Nature Crafts: Lasting Impressions

So I spent Spring Break in beautiful Colorado
last week with my two children.
While my husband stayed home for work.

We invaded my relatives.
It was really fun to eat green chili, enjoy a week of Colorado sunshine,
and catch up with family I don't get to see often enough.

Who says you need to buy or bring toys?
This would be a picture of my children in a pop-up lawn and leaf bag, in my Aunt and Uncle's back yard.

Children's Museum in Pueblo -- Cinderella's Carriage
I thought it would be better to be home from school for a week in someone else's house....

Virtual Spray Paint at the Children's Museum.

It was a long and busy week.
We visited Museums, Zoos, and Relatives in two cities,
Best of all, we spent quality time with both Great Grandmas.

My children are angels, but it was A LOT
of time to spend as a single parent, co-sleeping every night
with feet in my face, and elbows in my back.
I have a newfound respect for those of you mommies who do it alone every day.
I had to get creative, and come up with stuff to keep the girls entertained.

Thankfully, I read this post by the artful parent
about Sculpey Nature Prints before I left for the trip.
Her project is in this month's Family Fun Magazine.

I grabbed a package of
white Sculpey modeling clay at our local Walmart.
Then, the Frog Princess and I went on a
Nature Walk in great grandma's garden
and collected specimens of our favorite Colorado plants
including her Morning Glory Vine,
a Tumble Weed, and one of the
yummy Clementine's we snacked on all week.

We rolled clay balls, pressed in our plants, and baked our own
home-made souvenirs of our trip.

They are currently residing in a beautifully woven African basket on my coffee table.
They would be a lovely
addition to a nature table.

We plan to make more soon in our own yard and when we visit
both sets of grandparents.