Our youngest niece came to visit this past weekend. Here's a partial list of what we did:
played board games, including The Scrambled States of America, Headbands, and Double Shutter; rode the ferry to the islands; gobbled gelatos at Gorgeous Gelato; giggled; built fairy houses in the woods on Mackworth Island; attended a Sea Dogs minor league game along with our nephews; giggled; went bike riding and walking on the East End Trail, where we explored the trains at the Narrow Gauge Rail Museum, climbed on old cannons, and played in the playground at the park; watched movies; told knock-knock jokes; gigggled; drew pictures with glittery fairy pens; and last, but definitely not least, constructed paper monsters--loads and loads of paper monsters.
The photo above shows just a few of the army of monsters we built. Everything we did was fun, but I cannot begin to tell you what a hit the paper monsters were--for all three of us! We bought the book on a whim at the comic book store and then we couldn't stop making them.
If you click on the link above you'll find the book/kit we used, but it will also show you several other books. This one has fifty monsters, plus extra blank templates that you can color in yourself. All of the monster patterns are perforated, so you just punch them out, fold them, and then glue them together. We found that adhesive glue dots worked best for us--no sticky fingers! There are three levels of difficulty. The advanced patterns are quite challenging, but do-able, and all three of us found the easy and intermediate ones fun to do.
And now I am playing catch up on deadlines and loads of work, but it was good to have a weekend of giggles and glitter and monsters named things like Nom Nom, Zombunny, and Grumpy Gramps.
And now I am playing catch up on deadlines and loads of work, but it was good to have a weekend of giggles and glitter and monsters named things like Nom Nom, Zombunny, and Grumpy Gramps.
You sound like an awesome aunt Gigi!
ReplyDeleteShe will be back for more fun soon!
XO
That sounds like a perfect weekend! xxoo :)
ReplyDeleteI was thinking that this sounded like so much fun. I want to come for a visit GIGI. XO
ReplyDeleteYou can come any ol' time you want, Sande! xo
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a perfect weekend, especially with giggles and monsters.
ReplyDeleteYou are the best kind of auntie there is!
ReplyDeleteI have my 3 and 5 year old grandchildren staying with me for the weekend next weekend and I am trying to think of some new and fun things to do with them...
Hello:
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfect excuse young people give us to become children again and revisit our youth! Although we do not have children of our own, we do have a Peter Pan approach to life which, happily, means we never fully have to face the world as it is.
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What wonderful activities for your niece and nephews. The monster masks would be a super hit with my kids too. Once I bought this paper airplane book. We had paper airplanes flying all over the house.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun! Lucky, lucky niece to have you for an aunt.
ReplyDeleteOh, that sounds like the sweetest weekend, Gigi! Don't you love being aunt & uncle and doing some good spoiling & pampering of young ones?! LOVE the monsters kit. ;o) Happy Days ((HUGS))
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun-filled, adventurous weekend! My kids love playing Scrambled States of America. The book looks like a great time, too. Would make the perfect gift for a certain little lady that I know. :)
ReplyDeleteLucky Niece! I love the monsters - what a great idea to buy that. I always wished I had a cool aunt like you.
ReplyDeleteCool stuff! Will you adopt me? ;o}
ReplyDeleteYou are a great aunt ~ xox Alexandra
ReplyDeleteYou'll never regret making time for the kids. They're little for such a short time and when they're all grown up they won't want to make paper monsters anymore.
ReplyDeleteLooks like the best time! Off to buy those paper monsters now, thank you!
ReplyDeletethe joys of being the aunt!!
ReplyDeletesharing giggles with a niece is pure delight!
ReplyDeleteOh, I can't wait until my little niece is old enough to come visit so we can have fun together like this. There are so many places I want to take her to, and so many things I want to show her.
ReplyDeleteThose paper monsters look like such a hoot!
beautiful.
ReplyDeleteif love was my little nephew visiting over the weekend, what board games i would play with him :)