The Blue Folder

Do you know that I have an entire folder dedicated to filing articles about activities, games and crafts for the kids and I to do together? I have this strange obsession with clipping articles from magazines entitled "5 Ways To Reuse This Magazine", "Moms Bag of Tricks", "Keep 'em Busy Fun!".

And do you know that I have never once successfully used any of these articles? I rip it out, file it neatly into my little blue folder and then tuck it back into my nightstand, positive that the next time the kids and I have a free moment, I will remember the really great windsock you can make with a toilet paper roll.

Now, in my defense, I have tried a few times to actually do some of these crafts. But each one always requires one essential craft supply that I just don't have on hand. Toilet paper tube: check. Glue: check. Twenty 10" strips of 1/4" ribbon. Doh!

I mean, who has this stuff on hand? Is there some basic Mom Rule that I am missing about keeping styrofoam balls and rick-rack on hand? (Gee, now that I think about it, my mom always did have those things in her sewing kit.....)

Each time I haul out the blue folder, I can see the girls' eyes widen with excitement. "It's the blue folder! The fun blue folder!" their expressions clearly say. But then when I lamely have to explain that "Mommy doesn't have googly eyes for the Pine Cone Critters" I just know that settling for making cut-out butterflies out of paper plates doesn't quite compare.

So, tonight as I head to bed, I will surely glance at the little blue folder and once again promise myself that "I am going to purchase some staple craft supplies next time I am at the store, for crying out loud!" But as for tomorrow, the kids and I will be at the table, still trying to think of something fun to do with all the popsicle sticks we've been saving.