Friday, November 30, 2007

Friday Already?

My sister, Mary, mentioned craft stress in her post today. She cracks me up! And, since I want to be just like her, I decied to share a couple of tips and a bad craft moment.

I love kid crafts! It's the kids that make the crafts difficult, though...

I have found that the most stressful kid crafts are the kind that have an expected outcome. The cuter the project is supposed to turn out, the more I start to twitch. But John loves crafts - so what's a mom to do?

Luckily John has very limited cute craft experience. Glitter? That's just for the big girls. Sequins? What's that? Plain paper and markers are still exciting for him. And if I pull out the glue his eyes light up!

But glue is tricky. And messy. And dangerous.

Here's my favorite glue tip: A little puddle of glue on a plate and a q-tip is just the thing for spreading glue. No chance of over-zealous squeezing, and easier to use than a glue stick.



For today's craft I let him chose a large piece of construction paper. I gave him some markers. And I cut circles and squares out of more construction paper. He colored. He glued. He had fun. That's what I call a successful craft time!

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Craft stress does not end as your kids get bigger. Two weeks ago at our mid-week youth activity we decided to have the girls dip candles. This was to illustrate the mutual theme for the year

"Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God" (D&C 121:45)


Our Young Women's president did a great job illustrating that verse. She held up a little piece of wick that had been dipped in wax a few times. It had not waxed strong! As we gain our testimonies by following the Savior and daily choosing the right, we will wax strong a little at a time, just as the candle will become stronger after repeated dipping into the wax.

Then we dipped candles with the girls.

We had 7 colors of wax and we discussed each value as we dipped wax (ie - how can having faith help your confidence wax strong?, etc.) I thought it was a rather brilliant lesson. The problem was the wax.

Wax on the table. Wax on the floor. Wax on girls finger tips. Wax over on the drinking fountain.

The clean up took for-e-ver.

We were just about done when I notice a pot of hot water on the stove. We had used a lot of hot water to keep the jars of wax warm as the girls were dipping, and I thought it was just one of our pots, waiting to be emptied. So I picked it up and poored it right down the drain. I heard Diane yell NO! and I could see immediately that I had made a big mistake.

That pot of water was actually a pot of hot wax. I had noticed earlier in the evening that the hot wax was totally clear and looked just like water. But I forgot....

The wax was all over the inside of the sink. and down in the drain.... I was able to clean out the sink, but the drain was another matter.

It took a plumber to fix my big mistake (luckily there is one in another ward). The wax had solidified into a candle shaped piece right in the drain of the sink - too bad I didn't wash down some wicking, too....

How embarrassing...

10 comments:

Deanne said...

Oh man, what a mess! I would have felt a little silly too, but I'm sure you handled it with grace. :)

Unknown said...

I admit it: I have an aversion to glue because I fear the mess the Hurricane would render. However, your solution didn't look too bad so I'll have to give it a try!

Tori :) said...

Oops. :D

Lana said...

oh no!!

Mary said...

Okay, you are cracking me up!

You are such a genius! I will totally use your glue idea, that may just save my sanity.

The wax story is so funny! I totally laughed loud when I read that. What a mess! But that is a great object lesson.

Super Happy Girl said...

OH NOES!!
This is why I don't do crafts, something always goes wrong for me.
We dipped candles with the beehives once. I thought WE made a mess. Honey, you win.

I was just over at Mary's and remember next week we are doing Super Saturday on Thursday: I didn't sign up for anyhting but have to go because I'm in the committee.

Anonymous said...

Oh - what a mess with the wax.

But the picture of John is so cute! And I love the idea of q tips and glue on a paper plate. I think I can use that idea at school. Even big kids can make a huge mess with glue and they can be so wasteful too. Mom

Amanda said...

Thanks for the craft tips. I am not a fun mom when it comes to crafts. All I can think about is the mess mess mess. I need to lighten up a little.

Sorry about the sink shaped candle. That is totally something that I would have done.

Suzanne said...

How frustrating with the wax and the drain! That is totally something I would have done!

I have a hard time having a good attitude about drafts. I'm to the point that I don't even want the kids to use markers anymore because they make such a big mess. And glitter? Nope, it's just not going to happen! LOL! I'll definitely have to use that glue idea. Thanks! :)

The Mrs. said...

that is hilarious! Did you let the plumber keep the "candle"? If it makes you feel better, I was crafting ornaments with my little ones and the smallest painted the inside of his mouth and his entire face. sigh. I gave up for the night.