Kids in a Craft Store

My two boys are very active "boys' boys". They enjoy playing outside, running, playing with cars, rough-housing. In short, everything boys typically enjoy. Being an artistic, indoorsy mother to these two balls of energy has been a challenge. I've tried teaching them the art of being still, but 2 minutes later, and they're off again.

After I instituted a no-TV-after-supper rule, they became more interested in my crafting--largely crochet--as they saw me working on it. Thomas got a couple of kids' craft books and spend hours poring over them, trying to figure out what to make. Josh helped me choose yarn for my next project.

Yesterday, the first day of summer and one of the hottest days of the year so far, we made our more-or-less monthly trip to St. Joseph, Missouri, the closest town with a craft store. Our second stop (after the bakery outlet) was JoAnn's Fabric and Crafts. Usually, my visits to craft stores are exercises in frustration, trying to control two bored boys who try to entertain themselves by running up and down the aisles. Today was different, though. We were going to get them a craft kit they could work on during no-TV time.

After much deliberation, Thomas chose a beginner sewing kit with a teddy bear. He wanted to make the bear for his little brother. Josh chose a wooden picture frame that he could color with markers. With two excited boys, we headed for the checkout.

Then I saw it. A beautiful brilliant blue glass pendant, in a display of pendants on sale. Just across the aisle was a small rack of glass beads. I stopped to look at the pendant, then tried matching it with various strands of glass beads. At last I chose a strand of beads with the same brilliant blue, mixed with deep green and gold.

As I deliberated on whether or not to buy them, I learned a lesson. My boys can be extremely "helpful" when they're so minded.

"Ooh, Mommy, you'd like this one!"

"Mommy, this one's pretty!"

"Mommy, this would go good with that one!"

"Mommy, I really like this one!"

We were drawn in to the bead aisle like magpies before the motherlode of shiny objects. The kids were as mesmerized as I was. Rows of pendants sparkling with rhinestones. Colorful glass beads hanging from racks just begging to be fondled and held up to the light. Beautiful glass pearls in soft colors. Tiny drawers with hidden bead treasures. Josh was even intrigued by the textures of the beads and the way the hanging strands sounded when they struck each other.

In the end, I bought the pendant and the strand of blue, green and gold beads, as well as another strand of slightly smaller blue beads for accent and some clasps. What was far more important than these bits of glass and metal, though, was the fact that I had connected with the boys.

I knew it would not last. It may not even happen again. But for one moment, one precious trip, we were all three of us caught up in the same magic and wonder.