Bragging, confessions and full disclosure
Teg got a beautiful book of crafty ideas from her Aunt Kathryn.
This morning, we decided to attempt a craft project: operation jewelry box. It was fun and turned out great!
Callum also had a box to paint but tired of the activity quickly, so while Teg was busy with her painting and crafting, we whipped out a piece of paper and he got to decorate his own nativity scene with sheep and straw.
Bragging: these were fun crafts, and they turned out well!
Confession: if you are anything like me, when I see friends post pictures of their kids' crafty activities, my thoughts are often this: "wow! that's awesome. I haven't done that with my kids. In fact, I do very little fun stuff with my kids. Look at me sitting here in my pajamas in a filthy house with bored kids, reading blogs online. My friend is succeeding as a parent, but I am a failure."
Now I know by now that I need to talk to my online self most severely when I have thoughts like that. I know that our proclivity to compare our worst selves with others (published) best selves is a great recipe for unhappiness.
And so, for the sake of full disclosure, here are some other photos I snapped immediately afterwards, lest your worst self be intimidated by my published self:
The kitchen table, full of paint:
The baby, who screamed and laughed intermittently throughout... but was not napping as he ought to have been because I was too preoccupied to put him down.
The pajamas: thrown in the corner of the dining room.
The kitchen floor:
The slippers in which I drove my kid to school:
Where the glitter glue and paint landed up, thanks to Callum:
(Not pictured: the pajamas in which I drove Teg to school, four unmade beds, poopy pants thanks to the older boy I have failed to potty train, the craft glue and brushes spilled all over the hardwood floors, debris of cut tin foil and raffia "hay" all over the floor, a counter full of dirty dishes waiting to go into the still-not-unpacked dishwasher....)
Feel better now?
posted by Bronwyn at 5:47 pm
3 Comments:
feel better? No. Now I am having a panic attack about homeschooling. Just kidding, kind of. My house is often just the way you describe yours in this post.
But what rings in my ears even years after I read it from a momma who lost her son at age 4 from cancer, is her heart's cry for the evidence of his joyful, playful LIFE all around. She mentioned Lightning Mcqueen cars, and how they hurt like heck when you step on them. No doubt the hurt is exponentially worse when you don't step on them because he's not there to leave them all over the floor. So, for the record. Your mess is BEAUTIFUL. And if anyone ever sniffs at your housekeeping, tell them I said so (or send them to my house and you'll compare favorably I am sure). Love you and am proud of the jewelry box and manger drawing and jammy wearing.
Love your mess. Love your crafts! The most amazing part of this post for me is that you didn't put baby down for his nap cos you were having so much fun!!!
Hi Bron,
I have tried to comment a few times before and not been able to sign in properly from my phone. Thank you so much for the full disclosure, you are right we do compre ourselves to others best published selves! I love reading what you have to say so please keep blogging!
love Tammy x
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