In my efforts to spend more mindful time at home with Amara and Havana, a couple of weeks back, I put in an order with Discount School Supplies for new craft items. I find that being at home is more distracting than when we are outside of our home. There is always something to be done inside that takes my attention from the girls (laundry, cooking, cleaning, checking e-mail, returning a phone call from 2 weeks ago!). And with all the recent rain and cold we were inside quite a bit more than usual. (our lovely yard was probably missing the running feet and exploring hands of the girls!!)
A couple of years back, my friend Nicole turned me onto Discount School Supplies a couple,when I was looking for projects for Amara's birthday party. (http://www.discountschoolsupplies.com/) So when the girls were asleep, I poured over their on-line catalog looking for very simple craft projects and supplies. I am a clumsy person by nature. Not good with hand coordination. Which means drawing, putting things together, baking, etc., are not things I manage well. Thus, I needed simple items that I could do with the girls too. When I came upon bags of mosaic pieces, wooden frames & colored canvas, I was stoked! I knew we could pull off some basic projects that would be fun together time!
To be able to order anything on-line and have it delivered to my door in a couple of days time, has made my life so much easier. The jaunting task of getting the girls ready, getting them in the car, taking them to a store, trying to pay attention to what I need while reminding them every 5 seconds, not to touch everything they see and to stop fighting over what they grabbed, is exhausting at best. I am so thankful for the Internet and Internet shopping! But I digress. Forgive me.
The next day, I made a trip to Thrift Town (www.thriftown.com), the bomb, of thrift stores and went through the glass items in the household section. For under a buck each, I found some great glass pieces just perfect for our mosaic project. And when the box arrived 2 days later, Amara couldn't contain herself. She wanted to "do mosaic project NOW." For the next week or so, in 15-30 minute increments, we sat and worked together. (Work is the term used in Montessori and one we use often when doing not only crafts, but workbooks, handwriting, and numbers.)
Amara is at the age where she can sit for longer periods. It's quite enjoyable working alongside her. From the photos, it is obvious that she prefers doing her work naked! Well, she likes doing most things without clothing on! Ah, my free spirited first daughter! Havana, while she enjoys craft time, prefers painting the table, painting the wall and reaching over and painting her sister's projects! Redirecting her & playing referee is not that enjoyable! But still, she has managed to make some really lovely frames.
Craft time is also a time for me to practice letting go. I hate messes. I love to clean up. So it's good for me to let the girls just go at it until they are done. Sometimes I have to sit on my hands (figuratively speaking!) so I don't start cleaning up as they work. I want them to work freely. And if that means making a huge mess, so be it. I have to let go with my OCD tendencies. It never ceases to amaze me, how many times a day, and in so many mundane ways, my girls serve as teacher to me.
In our efforts to stay connected to some of our far away family, we will be packing up some of our projects and sending them off to the East Coast. (The frames were perfect for some photos we took in Hawaii, that we have been wanting to share.) Amara did make it clear that, "...some are for our family." Of course, keeping some of their creations is a must.
There is something warm, real and joyful in seeing a child's handmade craft or drawing in the house. (I have a wall at work just for the children who draw while waiting for their parents and of course, my girls work is there too.) It is not only a piece of beauty (maybe only to the parents eyes!) but a reminder of the presence of the little lives which have graced our lives.
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