We're Being Overrun...

...by peg dolls.

And whose fault is that?  "Mine," squeaks the author/orchestratrix of chaos.

I just can't help it.  I've always loved things in miniature, and hand painted to boot?! 

Anyway, it's kind of a game between me and the kids: I try to come up with something unique, and they try to guess what I'm going to do next. 

The first-generation pegs were the princesses, found here.

Will needed some, too, so I made the superheroes, found here.

These first batches took FOREVER, and Mike and I were both skeptical about the amount of playtime these would really generate, especially with respect to the eons it took to make them.  Happily, the kids were thrilled with the concept and carted them around everywhere.

After the first set, I took the peg dolls in several different directions:

The Toy Story crew, along with Astronaut Sarah and Astronaut Will

The Peanuts Gang, with two different Snoopy variations:

 But, the hands-down favorites are the family pegs. The first batch I did was strictly for the blog header.  But, the munchkins played with them so much, I knew I was onto something.  The family ones were hard because 1. they're real people, and 2. it's hard not to want to turn these 2-inch-high wooden blanks into exact replicas of the very people they're supposed to be.  You have to boil down the essence of the person into a t-shirt, or a tutu, or a sleep-suit, and an approximation of eye- and hair-color.  I'll tell you what, though, the things that come out of Mommy Peg Doll's mouth are dead-on.

Will and Sarah Skeleton are my absolute favorites, and I think I did a pretty decent job on my mom and dad. (My mom's shirt says, "I like big mutts and I cannot lie."  She's telling the truth: she's got 4 of them.) I'm working on a big project, but I'm losing hope that it will be done by Christmas.  At least, I should have a Nana and a Papa done by then. 

Say what you will about these things: they're the perfect playthings for pre-schoolers.  They don't have a bunch of pieces to them, they don't make noise, and they're totally kid-powered.  My kids tell each other all kinds of stories with these, and Mike has actually used them to role-play social scenarios with Sarah.  At any rate, we'll probably be adding to our peg doll family from now through the forseeable future.