A couple days ago we had one of those days. You know what they're like; those days when no one can get along, everyone is on edge, and every little thing becomes a gigantic crisis worthy of tantrums.Somewhere in the middle of it all my son started tapping on a cake pan with an unsharpened pencil. I tried really hard not to let it drive me insane (which I must admit it did, but I held it together.) The next thing I knew I was getting out lots of different pans and bowls and telling him to have at it. Both of the kids drummed and sang for about 45 minutes. Happily together! No more, "Mama, K touched me," or "Stop looking at me!" Surprisingly an unrestrained musical (though I use that term loosely) concert was all it took. We snapped out of our funk and managed not to kill each other for the rest of the day.
Then papa came home with this book from the Imagination Library. It was a perfect bedtime read that night. Five Nice Mice is a story about some mice, who after being kicked out of a "frogs only" concert, build their own instruments, put on their own concert, invite everyone, and end up cooperating with the frogs to make beautiful music. It's a wonderful story. If you haven't read it yet, it's definitely worth checking out of the library the next time you are there.
Ohhhh.....sounds like a great story AND pans.....who needs toys!
ReplyDeleteWe have had a fun day somewhat like yours--our oldest 3 (11yrs, 9yrs, and 5 yrs) took a roll of masking tape that my son calls "gate tape" and made construction zones, made a limbo game that spanned from the front to the back of the house, and signs on all the doors with directions. It was 2 hours of fun that only used a roll of tape and what a quiet house it was with some wonderful giggles that I love to hear. Who needs toys?!
ReplyDeleteI remember many a time when my boys were younger and they would bang on the pots, pans, and bowls using them as drums. What fun! Glad you all ended up having fun together! :)
ReplyDeleteI remember those days - yikes. The headaches that resulted - but they do love music still! And I survived just fine. That book looks so cute. I MISS those kinds of books.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to snap out of the grumps. And what a great idea the Imagination Library is.
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