kaleidoscoping chaos...: Walk like an Egyptian (or dance, sing and paint like one...)

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Walk like an Egyptian (or dance, sing and paint like one...)

We stayed at the Luxor hotel this past weekend in Vegas. In a pyramid... surrounded by Sphinx and ancient wall paintings... and Blackjack tables and slot machines. Vegas is a city like no other. I must confess I LOVE it! Amazingly, we didn't even gamble this trip... and I completely enjoy hanging and gambling at the Blackjack tables - but we were too busy. This was my fifth trip to Vegas and I have always stayed on the "strip" as they call it. The Luxor was fine. Its spa was delightful. I needed both the massage and pedicure and the steam room, sauna and hot tub were divine!

Still the whole Egyptian theme was super corny (I know most of them are - but for some reason I can sort of go with Mandalay Bay, MGM, or even NY, NY). This whole ancient Egypt was a bit over the top-but it was Vegas!

So I knew I needed to bring the kids home some Egypt stuff... right??? I got them the cutest little shirts. I was paying for the shirts and right by the register are these little stencil books!!! I had a "moment" of inspiration and was totally thrilled that for a mere $1.50 each, we had our Egypt project! Kick it up for me (and for the souvenir shop in Vegas)! The fact that I was able to find a project for my kids while in Vegas on line at the souvenir shop and not find time to at least bet one hand of blackjack... well that is a whole other post...

When the kids woke up today they got their silly t-shirts (which they were supposed to wear to playgroup but missed because poor Vera was begging for her nap and I didn't have the heart to schlep her out and make her miss her nap... although mommy severely missed the adult interaction) Vera also found my sunglasses and loved the outfit. I sang the song for them "Walk like an Egyptian" and they were giggling their heads off. Then I tried to explain Egypt to them without a book (whatever) and after lunch we did Egypt stencil art. I continued with some more "explaining" about the pyramids and art drawings/carvings on walls to tell stories and Jonah stops and looks at me at says "Let me people go! right mom?" - I almost fainted... seriously almost fainted. (Although his T-shirt was a bit reminiscent of the Pharaoh blow up punching bag he thoroughly enjoyed during Passover...)

The painting was a big hit. Vera was totally into it, which is great. She is holding the paint brush and trying to do everything just like Jonah. Jonah finished his first and then "helped" Vera finish hers. I taped the six little stencils onto a big piece of white paper, gave them six colors of paint, and a bunch of different paint brushes. They went at it. When I took off the stencils, both of them were super surprised and excited. Later, I cut up the six pictures and hung them in our kitchen. They haven't seen that yet.

We still have some more Vegas inspired posts/projects to come... just wait and see!