2023.2

efore anyone points out that I am already behind, I know, believe me, I know.  I’m not offering excuses, today, but just letting you know, I am aware.  The best laid plans of elves and thieves, y’all.  

This morning there was a thing at church where the young adults decorated cookies.  Pause for a moment and consider that I could be included with a group of young adults.  Consider it!  I mean I wasn’t, I was on child care duty, but I could still be thought of as young.  In some circles.  Of very old people. Maybe?

Anyway, in December I always have a plan, or two, for Christmas crafts with littles, however it has been a minute since I’ve done baby crafts.  The last couple of years I have managed at least one craft for the baby room kiddos, usually done on the sly, over the whole season, one kid at a time, so it can be gifted to the parents for christmas.  Typically it is little effort from the babies, and relies heavily on hand prints and/or photos.  This year I opted for a more or less age appropriate task and I am allowing the wee ones to stuff clear shatterproof christmas baubles with tiny colored pom poms.  No glue, no paint, and it is just about their skill level.

Guess what? Success! Truly.  All three of the boys we had today enjoyed it.  It is a one at a time task, and it took a few minutes for them to catch on, but then they all seemed to enjoy picking up the pom poms and carefully sticking them in the baubles.  Clearly, it's no big exciting crafting skill they have learned, (they already know how to stick their fingers into things), but I got smiles from all three of them.  I am counting it all as a win.

Feel free to extrapolate some greater meaning about slowing down, living in the moment, and the smiles of children.  Also, being prepared, books about baby animals, rhyming words, and goldfish crackers.

Blub, blub, blub

Judson