Mom the Builder

I do wish I were cool enough to say that I had made the following items by hand, but in all truth, I fought the madding crowds to IKEA and brought home a flat box and broke out the flat-head screwdriver. But! We now have a really cute laminate top table and chairs in Bean and Bean-friend size, perfect for summer time finger-painting or playdough fun on the deck. Also a good height for learning about crayons and markers and what a delightful mess they can make.

It's always interesting to me when the question pops up on Bean's psychological assessments, "does she make marks on paper with a crayon?". No, not really...but she's BLIND. Why on earth would she care what a crayon does? It's not like it's giving any feedback save visual. That being said, she has made a few tentative scratches at paper when I give lots of encouragement, so maybe this new art table is a further catalyst.

At any rate, I reflected that I have been putting together IKEA furniture since I was about 12 and I must say, the quality has vastly improved. I distinctly remember the products being...okay...but not anything you really expected to last for a while when I was a kid in Canada (or maybe the Canadian stores just got the junk, who knows). Everything we've bought recently from IKEA has stood up to abuse quite well and looks to stay on that path. I admit I also feel a bit "I am Mother, Hear Me Roar" when I manange to transform flat random pieces into recognizable furniture bits.

And now Bean and I can color.