Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Here I am on a Wednesday afternoon, sharing a post with you that I never would have thought I would share with the blogging world. Today is the day of the week that I keep my grandchildren(usually the three toddlers), and I am always searching the corridors of my mind to come up with ways to keep them entertained. You see, I want them to love coming to my home, so that means I must have some fun planned. Today, we got out the old tin of my mother's wooden spools of thread from many years ago. I decided to teach them how to create spider webs with the remaining thread on the spools. This thread was the remaining thread from the spools, that were once used to create dresses for me as a child, on my mother's Pfaff sewing machine:)

Since the oldest one was busy building a garage and a helicopter with his Legos, and the youngest of the three that I was keeping, was in bed, it left my middle granddaughter on her own to create. I cannot tell you how much time this venture consumed on her part. She would wrap the thread around the recliner chair leg, then across the room to the cabinet doorknobs, around them and then over to the Eliptical stand and back.

With concentration and careful, deliberate rolls of the thread, she continued on. It actually was beginning take shape...not the shape of a real spider's web, but to her and me and our imaginations...her little web was being weaved(sounds almost like the pages from a romance novel).


When a bit of boredom set in, she decided to increase her borders with the web creations. The thread was now going over to the knobs of the far cabinet, and back to the chair leg...and so on. The web was continuing to be woven. Now, may I just mention here, at that point the phone rang. I ran to answer it and forgot temporarily that they web existed . I got so intertwined in the carefully done web, that it became funny. Who would believe this was happening to me?



I tried removing my self from the thread...so much thread...it was everywhere. Around my ankles, around my legs, on my arms. I found myself thinking..."whose crazy idea was this anyway?" Since there was huge disappointment over the devastation that I had accidently caused. I helped her start all over again. This time the oldest one joined in, and his creative mind patterns took the thread even farther around the room.
Like with many aspects of our lives, creativity can open up new doors and new avenues for us to take. One mamaw, two little ones, some old wooden spools of thread and a dose of creativity...presented the way to pass a few hours on a Wednesday morning. Which reminds me of something I read recently about the results of creativity in another person's life;

"When George Frederick Handel's health and finances were at a low point, he rose to the greatest heights of his creative experience. His creditors were threatening him with imprisionment, and he was suffering from partial paralysis. He then went into seclusion and there fellowshiped with God as never before. During that time,
God enabled him to write the grandest of all his oratorios, "Handel's Messiah."
~written in Our Daily Bread.


19 comments:

Rach said...

The silliest things keep them entertained!

Carrie @ Cottage Cozy said...

...a special day no matter what the outcome!

Happy@Home said...

I have no doubts that they love coming to your home. I am making mental notes of your successful grandparenting tips. Hopefully one day I will be able to try them out.
Forgive me, but I did have to laugh at the thought of your dilemma when the phone rang. You are such a good grandma.

lindsey said...

Looks like they had great fun with this game.....I am always amazed at what entertains little people and how long they can be entertained for. Well done Grandma!!

Miss Debbie said...

What a fun idea.I'll have to try that sometimes. I had heard that about Handel before. I write poems sometimes and some of the best ones have been when I was hurt or discouraged. In my time of need, God helped me to express the depths of my heart..... which was a healing thing. Glad you had a fun day with the grands! I feel the same as you... I want my grands to love to come to my house, too! I try to plan fun things and I always have cookies and goldfish!! :-)

Debbie said...

What an ingenius pasttime! Some people might think that was a waste of good thread, but we know it was the best and highest use for the stuff:) Guess you have a little idea how it feels to be the prey now!
Debbie

Marty said...

You're amazing. Are you adopting any children? If so, can I put my name on the list? =) I have a vivd imagination and I chuckled at the mental picture of your entanglements. Not sure this is the picture Shakespeare had in mine though with 'oh what a tangled web we weave'. =)

Stephanie said...

Its just like cardboard boxes.... they would rather play with the box than the toy that came inside of it!!!
Very cute :)
Stephanie

Brenda @ Its A Beautiful Life said...

What a fun grandma you are! Had to chuckle at the comment, 'who's idea was this, anyway?'

Enjoyed that tidbit of info about Handel. Isn't that Hallelujah piece awesome! I get 'God-bumps' going up and down when I stand to hear or sing it. You too?

Melinda said...

Nothing like a spool or two of thread to keep a little one entertained. I'm sure you looked interesting with all that thread wrapped around you. :)

Melinda

a woman who is said...

You are an amazing grandma! I love your spider web idea. Not so fun about the tangled web but a great recovery lol!

LisaShaw said...

Oh how precious Judy!!!

I can remember my Grandma sitting in her rocking chair watching Marcus Welby (one of her FAVORITES) and I wrapped three spools of thread around her ankles as I giggled. Oh the fun of Grandma's and the things they let us do (smile).

Love you dear friend. Blessings upon you and your family.

Barb said...

Judy, what a delightful post! Aren't children amazing?

Barb ♥

Judy said...

That sounds like a wonderful game plan to me! My wee grands love nothing better than getting into my sewing supplies...playing with spools of thread and poking pins into pin cushions. I can imagine they would enjoy making spider webs.

Kathleen said...

What a clever grandma! I found myself grinning to think they may have bound you tight enough that you'd not be able to free yourself; then proceed to have ice cream sundaes, or play dress-up in your closet.

I'm having a blast with my grandchildren here in WA State. They aren't as easy to entertain as when they were little, and you can be sure whatever we do it includes food. Lots of food.

Such joy for we grandmothers!

Hugs,
Kathleen

Unknown said...

they will remember this activity for a long time to come!

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

Hilarious! And a great fun idea! What did you do with the web when they left? Cut it down and leave it outside for the nesting birds? I do hope so...and hope you will have a Martha Stewart worthy nest in your yard soon!

corners of my life said...

How fun this must have been. I must confess, I laughed out loud picturing you tangeling yourself up trying to get to the phone . . .

Anonymous said...

What fun! I will have to remember that one. I also used to love to do these little things with my grandchildren but they are much older now :>( One of the things We used to do was build castles out of plastic cups and then knock them down. I wish they were little again. Those were some of my happiest days. Thanks for sharing. I know you look forward to the time you spend with yours :>)

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