29 January, 2014
If you think Minecraft is an obsession, you haven't met the Rainbow Loom. What name of time-sucking torture is this? I call thee Rainbow Loom!
"Mom, I really want a hexafish. Can we make one after dinner?"
"Uh, no…Have you seen the YouTube video for it? That thing will take hours, honey. Let me try working on it while you're at school tomorrow morning."
My mistake. Yet I am now committed. And I am now in Rainbow Loom hell. With every loop I make I fear the tiny little rubber bands will break. And with every loop I make there appears a larger indentation into my right middle finger. Great. A Rainbow Loom callous. How many of you have one of those? If I do screw this up, or one of the bands breaks, it's all over. I am not starting again. I love my kid to no end. My love for him is boundless, but unfortunately not for the Rainbow Loom. What started out as a fun distraction has now become my bane. Rainbow Loom, I curse you! And your brightly colored bracelets of seduction…
The girl in the video is talented for sure. "She's got some mad skills!" My son says cheerfully as the video speeds up over the repetitive parts. But right now I just want to punch her as she gleefully exclaims, "Loom it up!"
"Yeah, loom this!" I think to myself as I get up and walk away…
Yet, two hours later I am back at it again. I am going to finish this if it kills me. I am not a quitter, I tell myself. I will not let Rainbow Loom defeat me! A mere 4 hours later, and after several close calls and many curse words, it is done at long last, and I am beaming with pride.
As my son walks through the door I exclaim, "Check it out! May I present, the Hexafish!" And sure enough, he is just as proud of me as I am of myself. "You did it!" Yes, yes I did. Like they say, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. I must be a real glutton for punishment, for before I realize what I am even saying I hear myself ask, "What shall we make next?"
