The Art of Procrastination

Well, I have an assignment due so the house is spotless and the washing is up-to-date. My procrastination, though, is at such an advanced level that I have accomplished many very important things in the last couple of days: I did last year's tax yesterday, I've just consolidated my super funds, I have cleaned the leather couches with very special (read: expensive) cleaner and then polished them with very special (even more expensive) leather polish stuff, I've sorted all the kids' art into display folders in date order, cleaned the fridge, and almost overdosed on chocolate (it's a procrastination technique of a quite unhealthy sort....) I am one step away from completely re-organising all my digital photos in the computer - although I am tossing up whether doing my assignment is preferable to that!!

On Sunday the kids and I drove to Morpeth and met up with Mrs Mum and Mr Dad. Morpeth has lots of quirky, arty clothing stores and interesting trinkets. I am in a dangley earring phase and Mrs Mum bought me some very nice ones for a belated Mother's Day present. I think they're gorgeous - now I just have to work out somewhere to wear them!

Miss 4 and I have actually become quite the little earring makers. I purchased heaps of assorted beads and sorted them into little containers (a tedious task which took ages and I'm sure if it wasn't already done I would be doing it today as another procrastination exercise!!!!) and Miss 4 regularly designs earrings for me. Some of her designs are really cool, and others I gently suggest removing or adding different beads.

Handy Hint Number 47: Encourage your kids to be creative and use their imagination and don't impose your own ideas on their art attempts. The other day Miss 4 created an amazing art work using multiple textures of paper, textas, stamps and glue. I love it because there was absolutely no input from me. Tell your kids they are creating art - and put it in a display folder. It may not be all that rivetting for the visitor who gets to look through the 'art' book, but it's lovely for your kids.

While at Morpeth Mrs Mum walked along with Miss 4 looking at roses and camellias and other flowers. Mrs Mum always has a hard time believing I'm her daughter because I just seem to have missed the gardening gene that seems embedded in the family, and I don't know flower names all that well. (I do want to have a vegie patch one day, though - that's the extent of my gardening desire...)

I am conscious that I am lacking in the botanical knowledge department, (and have been shamed by Mrs Mum and my brother and sisters) so I do attempt to point out things to the kids. As we drove along recently I pointed out the beautiful trees with purple flowers to the kids: "They're called magnolias. Can you say 'Magnolia'?" The kids were in the back trying to say 'magnolia' when my friend in the car said: "Aren't they jacarandas?" Whoops.

By the way, thanks to all the people who called or emailed to say they were happy to see my blog back. It's nice to be back!