*Serious* CRAFTINESS *Breakthrough*! TIMES TWO!!!!!!!!!

O.k., seriously now, y'all know my boys... y'all know how NOT crafty they are... y'all know how much they are the antithesis of craftiness. They just can't be bothered to sit still long enough to do any serious crafting. I mean, really, why take time out from terrorizing the cat, or tearing down the driveway on a scooter, or triple-twist-flipping-into-the-swimming-pool to do something like coloring? or pasting? or any-kind-of-crafting? Why interrupt the non-stop extreme action for something that requires such extreme calm??? B-O-R-I-N-G. Let's be honest: for them one of the highlights so far of their summer-out-of-daycare has been the heavenly release from the daycare-craftiness-grind. It is sad. Especially for me. Since I actually really love doing crafty things myself. In my feeble attempt to round them out a bit (i.e., keep them from becoming entirely immersed in a life of nothing-but-intense-brutal-physicality), and in an effort to share my enthusiasm for creative craftiness (hoping someday something might wear off on them), I have tried to do one visually creative/"crafty" activity with them each day this summer. I've tried everything that kids their age are supposed to love: coloring, painting, cutting, gluing, play dough, those foam sticker things, ETC. They like it. For all of about five minutes. I try to stretch it to ten minutes just to make the set-up-and-clean-up-efforts at least semi worth it. But by ten minutes into the craft activity du jour they are more than ready to BOLT out of their seats to run-jump-stomp-run-skip-ride-roll-run-sprint-swim-climb-run-slide-hang-run-run (did I already say run?). To be honest, I had sort of given up on any serious crafting with them long, long ago. But, folks, I think it is safe to say that we have had a major breakthrough!!!!!!! I think I may have found a craft that these boys actually like!!?!!!!!!! BEADING. ?!?! I had bought the supplies last week, attempting yet again to find a new craft that they might actually like. I had not yet gathered up the gumption to try it out on them. But last night Kyle and I sat quietly in the playroom together for 30 minutes straight while he made a bead necklace for MorMor. 30 minutes of uninterrupted focused crafting with my boy. I couldn't believe my own eyes as I sat on the couch with him and watched his little fingers pick up each bead and carefully, pain-stakingly work patiently to string it onto a piece of gimp. I thought it was some sort of fluke. My theory last night was that it was a one-shot-deal -- perhaps Kyle's way of working through his post-traumatic-shock-of-MorMor-leaving-to-go-home induced state? But then this morning (after they jumped maniacally on the bed for a full half hour doing all sorts of incredibly dangerous "tricks" and working themselves into full-blown-sweats), Kyle suggested that we "do beads!" I almost fell on the floor in shock. "O.k.!!!!!" I said. Owen said, "No, I don't want to! Let's ride our trucks over the bump bumps Kyle!" And Kyle said, "No, beads Owen. It is fun Owen. I like it!" I ran for the supplies. Sure enough, for 30 minutes straight (yes, THIRTY MINUTES straight!!!!!) we three sat on the floor of the family room and my boys carefully, pain-stakingly strung plastic beads onto black pieces of string. The focused concentration was unlike I've ever seen from them before. They sat right next to each other and quietly, calmly, patiently each made a beaded necklace for Alex. Multiple times I overheard them as they proclaimed their love for this craft to each other. "Owen?" Kyle said. "Yes Kyle?" said Owen. "Owen, I like this! I like doing these beads!" "Yes, Kyle, I like it too! I like it! I like it! I like it!" I tried to play it cool, but as you can imagine, I could barely contain myself. All I could think was 'a crafting breakthrough! a crafting breakthrough!' Yes folks, a crafting breakthrough indeed!!!'