Busy Bag/Crazy Mom

I was supposed to be making "Spools and Straws" for a busy bag swap with some of my Mom friends. You know, bags with stuff to keep the kids busy, er uh, entertained.

First I decide I'm going to paint the spools pretty, bright colors! I'm already in over my head because I had to ask where the spools were, and what kind of paint to use, and what kind of paintbrush to buy...

While I'm there, I'm thinking to myself that straws are just going to get torn up and broken so quickly. How about non-disposable straws? Well, Hobby Lobby didn't have any. Then low and behold, right next to the spools are wooden dowels! Perfect! I'm a genius!

That night I'm at home (attempting) to paint the spools and straws dowels, when it occurs to me - dowels are kind of like little wooden weapons. Ugh. I feel like there's some kind of list of things that most Moms just automatically know, and it certainly includes things like, "Don't give your friends' kids long, eye-gouging, wooden dowels." I'm clearly not privy to this list of Baby Instructions.

So I've spent the last week stressing over whether I should toss the dowels and put straws in the bags. I decide that the dowels are pretty and already purchased, so they're going in the bag. Does that make me feel better? No, because now I'm already crazy with worry. I saved the red paint for last, and I'm sitting at my kitchen table painting dowels blood red, imagining some kid stabbing himself with them, and the Mom doesn't even know because the dowels are already red.

Never the less, the bags are going out tonight. Maybe I'll chicken out and give both straws and dowels. They turned out rather pretty, especially considering the artist.

If you're the Mom of one of the children I'm about to give a bloody red weapon .... sorry about that. ;-)