I ain't no Martha Stewart!

I am not one of those Martha Stewart type moms. I don't do arts and crafts with my boys because I lack the creativity and I am not a fan of cleaning up the messes made by 'artistic' children. I don't let them run around the house screaming and throwing their toys around because I feel like throwing and yelling are outside activities. I frown upon them jumping from the arm of one sofa to the next while wearing their swim goggles and underwear and pretending to be superheroes because they could potentially ruin my furniture or fracture a body part.

My friend Greta is every bit the Martha Stewart mom that I am not. Her boys don super hero costumes and chase eachother around the house with fake swords.




Here's a picture of Evan in one of the many costumes found at Greta's house!

She often entertains them with crafts that include dirt, glitter, glue, etc. All the things that I stay away from. Her parties are full of food and fun. Can you say pony rides, petting zoo, bounce houses and cotton candy. Obviously, Evan and Ian love going to her house. Greta says it's because I stifle my boys creativity with my rules and type A personality traits. I will admit that the fact that the first thing out of my boys mouth is "can we go to Ms. Greta's" when I ask them what they want to do that day is a bit concerning and a definite knock on my motherly pride!

I have gotten better lately. I don't always make my boys put on shoes before going outside (because Ian just pulls them off and loses them out there anyway). I used to only let them play with one toy at a time but now I let them pour out all their toys as long as they realize it's up to them to keep up with all the parts to their Mr. Potato Head and they must clean up their gigantic toy mess at the end of the day (I do still have a rule that toys have to stay upstairs. I can deal with a messy upstairs but having toys strung all around the house is unbearable). Here are a few pictures with my Martha Stewart friend and proof as to why my boys love her so much.



Greta, Gavin and Ian baking a cake! Not just any cake, but a cake that was to be eaten by many at a bridal shower!




Look how serious Ian is with his pouring skills.




She's even smiling! Who smiles while reading a recipe, and trying to keep two toddlers from chopping off their fingers in the mixer all while making sure that each kid took fair turns with their mixing duties!? Gag me!



Personally I think Ian had such a good time because he got to taste his work along the way!

One day I will pull out my inner Martha Stewart and surprise my boys. Until then...I'll just send them over to Greta's and let them have their way. That way my house will still be clean and in order and my children's creativity won't have to suffer!