St. Valentine's Day

 

Post church: spelling bee, winter hike, confirmation retreat, transport child to/from work, dinner, gas and newspaper, the list goes on........

Finisher?

A recent message from my college roommate asked how to start a project when you aren't going to finish right away. I think that's what she said. There are four solutions to this question.

First,

I don't finish everything. Some things, like scrapbooks, will never be finished. Inherently won't get done. Ever. I just let it go. So my desk and chair and space around the desk and chair are filled with things that will "some day" get into a scrapbook. I was able to contain everything IN the desk for a long time, but I don't see that happening again for a while.

(And in my defense, the side table top on the left there is mostly covered with stuff for an upcoming homeschool mom meeting. The table is usually clean. The pile of old jeans on the floor is addressed in the fourth solution below. Whenever you see valentine or card, substitute the word jeans.)

Second, some things don't get finished quickly, but I can hide some Works In Progress, like yo-yo's. Small enough to stow in a paper bag, then in my purse or drawer until I'm ready to work again. Knitting supplies go into a carved wooden chest.

Third, some projects I choose because they are quick. Dishcloths, cards, small sewing projects.

Fourth, Then other things are left out until they are finished. Seeing the mess serves as a reminder says, "HEY, FINISH THIS PROJECT ASAP!!!" For example, my youngest undertook valentine making for my two siblings and Mr. TellBlast's seven siblings and their families, and grandparents.

That's a lot of card making. And a lot of mess. Every time you walk by, you think, I ought to sit down and make a valentine. And to her credit, she does.

Valentines

We are overflowing with valentines. After reading a children's book about the origins of St. Valentine's Day, "I" of GAIN got busy. She memorized a Mother Goose poem about St. Valentine's Day and made some Victorian-style pinprick and acrostic valentines. She also did her own thing with a puzzle and fingerprints. Wow, you can do a lot when only one hour of your day is spent in "school" and the rest of the day is free.

The other kids also made valentines. The older two like to put poems on their valentines. I put a picture of a valentine that "A" of GAIN created at the bottom here.

The kids ask, "Mom, how do you spell ______ ?" I remember asking my mom and grandma the same thing. I often write the requested words (usually names) on a piece of scratch paper for them to copy, rather than have the kids get upset because I'm not clear enough when I spell to them. I used to get upset when I asked someone to give me the correct spelling. I would end up doubling a letter or somehow misspell the word.

I think these photos may qualify for Mama Podkayne's weekly photo challenge -- "cherish." I cherish the handmade valentines from my children. Their handwriting is captured, their thoughts and abilities are frozen for one brief moment of time, and since they are gifts, I get to keep them. What a warm thought.

Bee Mine

Knowing that St. Valentine's Day is on Feb. 14, and knowing that we are s-l-o-w at getting things assembled and in the mail, and knowing that hand crafting valentines from all four kids plus me takes t-i-m-e, I've kept the supplies out since Feb. 1.

"I" of GAIN's latest creation was something, in her words, that she just "thought of on my own." She used an inkpad, her fingerprints, and a marker one afternoon while I was out. You can see the flower and stem, heart, and bee body that she used her fingers for. The bee features were done in marker. I think the way that kids cut rectangles is cute, too. Inside the card says, "Bee mine. From your seack-ret admire" Isn't that sweet?

(You'll have to come back later to view her not-so-sweet creations from yesterday.)

My younger son inspired his brother and younger sister to make coin purses, complete with aluminum foil coins. I'll have to snap a picture some time. He raided my scrap fabric drawer and started hand sewing one morning. We've been reading about Vikings and the Middle Ages, but I can't be sure of the source for his ideas. The kids can never remember how to knot their thread, but they are quite good at threading the needles. "G" of GAIN even got fancy and applied a pearl snap -- it came from a bag of sewing leftovers that my grandma gave me. I had forgotten that I had it. She would be glad to know that her things have been seeing some use in our family.