We were quarantined this week and getting some serious cabin fever. Here are some things to do to pass the time a little easier:
1. Have a silly photoshoot! Hot tip for photographing babies… American Apparel has these awesome little underwear, diaper cover things (nico’s are pictured in yellow) which photograph so much better than diapers.
2. Play Go Fish and Candyland until you want to scream. And don’t forget to let Ben win! 😉
3. Ben’s suggestion: Draw on all the walls in the house in blue oil pastel. Yes, HE DID DO THAT. I was horrified, then I wanted to laugh, then I was horrified again. If anyone knows how to get this off the walls, I would appreciate the tips!
Okay, I’m out of ideas. It was hard, especially when I am on febrile seizure watch. No fun at all! But like all hard things, there are bursts of the sacred and joyous tucked away in between. I’ve learned to expect these even when times are hardest…
“There was a single blue line of crayon drawn across every wall in the house. What does it mean? I asked. A pirate needs the sight of the sea, he said and then he pulled his eye patch down and turned and sailed away.”
— Brian Andreas (Story People)
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Big hugs
I hope all are feeling well soon and you can get outside.
Happy Chinese New Year
The Year of the Rabbit
Love Jeanne
Have you read Harold and the Purple Crayon?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_and_the_Purple_Crayon
Hehe.
oh boy. hang in there!
a)diaper cover is adorable.
b)get better soon!
c)try wd40 on a rag or goof-off (usually used to remove price tag stickers) to get the pastel off the wall(s). you might also try the MrClean eraser, I have heard it works wonders… or maybe it is a sign that you should just repaint?
Ah Andrea. Always love your posts. Love (Love!) the quote. Keep on keeping on and if that doesn’t work – call a good friend to deliver Baileys and drink coffee with you. That always works for me on the crazier of crazy days 😉
If it makes you feel any better- I’m snowbound with 3 kids in Boston. Talk about cabin fever-the snow piles are even taller than I am. We made Mardi Gras masks and had a play. Baked ALOT- with the kids help….and made Valentine cards for just about everyone we know.
I hope Ben feels better soon…
Try Magic Eraser…it may take some paint with it, but it worked on black sharpie marker in our house. 🙂
i third the mr clean magic eraser. i hope it works for you.
hang in there!!!
I was going to comment and suggest the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, but it appears others have beat me to the punch. Also, a neighbor of mind recommends Crud Cutter, a product made by Sherwin Williams (of the paint store fame).
Maybe you could just buy the Storypeople print and hang it near the new art work. Or start a new mural. We’ve had marker on our wall for three years. People forgive you when you have young boys, and when I get frustrated about it, I just remember the “My house isn’t perfect. We live here” picture I saw to promote Brene Brown’s book. Then I feel better.
Take care. Hot chocolate and whipped cream can work wonders if you need a pick-me-up. Sick days lockdowns can be so crummy.
Oh boy. Looks like your Ben is needing a visit to the sea! How crazy cool is it that an Andreas story matches your life?!
My only suggestion with the oil pastel is to maybe scrape off what you can with a pallet knife/razor blade before going at it with other methods. I have visions of blue pastel being smeared all over the place.
Oh boy. Looks like your Ben is needing a visit to the sea! How crazy cool is it that an Andreas story matches your life?!
My only suggestion with the oil pastel is to maybe scrape off what you can with a pallet knife/razor blade before going at it with other methods. I have visions of blue pastel being smeared all over the place.
If it’s not too cold outside, then a paintbrush and bowl of water can work wonders. Your little man will feel very important when charged with the task of “painting the house”!
That quote is glorious. Congrats to you for finding the sacred in the mundane, for really, that is where it always lives.
Have you noticed that Nico has a really wise look? He’s got a look like he knows something. I really like that.
A product called Goo Gone might work.
have a dance party!!! and invite the neigbours. xoxox
I have an idea for getting out on a sick day: Wear Nico and push Ben in a stroller. Give him a point and shoot camera to use as you walk around. Then come home and show him his pictures.
Scrape off what you can and then try Bon Ami or Borax. Or you could just leave it. I remember scraping the wallpaper in a hundred-year-old house and being sweetly surprised to find kid scribbles on the bare plaster.
We are home for our fourth consecutive *snow* day, our fourth consecutive day of family bonding. :}
Ah, thank you – i so needed a good dose of you –
-g-
we have cabin fever too, been seriously snowed in. we have been baking a lot, easy banana-oatmeal-flax muffins from scratch and I let my toddler help and then help to eat and clean-up.
there is a recipe for homemade play-doh so we intend to make ours gluten-free, that is our next project.
hope everyone is recovering quickly!
I’m not sure about oil pastels, but Mr. Clean magic erasers have cleaned up lots of messes at our house!
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
Make brownies, cookies, snowman out of pre-made cookie dough mix.
Turn up the music and dance, hide and seek, blow bubbles, love each other…
Here is the Candyland Tip 101: Play to your heart’s content. And when you have to make supper, just make sure Queen Frostine is on the top for Ben’s turn…
your boys are gorgeous! love the diaper cover. ordering one now for my Tessa!
Just a thought on the walls: Magic Eraser can ruin your paint, so try dish soap with a sponge first. It’s an oil based pastel so the dish soap should work wonders. Then sponge the soap off. Repeat about 5 times. I know it gets even 7 day old oil paint out of my sweater sleeves.
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