oscillate - vegetable, craft, or mistake?

At our house, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and May day mean crafts. For me, there is a certain similarity between doing craft projects with my children and my relationships with certain vegetables. With both, I like the idea of them. In the abstract, I think “Yes! Squash. We could really eat more Squash." In the same moment I am distracted by something shiny on the seed rack and think "Hey! Look at this lovely seed packet for red and white striped beets! I’ll get these and these lovely locally grown squash.” With craft projects I think “Oh wow, that papier-mâché birthday dinosaur egg piñata looks fun! We could absolutely do that this weekend.”

Then, with both, I order/find/abscond with all the ingredients. I put them neatly in my “craft projects to do” basket or in my crisper and then put the entire thing off. Sometimes I find that procuring the ingredients for my life is exhausting. Now I need a nap and a bit of tea. I don’t need to be getting all gluey or figuring out what to do with a squash. I need a bath. (Also, a nap?)

obligatory - Happy *insert new responsibility here* Day!

Valentine Mailboxes.  Oh, the elementary school expectations churned high in my jealous, greedy, sometimes kinda nasty little head at the age of 5-11ish when it came time to decorate a Valentine Mailbox.  I wanted mine to the best.  It wasn't: at least in today's memory, I wasn't the kind of kid nor did I have the kind of mom who could spend many patient hours pasting tiny bits of glitter onto a butchered cardboard box and have it come out looking like a work of art.  Thirty odd years later, though, I *am* strangely the mom who at least has intentions of doing that.  Last year's - my first, kindergarten - was a ladybug - you moved its wings to reveal the opening.  It holds treasures on the 7yr old's desk now.  This year when the email came from the teacher with the list of kids in the class, along came the statement, "we will be making our valentine bags together in class."