Some days I want to pull my hair out. Or sit down and cry, either one.
Wednesday was one of those days.
We left our cabin and homestead on Tuesday and traveled six hours North to Talkeetna, Alaska where we have agreed to house sit for an older couple for two months while they visit family in Washington State.
Their house sits on the edge of a lake and they build cabins to rent or sell. The place, called Sanctuary Ranch, is a safe place for people coming off alcohol and drugs to learn a new lifestyle. There is only one guy here right now, as well as some guests who are working on finishing out the interior of a cabin. They leave next Monday.
Wednesday, the first full day we were here, was Chaos. And yes, I meant to capitalize that. Roger and Diane, the couple who own this place, were trying to get ready to go, their guests were trying to do a work project for them, everyone was telling us about how to run their Off Grid system, and I was just trying to keep the children out of things.
This house is Not Set Up for Children. Yes, I believe in teaching children to have boundaries and not touch stuff, but when there are keepsakes, breakables, and many piles of important papers everywhere, as well as deep cycle batteries with a dozen little wires sprouting from the top, you are just asking for trouble.
Suddenly it has become very clear to me why we live the way we do. I thought that not having much stuff, living simply, having a place for everything was just my OCD kicking into high gear, but no. It’s a necessity if you are going to keep from going ballistic while raising children!
Today feels much better. Roger and Diane have gotten safely off to the airport, the guests here to work on a building project have fewer needs and questions today so there is less traffic through the house, and Andy and I moved a few things to an unused room so that there are less no-no places and the children actually have room to play.
I am learning to be more creative in finding things to occupy Gabe and Jasmine. We didn’t bring any toys and there are none here. Playing with kitchen utensils is always a big hit with Jasmine but sometimes Gabe takes more thought. A couple ideas I had for tomorrow are –
1. Paper soup
Get a bowl and show your toddler how to cut paper up in small peices to make “soup”. Yes, it can make a mess, but it teaches scissor skills and keeps them entertained for a few blessed minutes.
2. Play dough
I have my own recipe for play dough, and most of the ingredients are here, so I thought, why not? This would be great to keep those little hands busy.
Play Dough
1/2 Cup Salt
1 1/2 Cup Boiling Water
1 Pack Koolaid
2 Tablespoons Oil
2 Cups Flour
In a bowl, mix the first four ingredients well. Add the flour and knead until a soft dough forms.
This keeps for months in a container and only makes children thirsty if they eat it.
(Ours turned out brown because we didn’t have koolaid and used whole wheat flour.)
What do you do on rainy days to keep busy toddlers occupied? I can use all the ideas I can get!
Connor loves snipping paper into a bowl. Mess, yes, but anything can be worth it if you get something else done. And he’s old enough to help clean it up if it didn’t make it into the bowl. I love the other ideas too – both which my boys really enjoy! A little longer and the two kiddos will be able to play together – THAT has pros and cons too! 🙂 Glad to see you are posting some again.
For Gabe you could play hide the thimble, or spoon or any other small object. This of course would require your time as well since he would need a playmate. If he knows his colors you could play “I spy with my little eye”. Or you could do another version like, “I spy with my little eye something that is round” or “under the table”. I’ve found that I can do this (most times) and still work in the kitchen. 🙂 I will pray that your creativity will run wild! 🙂
Thanks, Rose! I thought hiding an object would be too old for Gabe, but you never know! I’ll have to try that and see if he learns!
These are excellent ideas! Thank you, Ernie!!
Empty boxes make fabulous playthings… After exhausting the possibilities of imagination– turning them into various vehicles, or buildings, or using them as my-very-own-turtle-shell….you can break them down, and draw a farmstead/city/whatever on them, just like those lovely matchbox floor mats you can sometimes pick up at yard sales for a dollar or two. Or you can snip pictures from old magazines and glue them on your box….using flour paste…messy, perhaps, but it does clean up nicely! Stringing buttons is a fun thing to do, but perhaps Jasmine is too little for that…and you have to have a tin of buttons, and thread, and needle.