diff --git a/TODO.txt b/TODO.txt
index bb59ed6d..1ae33e4e 100644
--- a/TODO.txt
+++ b/TODO.txt
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ DONE-handlers should return preview action
 ::HIGH PRIORITY::
 -BUG `invalid = error "toggling of LHS_XXX_InheritTrue elements disallowed"`
   -repro is make a chain of folders, select one in the middle and lock
--BUG textarea handler crashes
+DONE-BUG textarea handler crashes
 -line labels still cropping on right side
   -allow new lines in line labels :O
 -LHRESS_ChildSelected graphic broken during drag and just in general 
diff --git a/src/Potato/Flow/Controller/Manipulator/Box.hs b/src/Potato/Flow/Controller/Manipulator/Box.hs
index 62b1e0d2..09b026e6 100644
--- a/src/Potato/Flow/Controller/Manipulator/Box.hs
+++ b/src/Potato/Flow/Controller/Manipulator/Box.hs
@@ -414,7 +414,11 @@ instance PotatoHandler BoxHandler where
         else if isTextArea
           && (wasNotActuallyDragging || isCreation)
           && wasNotDragSelecting
-          then textAreaHandler_pHandleMouse_onCreation (makeTextAreaHandler (SomePotatoHandler (def :: BoxHandler)) _potatoHandlerInput_canvasSelection rmd isCreation) phi rmd
+          then let 
+            tah = makeTextAreaHandler (SomePotatoHandler (def :: BoxHandler)) _potatoHandlerInput_canvasSelection rmd isCreation in
+              if isCreation
+                then textAreaHandler_pHandleMouse_onCreation tah phi rmd
+                else pHandleMouse tah phi rmd
 
           -- This clears the handler and causes selection to regenerate a new handler.
           -- Why do we do it this way instead of returning a handler? Not sure, doesn't matter.
diff --git a/src/Potato/Flow/Controller/Manipulator/TextArea.hs b/src/Potato/Flow/Controller/Manipulator/TextArea.hs
index d775f29e..49ed2667 100644
--- a/src/Potato/Flow/Controller/Manipulator/TextArea.hs
+++ b/src/Potato/Flow/Controller/Manipulator/TextArea.hs
@@ -140,5 +140,4 @@ instance PotatoHandler TextAreaHandler where
       }
     r = pRenderHandler (_textAreaHandler_prevHandler tah) phi <>  HandlerRenderOutput [cursor]
 
-  -- TODO track mouse activity
-  pIsHandlerActive _ = HAS_Inactive
+  pIsHandlerActive _ = HAS_Active_Waiting
diff --git a/test/Potato/Flow/Controller/Manipulator/TestHelpers.hs b/test/Potato/Flow/Controller/Manipulator/TestHelpers.hs
index 3eb852a7..71c8feef 100644
--- a/test/Potato/Flow/Controller/Manipulator/TestHelpers.hs
+++ b/test/Potato/Flow/Controller/Manipulator/TestHelpers.hs
@@ -57,3 +57,8 @@ composeObjectFetcherKeep f g pfs = case f pfs of
   Right o1 -> case g o1 of
     Left e -> Left e
     Right o2 -> Right (o1, o2)
+
+
+
+emptyOwlStateWithSize :: (Int, Int) -> OwlPFState
+emptyOwlStateWithSize (x, y) = OwlPFState emptyOwlTree (SCanvas (LBox 0 (V2 x y)))
diff --git a/test/Potato/Flow/Controller/Manipulator/TextAreaSpec.hs b/test/Potato/Flow/Controller/Manipulator/TextAreaSpec.hs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0aa78eaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Potato/Flow/Controller/Manipulator/TextAreaSpec.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE RecordWildCards #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE RecursiveDo     #-}
+
+module Potato.Flow.Controller.Manipulator.TextAreaSpec (
+  spec
+) where
+
+import           Relude                                         hiding (empty,
+                                                                 fromList)
+
+import           Test.Hspec
+
+import           Potato.Flow
+import           Potato.Flow.GoatTester
+import           Potato.Flow.Controller.Manipulator.TestHelpers
+
+
+import qualified Data.Sequence                                  as Seq
+
+
+
+
+
+basic_test :: Spec
+basic_test = hSpecGoatTesterWithOwlPFState (emptyOwlStateWithSize (100,100)) $ do
+
+  setMarker "create a TextArea"
+  setTool Tool_TextArea
+  canvasMouseDown (0, 0)
+  canvasMouseDownUp (50, 50)
+  verifyOwlCount 1
+
+  setMarker "add some text"
+  pressKeys "poop"
+  verifyRenderNonEmptyCount 4
+  verifyCharRenderedAt (V2 0 0) (Just 'p')
+
+
+  setMarker "deselect then reselect"
+  verifyCanvasHandler handlerName_textArea
+  pressEscape 
+  verifyCanvasHandler handlerName_box
+  pressEscape
+  canvasMouseDownUp (25, 25)
+
+  setMarker "move cursor"
+  canvasMouseDownUp (0, 1)
+  pressKeys "meow"
+  verifyRenderNonEmptyCount 8
+  verifyCharRenderedAt (V2 3 1) (Just 'w')
+
+
+
+
+spec :: Spec
+spec = do
+  describe "TextArea" $ do
+    describe "basic_test" $ basic_test
+    
diff --git a/test/Potato/Flow/Deprecated/Controller/Manipulator/TextAreaSpec.hs b/test/Potato/Flow/Deprecated/Controller/Manipulator/TextAreaSpec.hs
index 8f87dfa4..7e499cea 100644
--- a/test/Potato/Flow/Deprecated/Controller/Manipulator/TextAreaSpec.hs
+++ b/test/Potato/Flow/Deprecated/Controller/Manipulator/TextAreaSpec.hs
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ checkSTextAreaTextAt label k c = firstSuperOwlPredicate (Just label) $ \sowl ->
   SEltTextArea (STextArea _ tm _) -> Map.lookup k tm == Just c
   _                                         -> False
 
+-- TODO DELTEE This isn't even testingh TextArea
 test_basic :: Test
 test_basic = constructTest "basic" emptyOwlPFState bs expected where
   bs = [
diff --git a/test/Potato/Flow/GoatTester.hs b/test/Potato/Flow/GoatTester.hs
index 5107acf1..e03de7ed 100644
--- a/test/Potato/Flow/GoatTester.hs
+++ b/test/Potato/Flow/GoatTester.hs
@@ -360,6 +360,15 @@ verifyMostRecentlyCreatedLine f = verifyMostRecentlyCreatedOwl' "verifyMostRecen
     OwlSubItemLine sline -> f sline
     x                      -> Just $ "expected SAutoLine got: " <> show x
 
+
+verifyCanvasHandler :: (Monad m) => Text -> GoatTesterT m ()
+verifyCanvasHandler hname = verifyState "verifyCanvasHandler" f where
+  f gs = r where
+    h = _goatState_handler gs
+    r = if hname == pHandlerName h
+      then Nothing
+      else Just $ "expected " <> hname <> "got handler " <> pHandlerName h 
+
 verifySelectionIsAndOnlyIs :: (Monad m) => Text -> (SuperOwl -> Maybe Text) -> GoatTesterT m ()
 verifySelectionIsAndOnlyIs desc f = verifyState desc f' where
   f' gs = r where
@@ -370,8 +379,6 @@ verifySelectionIsAndOnlyIs desc f = verifyState desc f' where
       then Just $ "failed, expected 1 selected 🦉, got " <> show nselection
       else (\m -> "failed with message: " <> m <> "\ngot:\n" <> potatoShow (_superOwl_elt sowl)) <$> f sowl
 
-
-
 verifyRenderNonEmptyCount :: (Monad m) => Int -> GoatTesterT m ()
 verifyRenderNonEmptyCount expected = verifyState "verifyRenderNonEmptyCount" f where
   f gs = if n == expected
diff --git a/test/Potato/Flow/RenderSpec.hs b/test/Potato/Flow/RenderSpec.hs
index 2a3b7392..a4d80e03 100644
--- a/test/Potato/Flow/RenderSpec.hs
+++ b/test/Potato/Flow/RenderSpec.hs
@@ -170,10 +170,6 @@ spec1 = do
       -- TODO test something
       canvas1 `shouldBe` canvas1
 
-
-emptyOwlStateWithSize :: (Int, Int) -> OwlPFState
-emptyOwlStateWithSize (x, y) = OwlPFState emptyOwlTree (SCanvas (LBox 0 (V2 x y)))
-
 render_basic :: Spec
 render_basic = hSpecGoatTesterWithOwlPFState (emptyOwlStateWithSize (20,20)) $ do