Bubbles...Friend or Foe?

I'm sure I loved bubbles when I was younger. What kid doesn't? I'm sure I even thought they were amusing as an adult. All that changed when I became a Mother. I despise bubbles. Bubbles to me now have a meaning. They mean more work for me. With a 2 and 4 year old, it's a very simple equation. Bubbles + more bubbles = a big mess (work). Bubbles are soap. Who would think soap could be such a mess?

Usually a typical bubble session goes like this: Both kids have to hold their own bubbles. The patio floor ends up soaked in a matter of minutes because the bubbles drip all over as the kids try to blow them. Bubbles on the floor outside might not seem like a big deal, but soap is slippery. Ben slips and falls. While crying he wipes his eyes. Oops, bubbles got on his hands and now he has soap in his eyes. The screaming grows louder. I get the hose out to clean up Ben. While I'm at it, I hose off the patio to get rid of the soapy residue. The grass dies in a few days. Who knew soap killed grass? I'm wondering how the heck the kids found the bottle of bubbles in the back of the shed anyway?

Today, the table got it.

I had to take over the bubble blowing at this point.

I have decided each day to do one thing that I really don't want to for the kids. And getting out of bed doesn't count. I mean the things Emily asks for almost daily, paint, chalk, play doh, water balloons, "helping" with the dishes. It's always messy and only holds her attention for about 15 minutes which is exactly why I usually tell her no. It takes me longer to get it out and clean it up then it does for the kids to actually do the activity. Today, I decided to say yes to the bubbles. The kids had fun when I was blowing bubbles. They chased them all around the yard. It lasted about 15 minutes, but it was a fun 15 minutes. Maybe bubbles aren't so bad after all...as long as I'm the one holding the wand.