Hey, I tried.

Many of you who know me know that I don't do crafts. Well, I like to do crafts, alone, without the kids. I mean that I don't let the kids do crafts.
Well, I let them do crafts at school and at MOPS when other wonderfully patient teachers set up the materials and, most importantly, clean up afterwards.
I think crafts are important for children to do. It buds creativity and the kids love to do it.
I just have never been one to do crafts at our house. First, it's expensive. Those quiet, unassuming Popsicle sticks can run upwards of $3. $3? That's not much you say! Well, no, it's not. But when you add the felt, a package of googly eyes, craft glue, sequins, stickers, pom-poms, and a subscription to Family Fun Magazine, one craft project will cost you $97.50.
Secondly, it's messy! I wake up with cold sweats just thinking of the red glitter forever embedded in our carpet.
Well, my meds must be kicking in because today I decided to do a project! Ava made a very cute shaker last year, which Cameron decided to destroy this morning. After I made Ava silence her hysterics, I told her that we could make her a new one. And Cameron could make one to - a shaker of his very own to destroy.
So, off we trekked to The Wal-Marts to get 2 cans of frozen juice concentrate, Popsicle sticks, a bag-o-beans, and various foam stickers. After seeing that my only option in the Popsicle stick area was a box of 500 (um, no thank you) we bypassed those.
After we got home, I got the kids situated at the kitchen table with a snack while I messed with the juice cans and washed them out.
I undid the funny little plastic puller-thingy and attempted to pull off the metal lid, but to no avail. The crazy thing was stuck!
So I pulled and pried and FINALLY it let lose! My victory was sorely short lived as I realized that frozen pink lemonade concentrate has just splattered
all-over-my-kitchen. UGH!! The thick pink syrup was everywhere! At that very moment, I thought to myself: This is why I don't do crafts.
After cleaning up all the goo and getting the kids situated with all of the stickers and markers, the rest of the craft-making went off without a hitch.
I think that the kiddos enjoyed themselves and I was happy that they did. And I was happy that it kept them busy for (seriously) only 12(!!!) MINUTES!
ACK! All of that for only 12 minutes of craft-time?
That, is why I don't do crafts.