Summer Time - Quiet Time.

As some of my regular guests in these hallowed halls may have noticed, I have not been making updates as frequently as normal this last week or so.

June and July are for me always bound to have slightly less activity on the hobby front, as outdoor activities (big old house, large garden) and vacations away from home have to take precedence over tinkering with little warriors.

June also sees the birthday of my first-born, Anna, and it is always quite a puzzle to find time for her party in between barbeques, school and/or SFO (after-school daycare for 0-3rd graders) events, and various events at out work-places.

I shall try to post a couple of updates over the summer, but I do not want to update just for the sake of it, so, please bear with me, should the pauses get a bit long.

Here's some cake, as decorated by my kids - both with and without the dozen candles, denoting that my daughter may be liable to appear before a court, should she get into bad company and do something stupid - all depending on the outcome of the upcoming parliament election.

Well, well....

All Quiet... or is it...?

I have not had time for updating these hallowed pages the last couple of days, but it does not mean that I am not doing anything that could be reported here - far from!

Monday, Lea got her (delayed) present from her school class - another set of LEGO Elves: 41072, Naida's Spa Secret (I know, kinda cheesy title).

Here is a shabby photo of the build:

It is, of course, going to be integrated in our upcoming mutual project, introducing my Proxxon Thermo-Cutter:

And lots of styrofoam:

I have not told the girls, yet, but when I was in Bilka (a kind of BIG supermarket (think Wal-Mart) here in DK) earlier today to get honey for another batch of mead, I bought the LEGO Elves set 41073. Naida's Epic Adventure Ship (http://dk.midhobby.com/produkter/1648-lego-elves/48311-lego-elves-naidas-fantastiske-eventyrskib/) to add to the collection.

We are going to flesh out the Land of Elvendale, using the map provided with the Treetop Hideaway, and we are going to do it bit by bit at the same pace as we acquire the various sets!

LEGO Friends and Elves - Lea's Birthday

My youngest offspring turned 9 yesterday, and among the presents were the LEGO Friends 41033 set (some Jungle Animal Rescue setup with a waterfall that slides aside to reveal a cave with green crystals), and the LEGO Elves 41075 'The Elves' Treetop Hideaway'.

Both sets had to be built immediately, and Anna was given the task of constructiong the Friends set, while Lea dug into the massive buch of bricks for the Hideaway herself.

The building instructions are very graphically detailed, with no text, allowing children down to 6 years of age to follow them and construct the sets, which is one of LEGO's big strengths, in my opinion.

Below you'll see pics of various WIP stages, as well as the finished builds.

Both girls digging in.

A tree made of bricks. It is almost like Minecraft.

Jungle rock and cave entrance.

Details are being added.

Things are shaping up!

Almost done with the first tree.

The canopy of this tree is movable...

...and can be 'closed' in front of the Hideaway to 'conceal' it.

The full set of the Treetop Hideaway

PLAYTIME! Several other Jungle Rescue sets added to the setup, and play in progress!