Pop Beads in the Evening

October 24, 2012

I’m going to be honest. Evenings in my house are anything but relaxing.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I’m in same boat as most parents. And with us single parents, well, if you know this particular handshake of doing twice the work in half the time, pull up a stool and we’ll have a glass of wine.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately of savoring memories. Elizabeth is getting so much older and Joseph’s so big we’re close to wearing the same size shoe. I want to sit and relax and memorize. Instead, I rush and get frustrated and then zone out.

Every now and then, though, there’s an evening to make the rest melt away.

Last night, it was brought to me courtesy of Pop Beads. Yes. Pop Beads.

I’m talking about those silly, yet fun sounding, plastic bits that put together create bracelets, necklaces, and rings. Elizabeth brought out her container of beads and set up shop on a tray. Joseph and his Lego ninjas joined her. Before long I was festooned with heart shaped beads because “they mean love” and flower beads because “flowers are pretty for mama”.

I relaxed next to the kids, catching up on email, pausing to look over and smile. They sized my wrists and chatted quietly together. Joseph looked up and said, “This is nice.”

I couldn’t help but agree. And even though I know tomorrow might bring frustration and frenzy, I also know there will be more nice nights of nothing

Mandy Dawson is the creator of In Mandyland, an almost daily blog recording her adventures in juggling a full-time job, two active children, four arguing hens, a fluffy bunny, and one ex-husband. A self-diagnosed gardening and crafting addict, she often finds herself gluing together clay pots and trying to discover the cure for brown thumb. When she’s not writing, she can be found burning dinners while she stares off into space with a story idea. She was a regular contributor for Makes Fun of Stuff, Aiming Low, and Six Kitchens, and has been featured on BlogHer and Mamapedia. She is an Assistant Editor for Write on Edge and has had her fiction featured in three anthologies currently available on Amazon.