Overcoming the Creative Slump

Not every day is a creative day. Let’s be honest, there are days when the last thing you want to do is make, cook, plant or play anything. And even more so, you don’t want to do any of those things with three kids. You just don’t feel creative, don’t feel inspired, or don’t feel good.

I felt that way yesterday-dealing with allergy crud, a kid in a cast, a cat that wouldn’t quit throwing up everywhere.

I was channeling Lloyd Dobler from Say Anything:

“I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything…I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed… I don't want to do that.”

I get it, Lloyd. I completely get it.

That was me yesterday.

Today (coinciding with my dialing back the allergy meds so I can function) I decided to get a little more in the spirit of everything I neglected the day before. House cleaning was on the list as well, however, when the six year-old said “It is really good that we have this craft room now or else our whole house would be a huge mess!” you start thinking maybe things could be worse. I mean, you just heard her say it “would” be a huge mess, not it “is” a huge mess!

Even though our little love rocks don’t really count as a craft for charity, we are counting them as February’s project. I am pleading injured kid or the fact that we are humans for why we didn’t get the blankets done. Either excuse seems valid.

Today I decided that we should get started on our Project Linus blankets so that they could be done this year. I asked the girls to choose their patterns and fabrics and let me know what their plans would be for each blanket. The middle child broke out paper and whipped out a little sketch with notes.

Detailed instructions!

“It’s going to be a heart blanket,” she said. “All hearts in all the corners and a big heart right in the middle. Like on my shirt we made.”

The oldest looked at her cast and started to go upstairs. I called her back and she said, “I can’t really sew, though.”

When I handed her my laptop and told her to look on some fabric websites at different fleece, she perked up. She had been thinking about the blankets in terms of sewing. We decided that for this project she could make the fringed-edge fleece style blanket.

After finding three different Texas A&M fleece prints on three different sites, she changed course. “I think I will go with this one,” she said.

I asked why the change.

“I think this will be better for more people,” she said. “Not everyone loves the Aggies like we do, but boys or girls could use this one even if they don’t like the Aggies.”

There were several background color options, and I was a bit surprised that she eschewed purple (softball team color) in favor of green. “It looks like the field you play most sports on,” she replied when asked.

Obviously.

I was getting everything together so that I could order the fabrics, and the youngest child ran up to me (she had been quietly working on a “surprise” for me this whole time) and she was very upset.

“I didn’t pick my fabric yet,” she said, nearly in tears.

“Yes you did,” I said. “You said you wanted to make your quilt out of the same fabrics as your pillowcase.”

“Oh, yeah! I do,” she said. “But what about my pattern?”

“You told me you wanted to make the blanket have squares like the pillowcase,” I said.

“Oh, yeah! I do,” she said. “Ok, I guess I’m done.”

Remember these fabrics?

And on that note, she ran upstairs to get ready for bed.

So, as soon as we get the fleece we’ll get going. Maybe I’ll handle the blanket project like the pillowcase project and work one-on-one with the girls.

On a completely unrelated topic, we are trying to eat more veggies around here (but our garden is still growing so we still have to buy most of them) so I have been getting creative with our side dishes at dinner.

Last night we had kale chips and tonight a cabbage salad. The kids ate both of them!!!!! It’s a Leap Week miracle! Ok, to be honest, the middle child didn’t gobble her kale chips up like she could have, but she still ate them.

What interesting veggie side have you made that your kids eat. Comment on here and maybe we’ll try them. No mushrooms, please, unless the recipe includes an Epi-Pen! Other than that, I want to hear your ideas.