Open and Check Instructions

Yesterday one of my sisters and my eldest daughter and I decided to take a ride to Austin to visit my brother. I love road trips, especially when I didn't have to drive. We rode in my sisters silver VW bug she calls Pinkie--all pink accessories including little pink beaded hearts around the license plates. This car has a possessed window on the passenger side, it goes up and down without warning, you can't make it do what you want, and she had to keep pulling over to the side to lock and unlock the door so it would go up. She's going to take it in for electrical checking.

This is a corner not too far from my brother's house--The 'Amen Corner'. Not what the post is about though. For this trip, which is a habit, we bought something for my brother's daughters. My sister bought a tie die kit for shirts. Looked all cute and simple to do. Not.
here is the number 1 thing to do when buying gifts for a child. At least what I do.
Open the package and read the directions before wrapping the gift or showing it to the child. This way you can put in the batteries, Fix small things, and be prepared for the child to just enjoy him/herself as soon as the package is opened. This was not done. We let the girls finish watching a movie and then jumped to the project.
Disappointment 1-Activating tablets had to be put in warm water to dissolve for 1-2 hrs. No crushing with hands allowed.
Disappointment 2-T-shirts were to sit in warm water for 30 min., after dissolving.
Disappointment 3-color making tablets had to be mixed in squeeze bottles and shaken and this doesn't even mention needing plastic gloves, rubber bands...
This is when the mommy brain kicks in.
Kids were sent outside to fly miniature kites, water was boiled,the tablets were crushed by foot inside a napkin (dissolved in ten minutes)and put in water. The kids had a ball shaking the containers and beautiful shirts were made.