.

For instance, get a look at the two angels' faces while the other one is saying her line.

Mary and Joseph were looking a little bored by the whole thing. I imagine that during performance night their adrenaline with a huge (by our standards) audience looking on will keep them looking peppier.

Here Desert Boy makes his visit to King Herod, perched high up on his throne, with the other wise men. He is carrying gold and is appropriately dressed in the same color. He looks so cute. Just wait, you'll see. My camera wasn't doing so great in the low light conditions, but they ran through the play twice, so I had two opportunities to photograph.

The shepherds, sans sheep today, look on as the action takes place.

They sang lots of songs, and it put everyone in the Christmas spirit!

Emma really liked bobbing to the music.

She managed to pay attention for short stretches, then got wiggly, especially when I wanted to take photos of Desert Boy.

Her expressive eyebrows show a little worry. I'm not sure why.

Desert Boy continued his trek.

Desert Girl filled in for the sheep for a little while. She's not too good at sitting still, so she made the shepherds do some work.

Meanwhile the wise men are saying their lines, and Desert Boy, once encouraged to speak loudly enough, nailed his line.

Proud mama beams.

The final number is Joy to the World. It sure was a joy to watch them!

Good job, Sharon, for pulling it all together! And being so patient with the kids--not many people could do that.

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

Gingerbread House

We've been away for a bit, but before we get into those photos, here are some others more keeping with the Christmas theme. I've never made a gingerbread house before, so when one of our friends suggested a gingerbread house making party, that sounded like a lot of fun. It was held out at the Border Inn, which had the extra advantage that I wouldn't have to cook that night.

My husband volunteered to help with construction, which left me free to take photos.

They had plenty of ingredients to personalize their gingerbread houses. Ingredient was a new word for Desert Boy, and now he asks what the ingredients are for everything.

And I do mean everything.

Yesterday he wanted to know what the ingredients were for milk. That was a little tricky to answer.

And two days ago he wanted to know what the ingredients were for snow. I told him water and cold. My husband said two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen, and then wanted to know if we should get a wall-sized copy of the periodic table for Desert Boy's room. I told him no.

The party was well-attended, with creativity (and sugar) freely-flowing.

Desert Boy and Daddy had the walls up and were ready for the roof.

Ashley and Aron sat across from us and made a cute house.

Desert Boy's gingerbread house started with symmetrical decorations.

The other houses were progressing nicely.

Even adults were getting in on the action.

Place that candy in just the right place!

I liked this unique gingerbread house.

Chandra had a neat chimney and fence for her daughter's gingerbread house. Wait--where's her daughter?

Nearby, watching!

When I got back to Desert Boy's house, I found that he had added a backyard and more decorations.

Then he went to work on making some shrubs.

The happy boy and his house. He wasn't quite finished, but fairly close.

People kept arriving to make their houses. Arlene gave it a try.

The table of finished houses. It was a good night! And the best part about gingerbread houses is that the fun isn't only the night you make them, but also the days afterwards when you eat them!