Addie, It's time for bed.
But mom, I'm awake.
No you're not. You need to go to sleep. You are so tired.
Mom, I want to be with you.
Go to bed.
But there are monsters.
Go to sleep.
Mom, can I sew a dress?
What?
Pause.
Puppy dog eyes.
OK. Let's sew a dress.
I have always been interetsed in teaching Addie to sew. I knew as soon as she learned, she would be hooked. I just didn't know the right age to start. She is 3 1/2 and needles and such aren't much for 3 year olds. But I pulled out a yarn needle, and a full length of embroidery thread, and we began to sew. And amazing! She got the hang of it!
Poke it in/Pull it out/Pinch the eye/ pull until it stops/ poke again close to where it came out.
She is a rhythm girl, and even began singing a song about the above routine.
Hum-dee-dum. Pinching the needle. toodle-oo. Poke it through.
Seriously folks...she sewed every stitch in this dress. Granted it didn't last long, but I couldn't believe it.
But she is hooked. Every day since: "Mom, can we sew today?"
And now she notices her toys, clothes, blankets, couch pillows: "Mom! Somebody sewed this for me! I can see the thread!"
Since this dress, she has made a dress for Flower and a toy cow and is working on a blanket for her baby.
I can't wait to get her an embroidery hoop. She may still be too young. But this might be just the thing to keep her away from Barbi just one more year.