Something To Do

At last it is here, our "3 birthdays in 11 days," where I try and remember which child wanted the chocolate cake with strawberries on top (F) and which one wanted the strawberry cake roses on top (D), which color streamers to put up on which days, and of course the ever important: what do you want for your birthday?

I have talked before a little bit how my children do not seem to be big on toys.  Joboy loves trains and Ben likes legos, but my girls use "My Little Ponies" as bedroom decor - not as toys.  So when I asked D what she wanted for her birthday, I shouldn't have been surprised.

She said "something to do."

Indeed.  My girl will spend hours drawing, doodling, copying paragraphs out of storybooks, yet leaves the handmade doll and all of her fabulous clothes and accessories lonely up on a shelf.  She will cut a million tiny shapes out of colored paper and leave them strewn about the house, little pieces clinging to her socks when she moves on to her next project.

I know what to do, because I was that little girl too, once upon a time.  When I wanted something to do for my birthday, my mother gave me a sewing kit.  And I fell in love.

A few months ago, I found a sewing basket in perfect condition at Salvation Army.   I filled it with all the essentials - scissors, needles and pins and a pin cushion, an assortment of embroidery floss and thread, an embroidery hoop and some fabric from my stash.

 

Today we took it out.  She drew a design on white muslin (concentric hearts), and I helped her set it in an embroidery hoop.  Then, pure magic.

 

Just a 6 year old girl on a rainy Tuesday afternoon who found something to do.  Happy Birthday, sweetheart.