VBS Crafts

[celticdragonfly]

So VBS will be starting in two weeks at our church. I'd signed Maggie up for it, knowing she's going to LOVE it, especially since with Sunday school and Adventure Club shut down for the summer, she's been missing that. I didn't know what age limits they have, so I put Jamie down on the sheet with a note that I didn't know if he was old enough, and put myself down on the volunteer sheet with a note about Jamie, figuring if he *could* go in, then I could help out. I should, with as much as my kids are getting out of this I should give back. I didn't want to be at teacher, I'm not up for that, but I figure hey, I can help hand out snacks, right?

So Karl got a call when I was out Friday, saying they wanted me to help with crafts, and they were aware of Jamie. Aware? What's THAT mean? I didn't get to call them back Saturday, but there'd been a note that the guy co-running it would be at Janelle's office at church today 9-11. So we got there early, and I went in to chat with him. Turns out they will be running a nursery for the siblings under 3. Okay, so I can help with crafts, sure, why not? I'm thinking there will be someone in charge of this and I will be an extra set of hands, sure.

Apparently there's three women signed up for crafts, and I was the first he'd gotten to see. I don't know the other ones. He started showing me the booklet on crafts. I'm reading through and saying wait, what, we have 3-4 different crafts per age group per day??? No, those are options, he explains, we pick from those. Okay. So I'm reading through it, and shortly after that Karl's finding me paper, and I'm making notes on which I think are more feasible and what would need to be done - and at this point, honestly, I'm thinking okay, I write up my preferences and get together with these other women and discuss what we all think is best, and come to some sort of consensus...

Okay, everybody who knows me well enough to see what's coming here even though I didn't, go ahead and give yourself your little colored star and bonus points.

Anyway, then I had to scurry off to get to the 11 am service. Thought about it on the way in, thought about it as service was starting. Came to the conclusion - and then right after service, went back to talk to him more. He hadn't heard from any of the others signed up for crafts. Okay, say I, how about I pretty much take over running crafts here, just take the lead, and plan things out? If this isn't going to step on any toes? Then I can figure out what parts I can delegate and hand out to the others to do all the prep ahead of time, so it all runs smoothly during VBS? Sure.

Karl says the guy was probably grateful to think he wasn't going to have to twist anyone's arm to do this. Yes, I am now in charge of crafts for VBS. (Heck, I haven't been involved in a VBS since I was small enough to be a kid at them.) I am expecting that most people who know me will be totally unsurprised by this.

I asked Karl if I was being too bossy taking charge of this, am I a tyrant? Karl said "You have initiative." I told him sometimes it seems like initiative has ME.

I have a lot to do in the next two weeks. Gotta work out my planned list of crafts, write up a supply list, get the church to email that out to the mailing list to see if anybody will donate supplies, go do shopping runs for supplies, do Kinko's runs to get stuff copied as needed, make up templates/stencils/shaped sponges/etc, make up prototypes of the various crafts, etc. Hopefully I can do well at this.

Comments

[shadefell.livejournal.com]

Oh, that sounds so insanely fun! Your kids are so lucky to have such an involved mom... and the other kids in the program are lucky as well! have a good time. Keep us all updated, because I really look forward to hearing more about this.

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

Karl said "You have initiative." I told him sometimes it seems like initiative has ME.

I know that feeling all too well.

I'm sure you'll do a good job.

DV

I ducked!

[bkseiver.livejournal.com]

Yup, they tried to draft me for crafts, too. I begged out because of my back, but did consent to "sit and paint decorations" for the Fiesta VBS theme they have purchased.

Enjoy! Put craft needs list in the bulletin every week between here and there - I remember saving shoe boxes, juice cans, who knows what other flotsom and jetsom they asked for VBS craft projects.

Hobby Lobby is a good source of kid-type supplies, like craft sticks, FYI.

Re: I ducked!

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

It's starting in two weeks from tomorrow! So there's only one more Sunday. I'll write up something for the announcement bulletin, and I expect I'll also ask that an email get sent out - that better go out in the next few days. I also will ask for Pastor Phil to announce anything special that the parents need to prep - like, there's one project that uses family photos, the parents should get those together ahead of time.

Hm, maybe next year I end up involved a lot earlier and then can have more stuff requested in the bulletin.

Thinking on your back and such - yeah, there will be a lot of bending over. I'm thinking of borrowing Karl's sport kneepads, at least for the youngest group, I expect I'll be kneeling down a lot.

The leader said we get a pretty good discount at Michael's, we must have something set up.

Re: I ducked!

[joyeuse13.livejournal.com]

Oh, that sounds like fun!

Puppets! You need to make puppets!

[aeddie.livejournal.com]

Talk to the managers at the craft store(s) you frequent that know you and ask for donations. Tax deductions are a wonderful thing and many companies have goals for their stores/franchises for donation amounts.

[carbonelle.livejournal.com]

Okay, everybody who knows me well enough to see what's coming here even though I didn't, go ahead and give yourself your little colored star and bonus points.

***admires her shiny colored star***

I got purple!

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

Today the female half of the couple running things told me that the kids will have bandannas, different colors for different age groups, and she was also going to get some for the crafts people, the snacks people, etc.

I told her the crafts department wants PURPLE. She made a note of that.