Crafty Minx

Day one of the School Holidays combined with day one of my period, day one of a 9am swim school camp and after a weekend of not enough sleep. It wasn’t pretty, not pretty at all.

I was shouty. The girls were over tired and over wrought from a busy weekend, month, term, year. Oh and they were sick. My plan of attack was to get DVD’s, place children in front of said DVD’s and praying they would sleep while I cleaned the house, and started on a big work project I have looming in front of me this week. Like, you know, down time? That plan worked for one kid for 10 mins, then maybe another kid for 15, but never at the same time. There were flights over anything and everything, re-adjusting to spending time together and some of the biggest pre bed meltdowns I’ve seen in some time. Let’s not mention the 11.30pm to 1.00am shenanigans from Harper about her bed, not wanting to sleep in it, complete with grown up tantrum from me.

This morning I am trying a different tactic. One where we all get along nicely. After swimming this morning we headed to LINCRAFT of all places. People, I don’t go to Lincraft. I’m not crafty. I actually hate craft in most forms, especially kid craft. But I took the kids and we looked like a normal, happy, crafty family ready to tackle some craft time.

And I can only say this: That for 12 minutes when we got home there was something that appeared very much like CRAFT FOR CHILDREN IN MY HOUSE. Naturally I snapped some pictures to put on the blog so I appear like a normal, crafting, happy mother who does this sort of shit all the time for her children. If they ever ask me, I can show them this post and say “Look! We did craft! Remember?”

Now that that’s done and interest has passed, they are on the couch watching a DVD while I am working away here. I’m sure shouting will commence in 3, 2, 1..

Order? Restored. 

Comments

  1. I can not abide by craft or painting in the home. Craft (and painting) is for kindy and school. It’s the ratio that makes it null and void for me. 10 minutes activity, a lifetime of cleaning that shit up.

    Proud of you pooks. You’re a braver – and clearly better mother – than I.

  2. Does crafting work for husbands too?
    Daddy R is a teacher and so he is home for two weeks…and his attention span is probably about that of your two girls.
    He has many strengths but finding something to amuse himself is not one of them…nor is finding something to eat.
    And although he can’t seem to find anything to do, he is strangely not appreciative of my list of thing for him to do!
    How many days left of holidays?

    • Oh you have just summed up my life with the sentence ” and although he can’t seem to find anything to do, he is strangely not appreciative of my list of things for him to do”. Looking after kids is easier than husbands on holiday. Luckily I’ll be at work …….

  3. HAHA I love it! I am soooo not a crafty mum either, like, I don’t mind doing the craft/setting it up for them, but I LOATHE the aftermath – the glue, the glitter, the TINY bits of paper, paint, textas, everything, ON THE FLOOR! Go you!

  4. I love craft…but never with children….no never with children!!
    Years ago….back in the days of playgroup…the mums all took turns to organise an activity each week. All kinds of clever crafty things were attempted.
    When it was my turn…my big project….I took a bag of balloons and let the kids spend an hour trying to blow them up!!

  5. I love that there is another mum who hates craft in all its forms. Always feel like it is something I should do!

  6. 12 minutes! Record! Now the next goal will be to get to 13 minutes. Baby steps… baby steps! Forget about craft.. get the girls to sort out the plastic draw for you.. works a treat (so I hear ) x

  7. We had a space of wall in our kitchen that was seasonally decorated by me and my sister. Every school holiday we would have the task of making flowers/autumn leaves/snowflakes etc. You get the idea. First we would come up with ideas, then Mum would provide us with stuff to make it. Took us days and days. It probably helped that Mum was crafty. But it was also a big wall. We would add things all season until it was the next school holiday and time to take it on.

  8. Sorry, my children love craft, it’s pure silence when they do it (still, now aged 8 to 13!!) They even use the vacuum to tidy up, i know, trained from birth!!
    Periods though, ouch, why do we still get them when we’ve had enough children & we’re done!!
    Still not on school holidays yet, yawn, my children are tired & need a break, they go so hard at school each term.
    Hang in there, love Posie

  9. ‘Craft’ in our house is paper and a sticker book. Works a treat.

    We have play-doh, textas, pom poms, pipe cleaners and the rest. They are packed away. Out of sight, out of mind!

  10. Oh my. Your Day One sounds like my day today. Tomorrow, maybe I’ll take the craft route, too…

  11. I love craft and did a post today about a Crafetrnoon tea I went to.

    I do not do craft with Le Child though.

    They do it at the Orphanage so no need to bring it into the Fuschiadome.

    x

  12. Oh I hear you! I am so not crafty, yet today I bought a whole heap of tissue paper for a crafty project just like you (the one where I can prove we did do craft and I was a good Mum). No doubt the fun will last all of three minutes and the clean up three HOURS!

  13. As I’ve said before, I send my children away for the holidays…..

  14. So that makes tomorrow day three. Warn everyone now, and write it off. Oh, and buy yourself some neenish tarts on the way to swimming in the morning.

  15. Naomi’s latest “craft” was painting the cubby house blue! Yep. Horror and shock were on my mind. I will never keep paints in my house again!

  16. Hilarious post, loved it. I’m running a craft workshop for kids under 12 today (think lip balm and bath bombs) so people don’t have to do it at home. Pray for me,wondering if earplugs would be a bad look? 😉

  17. Haha, too funny lady! I actually love craft and getting all wrapped up in pretty bits and pieces… however… I find it a little nauseating to do with the boys. I’m terrible I know. It’s my control freak gene that just wants to step in and take over at every corner… you know, if they’re using too much glue or not enough glue, or not cutting the shapes out neatly or if the colours clash… psycho much!? Anyway, your craft session looks gorgeous on here for prosperity’s sake, well done Mama xo

  18. If they get proper guidance I think their interest will grow up in arts and crafts…
    arts and crafts

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