Sunday, April 26, 2009

the "can do" attitude

I love the curiosity of kids. I need to pursue my curiosity more! Have you seen the movie Yes Man? Jim Carey's character decides that he is always going to say yes to every oportunity. Not all of his "oportunities" end well, but he ends up living a more fulfilling life. Trying new things. Meeting new people. Visiting new places. Note to self: say "yes" more often.

When visiting some friends recently, Marguerite and her friend played with a dollhouse that the friend's father had made from a kit. They had such a good time playing with it. Well Marguerite decided yesterday that she was going to build a doll house all by herself. She said she would make it out of cardboard and it would be just great. She promptly went to cutting up a box that had just arrived (thanks amy!). I had to run some errands, but when i got home (several hours later), she was still working on it. She put up walls and a second floor, made a staircase, cut some doors, made doorknobs and tape hinges for the doors, made furniture and bed linens and the homeowner. She has plans of painting it and adding to it. She is proud of it. And I am proud of her. And I love that she believes it is just as good as the one she was playing with at her friend's home. Because it is. I think it's even better. It is entirely her own creation.

m's dollhouse


Today, the kids have taken apart a nonworking vcr. Marguerite did most of the work. A lot of investigating, finding a motor and circuit board, unscrewing lots of screws and unhooking lots of springs. Billy's going to show them how it worked and also investigate the motor with them. We'll save some of the pieces for lego movie backdrops and bits and bobs to glue onto other things.

vcr autopsy


A few weeks ago, I finally bought a low temp glue gun after reading a post by Blue Yonder. Marguerite uses it the most, and has created oodles of things. I've tried to keep lots of glueable bits on hand, and we have started a bin of cardboard to work with also. She has burned herself twice, but I think (hope) that she has learned to be extra careful with it.

I love how creative my kids are, and I love their "can do" attitude.




On another note - I have received two doll quilts recently, and I will blog about them soon!

5 comments:

LauraJ said...

Good afternoon! I love the can do attitude! I love that you allow your kids to explore their creativity. I love that they see the beauty in their own creations. I live in a world of some folks who will tell their children: we'll go buy a doll house at the store. But where's the fun in that? okay time to go outside!

Browndirtcottage said...

Well....it certainly looks like you did something right MOM!!!!The apples really don't fall far from the tree!!

Lori said...

love :^)

i have a lot of old posts on my blogs about cardboard dollhouses!

http://www.whiteoakschool.com/camp-creek-blog/2007/11/4/in-the-dollhouse.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elisabethdunker/sets/72157602030839955/

http://www.whiteoakschool.com/camp-creek-blog/2007/11/5/another-homemade-dollhouse.html

:^D)

woolywoman said...

Wow! That was the beginning of my creating things- the dolls house. LOVE the table and chair- are those drink straws? What a fine young artist you are raising!

Amanda Jean said...

good for you! i'm loving the doll house! i have a hard time letting my kids be creative like that because i dread all the messes that they leave. we are working on it little by little. i do love seeing what they come up with, though. it's always amazing. (and taking apart an old vcr? your kids must have LOVED that!!!)