Syl and Lil are master magnatile creators. Here are some of their recent builds.

This fast moving ship can help transport cars and lovies. It can also transform into a "Gangoke".

When any bad guys come from behind there are spikes that shoot out.

The "x" on top can shoot in 4 directions, and kill bad guys.

The front is just a normal seat, but the back seat will blast out any bad guys that go in it. 


If any bad guy (or regular people) go between the two spikes, they will get zapped! What’s more — if bad guys (or regular people) go under the bridge they will get lightning zapped!

Whoever opens the door on the bottom, enters the square chamber, and closes the door behind them, will get their whole body burned!

The very tippy top can go down and turn apart!

it is super powerful. It can transform into anything it wants, even a magma-ray.

The Cat Speeder is so powerful. It’s called the Cat Speeder because it looks like a cat. The triangle in the rear is retractable and opens to reveal a garage. The yellow shaped triangle is where the gas goes. It also can transform into a flying cat.

The Big House has a shield that takes spy videos of anyone bad and also protects the house. You might not see the opening of the house because the shield is blocking it.  

The Gym is super powerful because it can open up whenever it wants. It has a beam that shoots out of the top.

With Mémé in town, we thought it would be fun to make a trip south to Carmel Valley for two nights. We stayed in a rustic little bungalow, situated in a lush garden. It was the perfect size for us a great launch pad for the surrounding area.

It was the cutest little one bedroom with a fireplace. We all fit comfortably. The grounds had a BBQ we used one night, and a spacious lawn with enough room for volleyball and bocce. 

We always make a trip down to this beach when we visit the Monterey area. The tide pooling is good, and rock formations are fun to climb on. 

We drove down the coast 30 miles to take in the sights of Big Sur

We stopped in Carmel by the Sea for breakfast and a little beach time. 

As a last minute getaway, the Herricks made a quick weekend trip to Lassen National Park. It was mid-fall, so conditions were a little cold, but it happened to be the final weekend of services at the Manzanita Lake campground, so we went for it.

The kids settled right in to campground life. Their faces came alive as they oriented themselves with their new, temporary home. They loved having their own kid-sized chairs, and finding sticks to play with.

We set off from camp after breakfast and did a couple hikes.

First we drove through the Devastated Area around the base of Mount Lassen. Here we stopped for photos and some stick fighting at Hot Rock

Next we found a nice bog and meadow at Hat Lake. The fall colors will in full display and the area was fun to hike around. 

Our next hike was a good 3 mile there-and-back out to some steam vents in an area called Bumpass Hell. It smelled strong of sulfur and was loud with the sound of steam. 

We took on a more ambitious 4 to 5 mile trek to the Cinder Cone, a volcano you can hike right up to the top of. We heroically climbed it and took in the incredible view. 

Family Photo at the Bottom of Cinder Cone

After the Cinder Cone hike, we made dinner at camp and took in the sunset. We packed the gear and kids in the car and drove back home. 

Leslie & Leo's Blog

Magna-Tile Creations

Trip to Carmel Valley

Lassen National Park Trip