No time for flashcards.

There is this blog for which a friend sent me the link. Thankfully for that friend I cannot remember which friend it was. This blog has been really bugging me. Click here to see the blog. You have probably clicked, checked out the blog and are left wondering what my issue is. Well, let me tell you. The blogger's son is right around Kai's age. Did you see the skill with which he wields a glue bottle? A paintbrush? How about the way he attaches things to the areas that he has applied glue to? Notice that he is usually clean, clean, clean in his booster seat and jammies. What gives?! I feel like perhaps I missed some crafting window that opened and now it is closed until age three. While it is nice to have some ideas for creative activites to do with Kai that reach beyond coloring with crayons or finger painting, I am feeling like we are a little inferior. I thought we might try one of her activities. I looked for something outdoors to start and found a water "painting" activity. Kai was supposed to use a paintbrush with water to "paint" the deck. I showed him what to do and attempted to engage him in the activity. The blogger's son spent so much time at this activity that she was able to grab an extra cup of coffee. My son jiggled the paint brush all around the water container until almost all of the water had splashed out. Then he grabbed the container, dumped the remaining water out on the way to raising it above his head and then chased Annie all around the deck waving the container in the air.

In spite of myself and my fears that Kai cannot use a glitter shaker, I am currently working up the energy/strength/positive thinking skills to start doing a daily structured activity with Kai. Kai is probably ready to have a little structure inserted into his day. Now we just have free play. If he is interested in coloring, we get out the crayons until he starts eating them. He asks to go outside and into the sandbox every day. I pretty much let him decide what activity we are doing almost all of the time. I think I might try to strike after nap time. He is generally cooperative and in a pleasant mood after naptime. There are a couple of sites that don't make me feel like an inadequate mommy crafter and I checked out a book from the library full of toddler appropriate activities. I am going to plan our activities for the week over the weekend and start with one planned structured activity per day on Monday. I will keep you updated on what we are doing and how Kai is faring with the glue bottle.