In the Works...: Stamp 'n Grow

After breakfast the other day, my eleven year old, Eli, announced, "I feel like stamping."

"Oh, great!" I thought, "He wants to do a mom activity, on the one day I really can't drop everything and play..."

Hence this conversation:

Honey, I'm awfully busy today...
But, Mom, I can do it myself.
But, Eli, you've never stamped all by yourself before, (said aloud) or used my stuff without any direction. (thought)
Mom, I know I can do it. I've watched you since I was little, and we've stamped stuff together lots of times.
But do you know how to find the stamps?
Yup, you've shown me before... It's like the library... I just look in your book and find the number of the case, and...
Okay, but you've got to remember to put the stamps back in the right cases... and you've got to remember to wipe them off first...
That's easy... Mom, puh-leeeze, l know I can do it.
Okay. (uttered with much trepidation) I'll set you up.

Of course, I had visions of it all ending in a worst case scenario, with everything I "love" being ruined, used up, and put away all wrong, etc.

Gulp! At that point, God convicted me of just how selfish I was being... After all, how often do I get the chance to really stamp anymore? Would I really be happier for my treasures keep collecting dust vs. allowing someone else to enjoy them? Shame on me!!! Loosen your grip, Susan! Nothing except your son's desire is irreplaceable! Besides, what if Tim Holtz's mother had always said, "No?" Where would the stamping world be today?!? ~giggle

Long story short -- Eli stamped (and hummed) ALL day long. He asked only one question,

Mom, look at this... How come my outlines aren't shiny like yours?"
Because they're not embossed.
Is that where you sprinkle on powder and use the heat thing?
The heat tool, yes.
Can you show me?

Warning him as to how "hot" it can get, I showed him once. He tried and burned the paper. He tried again, and nailed it, so everything from that point on got "shiny."

Except for the occasional, on my way to the bathroom "peeks" which were met with, "Mom, don't say one word... I'll show you when I get it done," I stayed completely away - Truth be told, I really was too busy working on a website deadline to do anything else...

After Eli had gone to bed that night, I headed out to my stamping area fully expecting to "clean," but there wasn't anything to do. The boy had put everything back in it's proper place, and even wiped down the counter! (Maybe you heard something that evening? It was my jaw hitting the floor!)

Thank you, God, I uttered, for giving me the gift of Eli, and for helping to "let go" today... but, God, I just don't understand why every time I see him grow, I'm the one who has the growing pains. ~smile

In my next post, I'm planning to share some stamping observations and discoveries about my son's work, but for now I'll leave you with one of his creations: