The Spiderman/No Girls/No Shoes Fort

Since Christmas Yip has made good use of his five rolls of duct tape.  I don't keep track but I wouldn't be surprised if he has already used up three of them already! Yip thought he needed a much bigger box than he was able to find in our house or at the recycling garage down the street so he decided to talk to the owner of the hardware store (down the other street), who also happens to sell appliances. 

And a very happy little boy came down the street shortly after hauling a large dryer box! (ahem, I have neglected to mention to him that the hardware store would probably be willing to give him many more such boxes if he would ask.) 

Yip and Yap pretty much have the run of the basement of our house. A lot of times they will disappear into what we affectionately describe as their "cave" for hours at a time. 

Yip and Yap, mostly Yip, has been working on this "house" for about the past week. (And arguing with their little sister to stay out of it! Oh, the yelling that's come from the basement!!) I hadn't really taken a good look at it lately but as I was cleaning their wreck of a basement this morning I noticed some of the details. 

First, a no shoe sign. I guess he really takes pride in the cleanliness of his house. I wish he'd take that much pride in mine! :)

And a window curtain from a t-shirt. He's made a duct tape curtain rod that runs through the sleeves of the shirt then it can slide from side to side. 

This was kind of hard to take a photo of but this is the ceiling of the inside of his house. The black cardboard is a trap door...

....to his attic. It was really hard for me to get in and take a picture of this but sometimes he stores toys and his rolls of duct tape up there. 

This was the newest addition to his house. The spider man mural!! How cool! I knew he was working on this drawing all Sunday afternoon but I just love that he put it in his house and that he built the orange spider web...AWESOME!! 

I'm softening up to the idea of an addition to his house.

Maybe I'll surprise him with a new box today when he gets home from school! 

Vacation is almost over :(

DR commented just the other day that I must be happy that Christmas vacation is almost over since the boys go back to school on Tuesday and I'll get back to my own schedule and getting things done around the house I've neglected. I admit, during the last two weeks the house has been louder and messier. I've had a tougher time getting stuff like laundry or dishes done without being interrupted or being any way organized (not that that's such a difference than normal though). But really, I am not looking forward to the boys going back to school because I have really enjoyed this extra time I've gotten to spend with all my kids.

We've tied a blanket for Project Linus...

...built forts...

...constructed gingerbread houses...

....played in the snow (a lot!)....

...baked Santa bread and....

....used the same recipe to make Snowman bread. (Yeah, I'm not sure what that thing on the right is either but Yap enjoyed eating his creation.)

Yeah, the house has been loud and busy and there's been nights I'm just too dang tired to move but I've just really, really enjoyed my kids this Christmas vacation. They surprise me more and more everyday with what they think and do and say. Watching my children grow and learn and explore and create has been one of the very greatest gifts that I've ever received in this life. 

 I remember the time before I got married thinking that I may never get married or have kids...then BAM, husband and twins before I knew it a daughter...what a handful she's become.  My kids have gotten so big so fast. Yeah, I should probably clean my house or do laundry but I'd much rather spend time with my kids. They sure won't be this little forever; in the blink of an eye they are almost as tall as me. Time goes by so quickly the older I get...there will be time enough to clean my house.

The older my boys get the more they talk about their memories. They don't talk about how well I folded laundry or cleaned the house. They remember the walks we took to the old barn or splashing in the flooded ditches of Illinois. They remind me of the time they spent with their cousins at a Pirate Party or rope making. A dirty house isn't that big of a deal when the mess is just a part of making memories. 

Fort Friday

Lately I've been surfing the blog, All for the Boys. As it says on their blog, " - a space for the boys in your life! We've often found that there is so much inspiration for girls on the web - so much to sew, craft, and create for girls. It is harder to come up with (and find) things that we not only like as parents but that our boys will like as well. No ruffles and lace here! We hope you'll be inspired to create, purchase, and play with your boys just as we are!"

Every Friday on All for the Boys it is Fort Friday where people share fort ideas to build. Some of them are as simple as a cardboard box with Christmas lights while others get quite elaborate! The boys and I enjoy surfing the photos wishing we had the skills, and space, to build some of the wonderful ideas we see, like the huge igloo! 

Being as we've had time on our hands this Christmas vacation the boys decided to build their own fort from their bunkbed. 

Yip, who sleeps on the bottom thought the red and green paint clothes would give him much needed privacy! And their blacksmithed hooks hold the curtains back. 

Yap, my wanna be soldier, received a camoflauge blind thing for Christmas which we attached to hooks in the ceiling. It's pretty cozy up there! 

Gotta say, I'm a bit jealous. This looks like a fun place to play..and sleep!