A puzzling experience . . . and WHAT is consticated?

Today I decided to take a recommendation of BFF Molly and Family Fun was making puzzles with the girls.  For the project I bought brand new puzzles that had 150, 300 and 500 pieces and they were various Disney characters.

Here’s what I learned about doing puzzles with small children and what happens when they find a Thesaurus:

1)      Trying to do puzzles with children that have the attention span of a gnat will result in mommy doing most of the work.  I think the girls had at least 3 snacks during this journey (a habit they rely on when they’re bored).  The point at which Id brought out a waffle and started pouring syrup I knew we were in trouble.  When daddy asked “what’s the syrup doing in the living room?”, all I could say was “don’t ask”.  I didn’t even have a good defense.

2)      I’m not admitting anything, I’m just saying that keeping the children motivated to finish the puzzle MIGHT result in you saying things like “just like Nemo, keep at it and say to yourself ‘just keep swimming, just keep swimming’”.  Yep, got a cross eyed look from my husband on that one too.

No, Ego does not need to wear prescription glasses
out of 1960, she just really likes them.

3)      Invariably some yahoo is going to steal a piece at the beginning so that they can be the one to put in the last piece.  Well, even Vegas would have put their money on Id, and sure enough, that little booger stole a piece and left the rest of us searching for 20 minutes to find it.

  

4)      Puzzles take extraordinary patience and tenacity, but there is nothing better than finally figuring out how the pieces all fit together.

So now for the Thesaurus.  Id has taken to telling wild tales at the dinner table.  So tonight she was telling a story about a friend who “consticated” her to go to a place she didn’t want to go.  It took about three times before I figured out that she meant conscripted.  So I asked the girls if they knew what conscripted meant and Superego says “yes, of course we do, it means to force someone to do something”.  I asked how they learned that word and Superego said “from the Thesaurus, duh.”  See what education does?  Makes your 4 year old consticated and your 9 year old a smart ass!  Life doesn’t get any better than that.

Recommendations for today – Target has some great puzzles for $1.  These aren’t the ones I’ve displayed here, but there are good ones with Presidents and careers, etc. for back to school.

P.S. This photo was too cute not to share.  Ego and her sisters were doing a play and she needed some overalls.  So, she made her own.  Took some yarn, taped it to her butt and the front of her pants, and she was good to go.  You can also see a close up of our captain underpants shirts.  The girls love those things!