Crayola indicator
When I was a kid, getting ready for school meant getting a whole new set of school supplies. I loved the fresh stacks of notebooks, unsharpened No.2 pencils, and a box of crayons. My mom believed in purchasing whatever sized box was recommended for that year. School list specifies an 8-pack, that's what we'd get. I ENVIED the kids who had talked their parents into the seemingly endless supply of crayons found in the 64-pack. Not only were there LOADS of colors that I didn't have, but it had a flip-top lid and a built-in sharpener. So last year, I decided to pick one up for my house.
I brought out the box and showed it to Martin, expecting him to oooh and aaah over my excellent choice. He ripped open the top and dumped it out on the counter. My mouth dropped open, and I picked up the crayons, trying to remember exactly where they went. I explained that these were "special" crayons, and that he should try to keep them nice. Keep them in the right order. Not peel off the papers. Not bite off the ends. Certainly not break them in half. All of this to a pre-schooler.
Then I realized that not only was I asking the impossible, but I was possibly deranged. Keep them in order? Keep them nice? Good lord, they're crayons.
Here are our crayons now. Lots missing, box thrown away, ends chewed up and wiped off of faces, and all stored in a plastic bin. I think the way a child treats their crayons may be an early indicator of how they'll approach life. Keep your crayons in order? You may be somewhere between rigid and OCD. See a new box of crayons and dump them out? You may be flexible and free spirited. Or just messy. Hard to tell.
On the table tonight: Pot roast, mashed potatoes, gravy and carrots
Editorial note [08.28.2006]: My cousin Jenine pointed out that I had misspelled "Crayola" in the title of this entry. Guess she's right, my concerns about being OCD are unfounded if I didn't even notice use of the word "Crayloa".
I brought out the box and showed it to Martin, expecting him to oooh and aaah over my excellent choice. He ripped open the top and dumped it out on the counter. My mouth dropped open, and I picked up the crayons, trying to remember exactly where they went. I explained that these were "special" crayons, and that he should try to keep them nice. Keep them in the right order. Not peel off the papers. Not bite off the ends. Certainly not break them in half. All of this to a pre-schooler.
Then I realized that not only was I asking the impossible, but I was possibly deranged. Keep them in order? Keep them nice? Good lord, they're crayons.
Here are our crayons now. Lots missing, box thrown away, ends chewed up and wiped off of faces, and all stored in a plastic bin. I think the way a child treats their crayons may be an early indicator of how they'll approach life. Keep your crayons in order? You may be somewhere between rigid and OCD. See a new box of crayons and dump them out? You may be flexible and free spirited. Or just messy. Hard to tell.
On the table tonight: Pot roast, mashed potatoes, gravy and carrots
Editorial note [08.28.2006]: My cousin Jenine pointed out that I had misspelled "Crayola" in the title of this entry. Guess she's right, my concerns about being OCD are unfounded if I didn't even notice use of the word "Crayloa".
I realized that we share a crayon philosphy, I also envied the kids with the cool crayons. I think there was only 1 time that I actually got the deluxe set and I was a lot like you with them. I had to use each one evenly and it had to back in its original spot when not in use, and when I sharpened them they all had to be sharpened to look axactly the same though I was always disappointed that i could not get them to look brand new again. Now, I would hardly say I ended up being a rigid person, but the one carryover from my crayon nazi days is that our dishes (the same ones you have) have to be stacked with alternating colors in the cupboard. The rest of my house is complete disorder but as long as the dishes are in order it all good!
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Wouldn't it be great if there were a shapener that would make crayons look just as if they were brand new? You know, flat top, cone shape w/ an edge? It would also be great if my desire to keep a crayon box neat and tidy would ooze into other areas of my life. I may be rigid in how I want things to be, but certainly no one would ever call me tidy.
I'm so glad that I don't have two colors of our dishes, I'm not sure I could keep up with the alternating pattern.
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This one made me laugh so hard the tears were running down my cheeks. I have learned that I don't share my (special big box of crayons). We only use the ones that are actually for coloring or whatever else you wish to do with them.
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