Title? We don't need no stinkin' title!

Ok, maybe we do, but that's the best I could come up with for today. I'm sorry I've been so scarce lately, and I'll go ahead and apologize now because I'll continue to be scarce until after the 3rd. You see, hubby is getting ready to leave for a few months for Uncle Sam, so we're trying to squeeze 4 months worth of family time into these last few days. I know there are some of you out there who deal with long deployments all the time and my heart goes out to you. We've been very lucky that the only trips we've had to deal with to this point have been no longer than a week or two. I'm starting to flounder wondering how we'll all do without him here to keep me grounded and to love on us all. Sometimes I forget that for 4 years I didn't have anyone else there to pick up the slack when I was having a rough day with the kids, it seems like we've been together forever!
With that being said, I've started planning goals for while he's away to keep me sane-projects with the kids (they wanna get crafty for Christmas!!!), goals for my business, projects around the house to tackle. I'll miss him terribly, but want to make sure he has a nicer home to come back to than what he's leaving-even though it is still pretty durn clean from Thanksgiving! Does anyone have any tips for how to deal with long business trips like this without going completely crazy???
And onto better news...I've still been sewing up a storm. My boys have recently become addicted to boxer shorts so I let them loose on my fabric stash and have been sewing up their choices for them. I noticed on the Etsy boards that there were quite a few people looking for boxer shorts, and only one person selling them..so I've started listing some in my store as well. We aren't so much into characters at our house, and every little boy wants something fun instead of just plaid or plain colors so that's what I'm hoping to provide. The jet planes were my 6 year old's first choice for shop boxers, I figure letting them pick out the fabrics for the ones in the store will just make sure they're little boy choices right?
Regardless, I'm having fun with the interaction with my boys, and teaching them how to run the sewing machine a little bit. I'm kind of a nervous nellie about it, I let them run the foot pedal and I guide the fabric. I'm so afraid they'll stick a little finger under the needle! It's funny though, because I am SO not a nervous mom. With 4 boys we have plenty of bumps and bruises (although surprisingly few visits to the emergency room! HAHA!), so I should just relax with the sewing machine right?
Todays question: How old were your kids when you started introducing them to "dangerous" crafts? Any tips for letting them start to be more creative than drawing (which they LOVE)? I'm wanting to get them crafty stuff for Christmas because that's what THEY want, I just don't know where to start! Thanks ya'll!