I decided to be one step ahead of Kai yesterday with his new birthday presents. I was ready. We started our day with the routine tantrum about not wanting to have a big boy pee and then after breakfast I embraced it: first hockey, then soccer (until injury occurred i.e., ball hit baby toe-tantrum ensued) and then I pulled out the creative pursuits. Yep, we did playdoh with his new “Buster the Power Crane” playdoh machine (Thanks Rebecca and Reece) and then onto some painting with his new “Made by Me” paint station (Thanks Crystal and Quinton). All this before 10am snack. So this kid never saw me coming… I was serving up craft like nobody’s business… he didn’t have time to tantrum. He was too busy creating Picasso-like works of art.
I asked myself: Could there be a down-side to this? Well… maybe 2 downsides…
1. I realized I have a major aversion to mixing both playdoh colours AND mixing paint colours! Yep the kids’ creating like a toddler-Picasso and I can barely watch as he’s mixing, swirling and mashing the colours together! I had to stifle a laugh because it was brilliant toddler exploration and a true realization that I like my colours organized, in the right containers and each doing their job… in my world mixing is meant for cake batter!
2. The intensity: can I keep up this type of daily intensity? 2 days a week- no problem! I can do this, and I love crafting, so we shall craft! (Yesterday I realized this kid does have some of me in him). He likes to create, embraces the unknown of mixing (gasp!) and he had a solid hour of crafting patience in him…so crafting here we come.
So I’m on it! This kid is going to ooze creativity for the next few weeks until we get on the plane to New Zealand. I may even start Connor into something… he spent the whole creating crafting time, screaming about creating 2 new top teeth! When one is calm the other’s freaking out! Excellent!