The List

I am ascending out of the flotsam and jetsam of my life right now to post this.  I had it all written out by hand to scan in, but when I reached the shop where I could do the scanning and realized how much it would cost, I decided to squirrel the money away so that I can buy a scanner someday.  Anyhoo, here is what I came up with. The cool thing is that once I set my mind on coming up with ways to play, I realize that I could go on and on.

*

HOW TO
PLAY
and
STILL DO
your
WORK
(some ideas)

*

1. Write to do lists that are fun to look at (doodles
and colours) AND include fun things on them.
for example:
*buy milk
*fold laundry
*GO jump in a puddle
*wash more laundry (including your puddle-
jumping clothes)

2. PLease remember to turn on some music
because it changes the electro-magnetic currents in your
twiddly thorax swampbuster,
making you more apt to have a good time.

Switch on your senses.
PLay with the bubbles that the dishsoap makes and notice
how the water feels, splashing over your wrists.
smell everything.
(at least, smell the *clean* things)
When you fold clothes, group them by colour,
or test yourself to see how neatly you can put the edges together.
*then sit back and admire your work*

4. invite the Little Helpers along.
*sometimes they slow things down, but they make everything
more fun. (and you are teaching them, and one day you will blink
and they will actually be helping.)
show them how to make dirty things shiny.
get them to use the rolling pin, the broom, the
vacuum cleaner,
the vegetable peeler,
even the KNIVES
(with supervision)

5. Name your appliances. Name your pots and pans.
Use their names when you're talking about them.

6. Put signs everywhere that say important things like:
*open me for birdsong*
on the window.

7. Fresh flowers whenever possible.
Origami ones when not.
(origami is a very orderly way of having fun, good for the
anxious times, like knitting. maybe you can knit yourself
some flowers.)

8. imagine that you are the Only Living Daughter of the
last king of the tribe of Vindakoo and that your survival depends on
your task.
only if you finish washing the dishes in the Gigantic Sink
can the key to the labyrinth drop into your hands. once you
mop the floors, you will be able to come through the labyrinth
and get to your tribe.
(and save them!)
(hey, I said play. I'm not ashamed!)

9. be a World Famous Documentarian.
(documenting yourself)
you can do it *crocodile hunter style*, like sheryl suggested,
narrating your way through the wild things all around you
(this especially works if you are wrestling young boys)
or *rivers and tides style*,
where everything you do is a temporary work of art and
there is a hushed silence as you
Chop Tomatoes.

10. On that note, make sculptures!
Use the lego, the couch cushions, cucumber slices,
potato peelings.
They will be temporary, but they will probably entertain your family.

11. Play with food because kitchen time can be too serious.
Make faces from vegetables, make cities, draw your childrens' names
and create animals.
then eat them.

Have fun!
Give thanks.

*

the end
(any other suggestions?)

*