Magic Marker Monday: Photo Fillers

Disclaimer: Backstory precedes the creative project!
This summer we took a road trip up to Washington, two states away, to visit GrandMarie in her new home. Both kids were very good in the car. over 5 years of twice-yearly driving pilgrimages down I-5 400 miles pays off! No movies were played on the way up. The scenery was gorgeous.

There were many volcanoes to Big Sister's delight, and copious train tracks and trains, to excite and interest James. To say nothing of the bald eagles and waterfalls. Somewhere around Day 2 of driving, James informed us that he wanted to be a conductor when he grew up. My husband and I had one of those stunned silences where you savour the unexpected moment of happiness -- James, talking about what he wants to be when he grows up. Sounds simple, but for him it's not.

So we had an awesome trip and vacation. The weather was pleasant, GrandMarie so much fun to visit, and her new home so fun to explore. I took approximately 1000 pictures (thank you, digital!) and intended to send her a mini photo album as a thank you for a wonderful time. Then life smacked me upside the head for a bit on the way back down and ... well, two  months later the mini photo album is ready to leave the house.

After picking and grouping the photos, I gave it a final run-through and discovered that I'd left 2 blank pages somewhere near the middle. So I asked the kids to do some drawings and sign their names for their grandmother. They dragged until Big Sister suggested they do it as a KJS (her name for playing school at home) project. Then they couldn't have enough fun.

Their drawings are simple, but together with the photos they create a nice record of this past summer. The combination gives an understated scrapbook feel to the album that makes it a more complete record of this moment in time. The kids loved looking at the photobook and talking about the trip. It made them feel more a part of the thank you to have their drawings included in the album.

The materials are simple -- a $2 mini album from Target, photos, paper, scissors, crayons, stickers, and imagination. How do you make fun, fast albums?

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