The kids finished and painted our creativebug summer teepee last week! They love it. We started out potato-stamping, but then they had so much fun squeezing every last drop of the three small bottles of craft paint that it quickly turned into a wonderful mess. I think Everett still has a little bit of the blue paint in his hair.

This project is fantastic! It’s easy and very customizable (and free). I didn’t have much luck getting the cardboard circle to brace the bamboo sticks, so we skipped that part… and two- and five-year-olds aren’t the most precise printers, so we skipped that part… but it’s an instant favorite and my kids just love hanging out there. They read, build Legos, tell stories, eat snacks, play with stuffed animals and trains, and just have the best time. I put two big floor pillows in it – and spread our picnic quilt out in front of it, so Andrew and I can come visit.

Speaking of creativebug, just wanted to remind you 1) that they are offering a nice discount of a whole month of craft classes for $9.99 (using the code COASTCRAFT), and 2) that my and Pearl’s clothespin doll kit giveaway is open through Friday (August 9!). Just leave a comment on my post, or any of my instagram photos of our summer craft projects, and we’ll draw a winner at the end of the week!

I took the kids on a ladybug nature walk last week, at Mt. Tabor Park, which they both loved. I grew up in an old house with a huge backyard, and a creek at the very back, and was always outside in the summer… but like a lot of close-in Portland houses, our backyard is pretty little. So wandering down the path at Mt. Tabor with a friendly park guide showing the kids which blackberries are native, and how the Indians used plantains in their fishing, was magical.

Pearl can still fit into the Easter dress I sewed her in 2010! Once I take the sides out the inch I tucked them, I think she’ll get another year out of it at least. I love it and I’m so happy she still likes to wear it!

Everett loved carrying the ladybug backpack, which we got to borrow for the whole outing. It had a magnifying glass, collection box, brush, and all kinds of other nature/scientist/explorer bits and pieces the kids could use to check things out. Really fun.

Then, this weekend we went on a few adventures, including a quick day trip to Salem. We got Korean food, visited Holly‘s show at the Hallie Ford museum of art one last time, and then went across the street to the huge, majestic Capitol plaza with the big fountain and the circle of all 50 states’ flags, and flew Pearl’s butterfly birthday kite for the first time. It was awesome! The kids loved it, and it was such a beautiful afternoon. We got back to Portland in time to pack a quick picnic and head over to the free symphony concert in Laurelhurst Park. Sunday held a lot of teepee time and then the last Thorns home game… a little bit of a heart-breaker, but wow, this was cool!