Torn Paper Pictures & Giveaway!

Ryan and I joke that we keep our library in business with the amount of fines we pay between late fines (the movies add up too quickly, we can't get those anymore) and lost books.  I blame it on the lady that hollered through her open car window in the library parking lot several years ago, "Get one of those collapsible, rolling carts for your books instead of carrying bags!" I was, indeed loaded with Azure or Clover as the baby on one hip and a heavy bag full of books on the opposite side and a few straggling children behind me. What a brilliant idea! So, now, when we go to the library, we have our cart of books.  We're on our 3rd or 4th.  Those books are heavy, after all.

I don't really blame the parking lot woman .  We do adore the library around here.  It's the one place we don't have to exercise restraint in what we want to get.  Anything that looks fun, new, and entertaining gets to come home (well, we have put a ban on those books that are just pictures from movies-bleck, we won't read those.)  We load up and head home.  Sometimes I'll just send Ryan to take back books (pay fines, always the fines!) and grab a new, fresh batch.

So, when my kids are sick, and Azure just happened to be this past weekend, we can put a nice big stack next to their bed so they can get their rest, but not be horribly bored if they're not tired enough to sleep.  In addition to doing some reading, we also did a fun activity, inspired by some illustrations we've seen, like those from Ezra Jack Keats' books: torn paper pictures!

I thought my older girls would be the most excited about this project, but Azure had the most fun!  I think it's because they're not as inhibited by perfection as much as the older girls tend to be.  Plus, the fact we didn't need to use scissors, made it even more freeing.  I just plopped down a big pile of paper and gave them half a sheet for their background and they began ripping.

I didn't even have to prompt Azure or Clover with ideas.  Azure knew what she wanted to make and she went for it.  First, her dolphin.  Then she wanted to do a lighthouse.  With a chimney.  "Or how else will Santa be able to get in?"  Ah, that girl.

Olive is our elephant lover, but we didn't have any grey, which bothered her until she decided that brown would do just fine.  I adore the trunk and the free flapping ear.

And, of course I wanted to play!  Since we haven't seen a single snow flake for quite some time, I made our own little snow scene.  I love the simplicity of this project.  Just paper and glue mixed with some imagination!  Thank you to Mucinex for sponsoring these 3 posts of what you can do with your child while they're feeling under the weather.  And when they need something more than just to keep their hands and mind busy, Mucinex can help ease their more severe, bothersome symptoms!

Shall we do one more giveaway?! Of course! For a chance to win a $100 CVS giftcard, leave a comment: What do you do with your little ones when they're sick?

Children's Mucinex Multi-Symptom Cold 
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Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive 1 total entry by leaving a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 2/6/2013 – 3/31/2013.

Be sure to visit the Children's Mucinex Multi-Symptom Cold page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win! 

Don't forget about the other giveaways that are still open here, here, here, and here! Lots of chances to win!