Lessons Learned At Arts and Crafts Class

 Today we went to an arts and crafts class, and here is what I learned.

Lesson 1:

 Harper doesn't listen to anyone.  She is going to do what she's going to do, no matter what.  The teacher told us to bring smocks to class, so I did.  Hadley?  She put it on right away.  All the other kids did too, and I would like to add here that there are both boys and girls in the class.  Everyone put their smocks on. 

Not Harper.

We worked with red paint, can you tell?  It's on her face, on her pants, all over the chair, and on the table. 
"Harper, you have paint all over you.  Do you want to put your smock on now?"
"No.  I'm not putting on my smock. Right. Now."  That's what she does when she's trying to sound like she really means what she's saying.  Like this, "I'm not cleaning up. Right. Now."  Or, "I'm not going to eat my apple. Right. Now."

Also, when the teacher was explaining the three crafts we were going to make, Harper, in not a quiet voice kept asking me, "Can you trace my hand, Mommy, PLEEEEEEASE?"

"Harper, we need to listen to the teacher."

"Don't wanna listen to the teacher. Right. Now."

Lesson 2

Hadley is super fast.  Today's crafts had to do with the Chinese New Year, so we made hats, a bunny rabbit (it's the year of the rabbit), and lanterns.  The parents get the materials for the kids, and I thought I'd start with the stuff for the hats.  Before you could say "Ni Hao Kai Lan", Hadley says, "I'm done."
"You're done?"
"Yea, what's the next thing we're gonna make?"

Meanwhile, Harper's painting the room red.

Lesson 3.

I'm that guy with the clipboard and the lab coat in the movie The Dream Team.  Do you know who I'm talking about?  Christoper Lloyd plays this character who is in a mental hospital in this movie.  He walks around with a clipboard with a list of things to do, and a very detailed schedule of the day.  He likes things very neat and organized, and he doesn't do well when the plan changes, or people aren't following rules.  He didn't know why he was in the hospital.

And honestly, I don't know why he was either. His behavior seems like good common sense, to me.

I was reminded of him today as I was going back and forth getting art supplies for the girls.  There was one hole punch for the entire group, and I swear the teacher told the parents to keep it on the counter, but I never saw it once.  That was annoying, but what really got me was the kid who was using the only stapler available to staple newspaper together.  The newspaper was not part of the projects we were working on.  It was to prevent a mess.  OK, fine.  Your kid likes to staple newspaper together?  Mine likes to paint the table, chairs, and herself red.  But tell your kid to share the darn thing because I need to staple my kids' lantern together so they stop yelling at me from across the room, "Mommy!  My lantern doesn't work! Why doesn't it work?  Mommy!  Fix it! Fix it!"

This would not have happened if I had a clipboard.  And my own stapler.  OK, so maybe I'm like that guy from The Office, too.

Lesson 4.

Nothing is better than watching to the magic of what a teacher can do.  Hadley is obsessed with mixing colors.  She loves to talk about what happens when you mix yellow and blue, or what have you.  While the teacher was walking around the room, she stopped what Hadley was working on and after complimenting Hadley on her work, she said, "Now how did you get pink?  I didn't put pink paint out today."

"I mixed 'em."
"You mixed the paints?"
"Yea.  I mixed the red and white to make pink."  Hadley is beaming at this point.  Like she's teaching the teacher something. 
"Now that's a great idea."
"Thanks!"

Year O' the Rabbit, indeed.