Already bored.

Today is the first day of Summer vacation.

My seven-year old son, Quinn and a couple of his buddies were just sittin’ around on the front lawn lookin’ for somethin’ tuh do. I’m trying to replicate their pathetic ho-hum attitude.

Lame Mother that I am, I tried to engage them in conversation. How idiotic I felt when they just looked at me and rolled their eyes.

So I march inside the house to the blue room, my office/craft room/retreat, and haul out an assortment of beads — the most boyish ones I could find. “Okay guys, c’mon over here! We’re making chokers.” Surprisingly, they came quite willingly. The three of them jammed those beads on the cords to create very random, very uncoordinated creations in less than 30 minutes. Because we know they had more pressing things to do.

Word got out about my impromptu beading workshop. Two little eight-year old girls came over next. I went back inside and returned with more girly beads. Well, they poured over those beads for a good long while — laying them out symmetrically, matching colours and textures, and comparing designs. With their dainty fingers, beads were strung one by one. Designs were changed, wrists and necks were measured, stories were shared. In more than twice the amount of time the boys spared, the girls had created elegantly structured, precisely crafted and beautifully coordinated necklaces and bracelets.

One afternoon down, 67 more to go.