I had big plans for Memorial Day weekend. I was going to get sooooo much done!
I was going to clean out closets and pull out my summer decor and plant flowers. I was going to bake cookies and clean the kitchen floor and sort through the mountain of papers sitting on the counter in the laundry room. I was going to create the most FABULOUS craft to share with you today and it was going to totally represent all that I love about summer and you were going to love it. I promise!
The spray paint came out, the sticker letters were purchased and everything was going according to plan.
And then, it didn’t.
I sat down on the couch to put the finishing touches on this fabulous summer craft which I KNOW you would have loved and while I promised myself that I would only have the movie ’27 Dresses’ on as background noise for my craft-making, I found myself getting distracted by Katherine Heigl’s super cute clothes and how funny she is and thinking about how I could totally see us being friends if she ever moved to Oregon or I moved to California (but really she would have to move to Oregon because I don’t think we’ll be going anywhere anytime soon).
And somewhere between her trying on all 27 of those hideous bridesmaids dresses and realizing that she really is in love Kevin, well, I messed up. The sticker letters I was so carefully placing on my AMAZING summer craft weren’t lining up correctly. And there was no way I could fix that crooked ‘S’ other than to lift it up and try to adjust it. But then when I lifted it up, it lifted up the paint underneath and I quickly realized there was no way to salvage the project short of starting over completely.
It was a craft fail. I stared at my fail for a little bit.
And then…well then I stopped caring.
I didn’t want to start over. In fact, I’m not sure that I really wanted to be doing the craft in the first place. Or clean closets or sort through a mountain of papers or bake cookies or plant flowers.
I wanted to just sit on the couch and watch a movie.
I wanted to not have anything I had to do.
I wanted to look out the window completely mesmerized by the site of my daughter sitting in the grass dressing up her stuffed animals and talking to them all the while.
And I wanted to watch her without thinking about all of the other things I needed to get done.
And when she asked me if I wanted to come to the stuffed animal fashion show in her room, I wanted to say ‘Yes’. Trust me, if you are ever invited to a stuffed animal fashion show you should ALWAYS say yes.
I wanted to cheer and clap for each stuffed animal as they modeled the latest styles and I wanted to be the judge deciding who won the prize for the most fashionable stuffed animal even though later my decision was overturned because apparently I didn’t select the ‘right’ winner. 😉
I wanted to watch my son concentrating on the perfect placement for ramming into the back of his dad’s bumper car and the hysterical laughter that followed.
And I wanted to sit in the back of giant log wearing a lovely blue poncho while we plunged down rapids screaming and laughing as the water came up over the sides and drenched us.
I wanted to just ‘be’.
Be present.
Be in the moment.
Just Be.
Last night we sat and watched videos of the kids when they were little (er). I never know if I really enjoy doing this family activity. Because while I love seeing them as babies and taking their first steps and eating their first solid foods and taking those first steps and sitting on the potty for the first time and waving good-bye as they walk through the doors of the school on the first day of kindergarten, it also makes my heart just ache. Like, really, really ache.
It’s going too fast. WAY too fast. On Wednesday my oldest will turn 11 and I’m fairly certain I just held him in my arms for the first time yesterday.
So, I’m relishing these moments. I’m savoring them, cherishing them, guarding them.
Because there will be plenty of time for crafts, after all.
And craft ‘fails’ too of course! 😉
Too funny! I did about the same thing when 27 dresses came on! Glad we we’re able to enjoy it “together.” 😉
I totally get this! Our littles grow way to fast not to go sit on their bedroom floor for fashion shows. 😉
~ Ashley
I find it difficult to watch old videos too. I know how you feel. Glad you just enjoyed the day, doing whatever you wanted to do.
Beautiful post. You definitely chose the better things. Yesterday hubby and I spent our first Memorial Day with none of our kids home. While it was fun working together to assemble our new gazebo and going out for ice cream and I actually DID get lots of projects completed, I found myself thinking of years past throughout the day. Like when the neighbor girls were screaming and running through a sprinkler. And the boys behind us were shooting baskets. And couples walked by our house pushing strollers. If I’d always done projects and never played, I’d not have those memories to make me smile now that they ARE all grown up.
You did exactly the right things for your weekend. Enjoy every moment with your kids creating lasting memories. These memories will be such a blessing in the future when you’ll have plenty of time for crafting. This Granny knows. Now my grandchildren are leaving their nests too, but I have wonderful memories to enjoy from them as well as their parents.
That sounds like the perfect weekend. Neither you, nor your kids will remember that “absolutely amazing” project years from now. But you’ll remember the special times together!
~Cheryl
https://snaps-of-ginger.blogspot.com/
Wonderful choices! Especially your daughter’s recreation of 27 dresses 😉
Just BE with your family-excellent choice. Trust me, those papers, dirty floors, crafts will still be there when your children have left home. And, yes, your heart will ache then,too.
So sweet – better than any craft!
There will always be time for crafts but never enough time for stuffed animal fashion shows. [I love the pink and white cow with the green dress]. They do grow up too fast. Mine are all gone now and the house was way too quiet this weekend.
Love this, my friend. God often has the most creative ways to get our attention and redirect our priorities. And sometimes they’re not so pleasant!
Ahh, yes. I have been there. This is so sweet Vanessa and, honestly… what craft could be better than a stuffed animal fashion show anyway?? 🙂 xoxo
Thank you. I needed to read this…Plus you just gave me another reminder of what a great storyteller you are! The world needs more posts like this one. xoxo
Awww…thanks sweet friend! Appreciate you coming by! 🙂
Good, Good, GOOD for you !!! Sometimes it takes alot of fortitude to just put all things down and walk away when you feel so pushed and pulled to “get things done”. So glad you have realized the importance of just walking away from the “chores”. they sure can wait. The growing up years….they wait for no one. It is now or never and the kids know when they are being put first. All kids need that feeling and so many don’t ever get to experience that. So happy your kids have that feeling. You will never regret those times.
Memories r always wonderful. Ours are adults & they are still making memories with us. No grandchildren & I cherish the time we spend with our adult children. Each moment is special for me.
I love that you just let the craft go and spent time with your girl. I would hate messing up a craft too, but I guess sometimes a ‘fail’ opens up a door for us to give time to something else that might be better. And I’m so with you on our kids growing up too fast!!! I long for those simpler days often. My kids are young adults now, and I cherish the memory of those days when they were small enough rock to sleep. Sweet post!!
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