Tuesday, June 10, 2008

My First Catamaran

This last weekend, the boys and I went the Home Depot Kids' workshop. For those of you who don't know, these workshops are free and the first Saturday of every month at EVERY Home Depot. FREE and you build stuff. The kids love it. Each Saturday has a certain project. One month is was pirate ships, another month race cars, another time an art caddy, and so on.

This month's project was a catamaran! (Which looks like a fancy sailboat to me)




Usually my mom takes the boys. She's the one who discovered these labor camps kids workshops but this week she was busy, so I took them.

ME: "So, I can just drop you guys off in the parking lot right? At the front door?"
The boys: "Mama!! No! You have to stay."
ME: "Are you sure? I can't just leave you and come back later?"
The boys: "Noooo!!! You HAVE to stay. You have to check us in."
ME: "Oh, ok, I'll check you in...then I can leave?"
The boys: "Mama!!"

Ok, I get the point.

Usually this is held outside to the little heathens adorable children can make as much noise as they want, but today it was inside due to the threat of rain. We followed the extremely ear-bursting joyful noise of children at work to a workshop space where tons of little kids were hammering away with all their might. It was LOUD and echoing.

I checked the boys in and received the kits. We sat on our extremely uncomfortable cute Home Depot themed buckets (see pictures in a sec) and opened the kits to find our instructions.

ME: "So, I'll just drink my Starbucks Chai Tea and take pictures and watch you guys, right?"
The boys: "Mama! No!"
Donny: "I can do my own."
Remy: "I need your help. You have to help me."
Me : dagnabit. (inner thoughts)

Here was our instruction sheet:

All we needed was a hammer and woodglue, which were provided on the tables and we set to work on the mast (the wood pole thingy with the sail).


Then Remy got to pick up long nails and get ready to hammer them. I'm thinkin', "My six year old with a hammer? Oh, boy." To mitigate the possible damage, I offer to hold the parts in place while he hammers.

See my nice manicure? I went to this salon to have it done, and they had men working there! MEN! Have you ever seen this before? A man did my mani and pedi. I don't find anything wrong with that, I'd like to think I'm not sexist, but I was just surprised. It was a first for me. He did a good job too. Anyway, notice the beautiful manicure (my first in, like, a year!) and then move on to our next step. Focus people! :


Me nervously holding the wood and hoping I don't lose a finger...or a hand...or a pretty painted nail (by a MANicurist!).




Ta Da! Remy and I finished in record time. Then I drank my Starbucks while Donny finished up his sans my help.
Did ya notice Donny's shirt? Sing in a deep voice: "There's something strange in your neighborhood, Who ya gonna call?"


When they're done, they both have to hammer every nail again...and again and again and again...you know, just to make sure they're in there well...because we don't want the catamaran to fall apart in the bathtub on the high seas.



Aha, here's a better picture of the buckets cut off circulation in our thighs we sat on.

Then the boys started comparing hammers; whose was the biggest or the better one. BOYS! Everything turns into a peepee war, I swear.


This is the resulting mess that I did NOT have to clean up! Did I mention this workshop was FREE?
Before we made it out of the store, I saw the tractor section, and I forced sweetly asked my boys to sit on them so I could take pictures. They loved it.




And, thus ends our exciting Home Depot workshop. Did you enjoy? Don't you want to take your kids next month? I think we get to make a birdhouse in July. hehe


27 comments:

Angie's Spot said...

I just love these Home Depot FREE projects! Lowe's does them also. My oldest is just now getting old enough to enjoy some of these outings. However, I have successfully "assisted" her in making an art caddy so far!

Anonymous said...

That's so cute. I never knew Home Depot (and Lowes, too!) did these. I see Daddy/Daughter bonding in my future.

i beati said...

it's an excellent learning experience though cutting into your weekend time.building those memories ...

i beati said...

When is the christening and first sail??sk

GoMommy said...

Oh, I have to get my boys into these workshops! You're such a good mom! It looks like you guys had alot of fun!

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

Yeah...I don't think so. Nope. Definitely not. Buckets? No, no, no. Now...a father daughter outing...by all means. I'll happily go and get a pedicure. :-)

Oh...and the salon I go to...sometimes there is a man that helps out. I think he gives a better massage than the women...

Heather said...

Yeah, I'm thinking that might be a Daddy, or even better, a PopPop adventure.

Oh, and alot of times I've gotten better mani/pedi's from the guys.

Melissa said...

oh how cute! Looks like a lot of fun!

I am Laura said...

Everytime you talk about going to home depot for the craft I think -- man I should have done that. I never remember. Guess I should mark my calendar. You are such a fun mom to do this with your boys. And I gotta say I love Donny's shirt -- very cool.

I am Laura said...

Also I love that last picture of Remy. So cute. Love his smile and expressive face.

crazy4danes said...

Oh boy! Looks like I'll be having to take my son to those! Cute pics! :)

CrystalChick said...

OH girl there is just something about a fresh manicure and a yummy cup of chai tea that DOES NOT BELONG in a Home Depot. Lordy, you were lured in to a very strange and unusual environment. LOL

Ahhh... but the things we do for the youngins. Yours sure were having fun though. How neat for boys who have a Mom and Grandmom who are cool enough to give them that experience!!

Rhea said...

Angie - I didn't know that Lowe's does them also. Uh, oh, we may have to check that out. My boys love this stuff!

Notttryingforaboy - It's fun for mommy/daughter outings as well. :o)

i beati - This workshop took maybe 30 minutes and we had a blast. It was so worth it. We need to have a first sail soon...I'll let you know how it goes. hehe

Go Mommy - You need to do it! It's fun.

Rhea said...

Kat - I've seen men giving massages before but not manicures and pedicures. That was a first for me.

Heather - Wow, so you have gotten them from men before? I had no idea! Learned something new that day.

MOtherhood for Dummies - It was a lot of fun...and did I mention FREE?

Laura - Maybe I need to post a reminder the week before the next one, so you'll remember. :o) I did put it on my calendar otherwise I'd never remember...once a month is a lot of time to easily forget something. :o)

Crazy4Danes - Do take your son! He'd love it. It was pretty easy and the kids love hammering away. They have people there to help if you need it, but we didn't need it.

Crystal Chick - Awww, thanks! I'm thankful to my mother for finding these workshops, because I doubt I would have. Wonder what else is out there that I don't know about...

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed experiencing your home depot workshop with you.

Maybe I should do that the next time I go in there with my husband. We spend at least an hour in there anyway! :O What do they consider a child (does immaturity count)?

Hmmm...I wonder if I could talk them into building a canvas frame! I have been wanting to make my own stretcher bars. :)

MamaGeek @ Works For Us said...

Now THAT is uber cool! I have saw those workshops advertised and never knew they were that fun and cool. Are they only for kids? I SO could love that!

Very fun shots!

Don Mills Diva said...

That is soooo cool - I wonder if they have those at our home depot...

the mama bird diaries said...

Those Home Depot PR folks are geniuses.

I often have guys do my mani pedi here in new york so I've gotten kind of used to it. Better than the gal who props my foot on her large bosom. Yeah, not kidding. So awkward.

Rhea said...

island 11 - I think it's only for kids ages 5-11 or something like that. Sorry. But, I bet they offer workshops for adults..probably paying ones though...but who knows!

Mama Geek - So nice to meet you! I need to look into what other services they offer. I bet they have other workshops. I could use some teaching...

Don Mills Diva - They're supposed to be at ALL Home Depots. The first Saturday of each month, 9am to noon. (They need to pay me for this advertising!!)

Mama Bird Diaries - The Home Depot people are geniuses because once you draw the kids in for the free workshops...the parents are drawn in to buy SOMETHING. lol And, oh my goodness, the lady propped your foot on her bosom!! ROFL How awkward!!

Anonymous said...

Great use of the crossout feature. Boys do love their tools! LOL

tearese said...

so the kits and everything were free too? Thats really cool. I don't think we have a home depot..even if we did, I don't think they'd believe that my husband was a kid, as my real kids are too young.
I used to have a Ghostbusters shirt in middleschool. I had kids tell me it was a boys shirt, but I wore it anyway.

Anonymous said...

Nice nails! And I have had my nails done by a MANicurist many times. They do a great job in my experience!

Jennifer S said...

We've gone once, but I had totally forgotten about it! Now I should send my husband with them. (Fine, I'll GO.)

Nice MANicure!

Paula said...

Oh my gosh, I love the photo of the boys on the mowers. We were at home depot this weekend, only I had the whole eye-roll thing going on because my 12 year old son made a b-line for the mowers. Not to be outdone, his twin and little sisters had to hop on as well. The clerk was no help as he then performed a mock race for them.

Utter Basketcase said...

HAHAHAHAHA I just Love how you are biting your tongue all through this post!

Well I'm glad you stayed in the end! Otherwise you wouldn't have been able to capture the memory so beautifully with your camera!!! :-) xx

Skeller said...

What a hoot of a post!!! I can't believe my boys haven't done a HoDe or Lowes workshop?!?!?!? What's up with that? Of course, I keep waiting for my man to take them!! Y'know, so I can drink my coffee in peace and listen to the silence. I've not heard anything but wonderful stuff about those workshops (tho, those buckets for seats? ugh!)

As always, Rhea - great job telling a story with photos AND words :-)

trublmaka said...

Dagnabbit *grumble*groan* kids get ya into the darndest things don't they?
They have those at Bunnings here.

I gotta admit, SPB is very much happy just to play her Nintendo DS, torment Crazy, Grubby & myself, and ignore our requests for assistance with chores.
I think she's afraid of breaking into a sweat, or perhaps its just physical activity! (Biggest reason I make her walk the 30 mins to school every morning! lol)

The boys look very happy!
Nice manicure - I hate to admit it, but some guys just have THE touch when it comes to certain beauty processes.

xo