My mom called the other day while we were painting a craft outside for Christmas presents and while I had them out there I decided to get some of my spray painting projects done that I’ve had sitting around. My mom asked what we were doing and I told her the two older boys (bigger as in 7 and 5, remember?!) were spray painting with black paint and she said laughing, “You are so brave, I don’t know how you do it day in and day out!” Around here painting is not a quiet sweet adventure like I always envision happens at her house . Around here crafts are a contact sport.
Case in point:
It’s been a long time since we’ve played with cornstarch. And last time I was smart enough to do it outside on a warm day. We tried to go outside, but it was just too darn cold. And by then, I was way in over my head in promises (blasted Time Warp put the idea back into our heads to play with it!) So, I threw caution to the wind and let them loose at the table. I tried to grab back my caution a few times and even found myself saying through gritted teeth at one point, “Can you imagine how Kate from Jon & Kate would be handling this right now?! That’s how I feel, people!”
And if I thought the actual mess making merriment was stressful, when I sent them all off to baths and stood looking at the aftermath, I really realized I was in deep. How do you propose to clean up a non-newtonian fluid? My fun-weary head could only come up with more water. That at least makes it fluid enough to wipe. So I poured a gallon of water on my table and floor, oh, yes, I did. And then I used towels to wipe. As you can imagine, by this time my children were wandering in dripping wet themselves from their recent cleanings and I was in a rush to at least get the bulk of the mess up. I gave up when I got the puddles clean. When my husband got home from work there was a big ol’ ring around the table where I quit wiping and drips from one end of the house to the other. He said, “It looks like flour blew up in here.” Yeah, something like that.
While cleaning (if you can call it that) my mom’s words from the day before came back to me and I thought, “Brave, maybe. Stupid, for sure.”
Neither brave nor stupid comes to my mind. It’s more like saint!
This is why my children’s creativity will be severely squashed–I have a phobia of messes……
It’s awesome. They are clearly gifted. I mean, less imaginative kids would have just played with the mess on the table. So boring. Your kids are able to think outside the box…um, baking pan, um table…in fact outside the entire dining room/kitchen area!!!!
I think water was probably a good idea. Others might have considered matches.
i’m scared!
Oh my gosh…that stresses me out just looking at it!
Me, too, Maury! Oh and I think Kate would probably say, ” Oh, Lordy Be!” While she screams for Jon.
Yep…she would be screaming for Jon…and you know it would be his fault, b/c she would probably never let them near anything that could make a mess like that.
Matt!!!
Oh my, oh my!! When we did cornstarch, we did it outside. I’ve had some cooking clean-ups that resemble that, though.
Yep, it’s just too hard to get caught up in the moment. And, truth be told, I’m often worse than the kids about getting more and more and MORE out. Especially paints. Aiyayaya. But kids learn best when they can see, touch, feel, hear, you name it. Sounds like they are getting the full effect at your house!!!
OH wow.
What do you do with the cornstarch exactly?Sounds interesting.
YIKES! Whatever happened there looks like an outside project. Oh, I just can’t look at it any more… My nerves can’t handle it!
WOW, that’s funny & not all at the same time
Well, that looks like the messes we used to have! I homeschooled thru terrible marriages, divorce, inner-city neighbors who sold drugs, and etc. My kids are successful, slightly arrogant (Mom, you don’t have anything!), and all succeed at work and school, ages 16, 18, 22, 24, 25, 29, 30. So, great job, Mom! I love the creativity you allowed. And Dad’s comment was hilarious. Keep laughing and loving!
I think I would need sedation. I’m sorry to say.
Oh my gosh…that stresses me out just looking at it!