kaleidoscoping chaos...: Project Please...

As you read this blog, you will learn that we do a lot of projects. Usually centered around a theme and/or a holiday of some sort. Yesterday, I mentioned that one of the reasons that we moved was to give each kid a bedroom so that they would start to sleep better and that is true. Another big reason that we moved is that my partner, Jocelyn, was totally done with dealing with the accumulated 'bins' of arts and crafts supplies for my aforementioned projects and she was equally unamused by the 'masterpieces' created during said project times overtaking the walls, ceilings and usable space of our already crowded condo.

So like I said yesterday, New House, New Rules. All of my craft/art/holiday/celebratory bins are now located in our basement. And all 'masterpieces' are to be hung in only two rooms, the playroom and the kitchen. Jocelyn is very excited about this development. I am also excited about it and already bought this very cool wire hanging thingy from IKEA (check it out) and it is already up and ready for our projects.

Last night right before we were going to watch our bedtime show, Jonah looks at me and asks, "mom, I want a project?" At first, I had no idea what he was talking about (I was wondering what new show he was asking for) but then in a flash I got it. He wanted to do an art project. In the last few weeks, the run up to the move, the move and the recent unpacking, we haven't done anything like that. We have had lots of outside time, playground time, visiting cousin time, babysitter time and yes, TV time... (the TV has gotten a bit out of control and I know this because Vera's first real word is "map" as in let's ask the "map" on Dora...) So when he looked at me so sincerely and asked for a project I jumped up. I tried to figure out a 10 minute project that wasn't messy as he was clean and ready for bed - so we tried water painting... BIG FAIL! He just looked at me like I was an idiot and said, "No mom, I want a real project with real paint..." He went to bed a little disappointed and I went to bed with a resolve to do a project today.

So today after Vera went down for her morning nap, when I should have been unpacking, I brought up the art bin and the Passover bin from the basement! Whoop Whoop! He was very excited. It is almost Passover and Easter (how can that be I have no idea). I am Jewish and we are raising our kids in a Jewish home (Shabbot every Friday, kosher, celebrating all the holidays) and Jocelyn's family is Episcopalian so we go to her family's house and celebrate Easter and Christmas. We also celebrate any and every other holiday I know about. Life is too short and hard not celebrate when you get the chance. If the holiday fits with our family motto "be a good person and do good things" then we are up for it! January, February and March were chock full of such holidays: birthdays of Martin Luther King, Jr, Lincoln, Washington and Dr. Seuss; hallmark holidays of St. Valentine and St. Patrick; cultural holidays such as Chinese New Year, Tu B'Shevat, and Purim; and last but not least, my all time favorite: Ground Hog's Day!

Since St. Patrick's Day, we haven't done any holiday projects, so we were ready.

PASSOVER: We started by reading a Passover book. Then I gave Jonah some matzah! (and we compared it to bread for good measure) We ate the matzah with butter, cream cheese, peanut butter, jelly, and cheddar cheese. And then I went into the Passover bin and broke out the matzah man, the play matzah, and the play matzah balls. We were ready to make us some make believe matzah. The fact that we have recently accumulated tons of "art supplies" as a result of the move just made me even more excited!! (I have enough packing paper, cardboard boxes, bubble wrap and dowels, etc. to stock numerous preschools!) We made three kinds of make believe matzah:

(1) White Cardboard Rubbed with Brown Crayon Matzah

(2) White Packing Paper Rubbed with Brown Crayon over Brown Corrugated Cardboard

(3) White Packing Paper Rolled with Brown Paint using Bubble Wrap around Dowel

It was fun. Except when Jonah insisted on eating the brown paint. What is up with that???

In the afternoon I took Vera to her one year doctor's appointment and she got a total "thumbs up" from our beloved and revered pediatrician. That also made me very happy.

Later in the day, while I was trying to unpack (ironically a box of my good passover dishes - not planned I tell you just the next box), Jonah insisted on making everyone matzah ball soup. He cooked it up in the pot and then served it in little bowls.

Tonight at bed time I asked him how was his day today (I always do) and said, "Mom it was a good day, good." I also asked him if he liked the project today. And he looked at me and gave me a thumbs up!

A day that includes a thumbs up from my pediatrician and a thumbs up from my kid, well that is a very very good day for me - notwithstanding the fact I still have way too many boxes to unpack, there were way too many temper tantrums and I am exhausted... it is still a very very very good day! Next project please...