Sands Alive!

You can make anything with it. It was a hot day, and while everybody was waiting for the hot tub to be hot, it was Sands Alive all the way. It's a sort of smooth sandy substance that can be made into all kinds of shapes. Little ones who like Play Doh really like Sands Alive because it feels so cool in your hands, and because if you don't like what you've made, it's an easy fix. Just smoosh it up and start again. It's the perfect solution while waiting for a hot tub on a hot day.

They made

• snow men
• Flat Stanley
• themselves as flat 
• mountains
• sand castles (sort of)
• animals
• balls
• houses (sort of)
• and more

It was fun for all three, for quite a while. Then the boys one by one drifted away until only the small girl was left, working hard on a self portrait. Once they were gone she 'incorporated' the sand the boys had left behind, and did a smashing job. The face, of course, had a giant smile on it. For her there is always a smile. I don't think she has ever been known to draw a frown.

She also did a painting of her favorite upcoming beach vacation. The vacation looked wonderfully happy, with five people standing along the sands looking out at the sea with smiles plastered across their faces. There was a cloud, and a sun. 

"This is us at the beach, Grandma," she said, handing me the picture with a little giggle. 

"Oh, I like that!" Grandma responded. "Won't it be fun when we get there?"

"Mmm-hmm." 

She began to list the things she was looking forward to doing there. "Grandma, I want to go kite-flying, and swimming in the ocean, and going to the Carnival, and listening to the Bible stories, and rock-climbing, and making sand castles, and surfing, and riding bikes!"

"Wow. That's a lot..." I said, suddenly tired out just listening.

"Mmm-hmm." 

She wandered back to the table and began to put the sand into its container. This took some doing, as it is slippery and unpredictable. But her personal powers of concentration were admirable, as one scoop at a time made its unsteady way toward the opening.

Just how much of it actually went back in is up for debate. But in the end, I can guarantee you one thing for sure. There was a smile on her face. 

Mmm-hmm!

See you along the way!

the SconeLady