We're looking for a prince...

...one that is handsome - not too handsome, just handsome enough.  One that is romantic but also a little dramatic, strangely charming, and of course, he must have impeccable manners.

My daughter was happy with my suggestion that she re-create The Princess and the Pea, as told by Lauren Child and captured by Polly Borland (look for it on her website, http://www.milkmonitor.com/).  I was happy that she was happy to do this, because I had been wanting to make a set for a while, but held off, mostly because I suspected that my motivation was more about having pretty things than playing with my children.  She did a good job, sewing 9 mattresses before asking me to help out with the last 3.  I then quilted a heart onto each mattress to hold the batting in place and she whipped up a poster bed out of a shoebox and some tissue paper.  Her little brother made a pillow and found the ladder from our doll house.  We then rounded up some dolls for the main characters (with a few extra fairies and cars thrown in).  Only we don't have a suitable prince.  Apparently the Ken Barbie is just too tall and our other boy dolls don't seem to have much appeal either.  She is not too perturbed by the missing prince, but I think he is kinda integral to the story.

We would like to make some paper dolls, in the style of those in the book...but that won't be until I'm ready to take on another craft day with my children and all the associated mess. 

PS I just found a great interview with Lauren Child here, where she talks about the process of creating her books.