Alex, #CraftyDad King

I am not feeling very well and so, after an ill-advised and generally very weak sauce effot to work out this morning, I came home in defeat and took a super long nap, kindly sponsored by my husband. 

When I finally lumbered out of the matrimonial cave, these were the first words I heard: "Well, the panda bear idyll is finished."

#CraftyDad and the kids were sitting in the family's usual rainy-day position around the coffee table, surrounded by half-used packages of FIMO, a near bucket of clay tools, and a bunch of knives. Alex was putting the final touches on a bear. Noodle was rolling out the trunk of a tree. The Nugget was hacking away at the corner of the table with a blunt knife and saying "Oogie woogie oogie woogie"; it's the thought that counts, I guess. 

These are idyllic pandas baking in the oven.

If you've never played with FIMO, you definitely should.

These are the technical drawings on which they are based (#CraftyDad initial draft, and then his apprentices' versions. The last one is crumpled because the Nugget, in the spirit of Gerhard Richter, initially showed it with pride but then, after I said she did a great job, thought I was lying, freaked out, balled it up and threw it away). 

You may have gathered that this post has no real point other than to show off #CraftyDad skills. But they are kind of amazing. He has an unlimited capacity to delight little children. It's amazing. 

Last night, the Noodle's bff slept over and he made all three girls FIMO bracelets with jewels in. 

Also FIMO

And most importantly, last week he made <3 ME <3 a present. I know why I married him, everyone. Why he married me is a mystery beyond all comprehension, but it happened and he's f***** now, so no one tell him that he has made a terrible mistake. 

Here is the gift he made me. It lives physically in our most overgrown orchid, but its spirit dwells in my heart until the universe returns to darkness.  

Constructed of a purple button, red silk flower and more FIMO

And now, I'm off to vegetate. 

I hope to regain the powers of higher-level cognition, sentence construction and blog post composition very soon. Until then, me and the little button nose dude are resting. Thanks, #CraftyDad, for the little dude (anyone have a name suggestion?) and all the other things. I love you*.

Foreground: Bubblebears. Background, from left to right: foot of sleeping Nugget, Noodle face, and a pic of me that is pure fire

*#CraftyDad, if you're reading this: Every word of this is meant from the heart. Also, I could use a tea. Those are totally unrelated comments.