I have a secret. I’m a little bit jealous of all the crafty mamas out there who seem to spend their off time knitting, crocheting, and painting masterworks from water and freshly ground flower petals that were picked by the light of a full moon, while dancing in the dew on the seventh day of the Local Produce Harvest Festival. These same women, not only seem to come up with amazingly creative ways to spend their own time, but they also often come up with great crafts and activities for their kids.
I know I sound a little sarcastic here, but I really do feel little pangs of guilt from time to time that I don’t create an entire Care Bear world out of bits from the recycling bin, or think of turning piles of shaving cream into colourful, foamy outdoor fun, or introduce my kids to the wild world of non-Newtonian Liquids (aka Flubber).
I would like to look at the world as a playground for crafts, but I don’t. So I quite surprised myself today when the kids came home from the park toting a few million (or five) large pine cones, and I chirped, “Let’s make birdfeeders!”.
My husband’s looked at me strangely and said, “Really? Um…”.
But there was no stopping me. I plopped the kids down in front of plates of peanut butter and bird seed and told them to go to town.
Once the kids stopped eating the peanut butter, they proceeded to smear it on the chairs, and the walls, and themselves…and only then did they cover the pine cones too. After rolling the peanut butter coated cones in bird seed, we hung them up on the one tiny tree that we have left in the back yard.
Of course, we live on a slough. A slough that is a haven for rats. I know this because I see the rats swimming from one side of the slough to the other on calm summer nights. Awwww. Such good little swimmers, those disgusting plague carrying rodents. Leaving a source of food for them hanging from a low-lying branch probably isn’t the smartest thing we could do.
But, I’m choosing to ignore that for now. This is my crafty mom moment in the sun.
Blue Steel
Oh you do make me chuckle!!!
I know exactly what you mean (although I am a little crafty and also a Mummy) there seem to be a raft of over achievers out there who manage it all whilst I am just about managing to keep everyone in clean clothes and have a little food in the fridge.
I, however, have a different group of bloggers I envy….the Mummy who is able to write eloquently and comically about their fun days at home, with the kids or just about general life. This is something I have tried and abandoned, its just not something I can do.
I guess we all have our strengths and weaknesses
x
If I can’t craft, I can blog I guess. You seem to be doing pretty good with your crafty self.
–Marilyn
personally, I’m super jealous of web designer moms!
–Marilyn
I so wish I hadn’t clicked on that link about the care bear world. I feel very inadequate. Have you ever seen the website Rhythm of the Home? It inspires great jealously for me. I am so not crafty. But peanut butter pine cones? I could possibly get behind that. Although I’m pretty sure the massive squirrel population would take off with them.
I hadn’t heard of it, but I just checked it out. That’s pretty much what I wish I was doing, but totally don’t. The thing is, unless I am reading a blog, it doesn’t usually occur to me to do crafts with the kids. Then I read these blogs and feel as though I should be doing it all the time with them. You have squirrels, we have rats. Same thing really, just one has a cuter tail.
–Marilyn
Oh my goodness! That is an awesome idea. Great work. I think we need to go and find us some pine cones.
It’s super easy and cheap too!
–Marilyn
Cool little idea!
And dead easy too!
–Marilyn
Excuse me? Aren’t you the woman who CROCHETS PUMPKINS? Do I have to smack you?
I have a peanut butter issue. I like eating it, but smelling it or seeing it smeared anywhere when I’m not eating it makes me gag. I could never ever let my kids do a craft that involved peanut butter.
PS. If you have a peanut butter issue, you couldn’t live with my kids. They’re pretty much coated in it 24/7.
–Marilyn
I think I saw this on tv and I thought I could craft that.. but of course that would mean making a mess so I decided against it. Maybe I could try it on the weekend in my sister’s back yard!
I usually avoid crafts just because they’re so messy. But this one wasn’t too bad…the trick was containing the peanut butter.
–Marilyn
Yay for your crafty mom moment! I have very few of those crafty mom moments. I am NO Martha. And I very envious of all the crafty moms out there!
Even attempting to be like Martha makes me feel tired. This was like Martha-uber-duper-lite.
–Marilyn
I feel like a horrible mom, because if there’s any way it can make a mess in any way whatsoever, I steer clear. I probably would have just put the pinecones in a bowl or something. Your idea is much better. Even if it does attract rats. More wildlife to enjoy!
I’m very mess averse. I think that’s my biggest thing keeping me from doing lots of activities with the kids. Sometimes I can force myself to get over that.
–Marilyn
Oh, don’t you worry, 90% of the time we are pretty boring around here (glad you liked the shaving cream though)! I am in awe of those who maintain an awesome blog day in and day out!!! I find it very hard to find a way to to be both crafty/organized, blog/stay in touch online, and keep any sort of sanity on the home front. It’s a daily struggle to balance and try to find time for each. Right now, sanity on the home front is drastically losing and it’s really not pretty…
Well, you have one more kid on me, so that’s takes up at least 20x more of your time (the math is right…or so I’ve been told).
If I see shaving cream super cheap, I’m going to try your activity.
–Marilyn
lovely idea
when we put out food the squirrels get them before the birds do
I think I’d prefer squirrels over rats…although I suppose they’re almost the same things with fuzzier tails.
–Marilyn
I’m a big time crafter wannabee. But I lack patience. I finally abandoned the baby blanket I was knitting for Theo. I had a brief flirtation with embroudery, which I’d like to get back to.
LOVE the new web design!
I started a baby blanket when I was expecting K. Continued with for Em. Gave it up about 6 months ago. Ain’t never going to happen. I have accepted that when it comes to knitting blankets, I need to use the big honking size 50 needles. I knit too slowly.
–Marilyn
Those are so fun, and how perfect they will be for the rats!
–Marilyn
Crafty moms should be jealous of you. You made a craft despite enjoying rats as a neighbour.
LisaDay
I like to knit and sew, but I totally can’t do it WITH my kids. Craft projects WITH my kids nearly always end in tears.
And also? We’ve found two dead rats in our yard in the past year. So. Gross. I don’t even live on a slough, so I’m not sure what gives, but ew.