One week in to the craft tote, and so far it has been a success. I thought I would share what the kids picked as their crafts this week. You will notice that I use the term craft very loosely – I often use it for activities they love and I don’t enjoy (like painting fingernails).

The kids painted a tea set. The paints in the kit had dried up, so we used tempera paint. The paint won’t last, but neither will a ceramic tea set. I made playdough for the kids. I’m not a playdough fan, so this counts as a craft. They used chalk rollers, which only worked for about five minutes, but were worth the money spent on them because the kids fill them with water to “clean” things in the backyard. They did stained glass chalk – I taped out random shapes with tape and they colored them in. It was a huge hit, and we will do it again as soon as we have more tape. We painted their fingernails and toenails. They painted with water.

I’m surprised at what they picked. I assumed the teapot would be picked right away, but didn’t think they would touch the painting with water until we reached the bottom of the tote.

The kids love the tote, and tell me every day what they are going to pick next. It has been a wonderful addition to our time at home.

I haven’t been in the mood to read. I’m more interested in sitting around doing nothing. I’m using the gift of extra time at home to soften my focus. I managed to read three books in March. I was in the middle of an excellent book when the COVID 19 crisis hit the States, and I haven’t picked it up in weeks. I don’t have the focus for books.

The Two-Date Rule by Tawna Fenske. This is a cute romance. I would like this to be a series, as I want to learn more about the characters. I’ve found that when I read a book AJ recommends I’m not disappointed in it. I give this book two out of five stars.

The Bad Mothers’ Book Club by Keris Stainton. This book, about a group of moms who aren’t part of the cool mom group at school drop off, is predictable and fun. You don’t have to think much about this book, which was perfect for March. I give this book two out of five stars.

The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock by Jane Riley. Oliver is a late 30s funeral home director who is stuck in life. He loses love. He doesn’t stand up to his mother. He learns to find his way. I really enjoyed this book. I give this book three out of five stars.

In April I’m going to try to read a little every day. Have you been reading?

Audrey requested sparkly yarn in her blanket, so I bought a skein of black sparkly yarn from Yarn Geek. I love how the checkerboard design looks. This blanket is fun to knit, and I think I’ll be making all of my future scrap blankets checkerboard.

This week I made pita bread, Buttery Sourdough Sandwich Biscuits, cinnamon sugar sourdough waffles, sandwich bread, chocolate cherry granola bars, sourdough English muffins, golden pull-apart butter buns, and one flourless peanut butter cookie.

Did you know there are recipes for one cookie? It serves two people. This is great news, as John and I both like cookies too much.