Well, I invited a friend, didn't get a definite yes or no so I phoned (!) on Thursday to check if they were coming or not (do you think that's too much?).
After much to-ing and fro-ing (the two of us both talking to each others' voicemails), she got hold of me and said YES they were coming and what should she bring (nothing - btw, is it me but I always say "nothing" except for one set of very fussy friends who change what they drink every few months and I can't keep up, so I say "bring what you currently drink" :)).
Well, Sat morning she phones and says the weather's looking horrible (funny, it was LOVELY and GRAY :)) and she's not sure. We South Africans are nothing if not fickle about the weather.
Two hours later she phones and says the sun's out so they are definitely coming.
Can you guess where this is going?
That's right... she didn't pitch.
I practised my Happiness Project learnings (I'm not even joking), stayed present and in the moment, and decided to enjoy the time with my kids.
We PAINTED!
Outside, of course. I'm halfway to Zen but not mad.
(I was inspired by my post the other day)
Kendra got into the painting in a big way but she only likes to use one colour at a time?!
Connor was more interested in painting my walls, his sister's face and the table than anything else.
They both had jars of paint but Connor wanted to use her jar, not the ones on the table.
It was a really fun time - I loved seeing my little artists :)
I really want to just toss all their masterpieces but am I being too practical?
How much of the kid clutter do you keep?
(Natalie laughed at me the other day because I said I throw all their artwork away - I'm still waiting for the "art" in artwork)
PS. I made liquid hand soap and found a fabric softener substitute :)
PPS.
Paintbrushes - Crazy Store
Paint jars - old Purity prunes bottles, the same ones I used for some of the party stuff.
What a fun activity. I do keep the kids artwork. Mostly in their memory boxes. Came in handy when I had my oldest assessed. And I think they might like seeing how they drew / painted when they were whatever age. Some art works are nice enough to stick on the wall, but mostly I just put them in their memory boxes (except a few that I might chuck).
ReplyDeleteGood point, Lea. I will keep one each since it's their first. :)
ReplyDeleteOi friends like that make me slightly loopy!!
ReplyDeleteHonestly Marcia I admire the way you keep hats and bibs and aprons on your kids - I failed miserably at it!!
I keep some drawings - the nicer ones I do keep but the rest I toss. I am in the process of creating a masterpiece wall inspired by pinterest so I can display some of them!
Kid clutter? Only the ones they bring from school. The others I secretly throw away. I just can't keep everything.
ReplyDeleteMy children also did some crafts this past weekend. I have to post it on my blog this week.
It drives me BATTY when people are wishy-washy, and when people cancel out of plans, particularly at the last minute. I have always been bothered by that, but particularly since the girls were born, everything seems like such a production. If I've made plans for a play date, chances are I've structured my weekly grocery shopping and at least my daily menu around said activity. Don't leave me hanging without a really good reason! :) I know everything about that statement points to me not being a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda gal...but that's just me. :)
ReplyDeleteKudos to you for making the most of the change of plans...AND for breaking out the paint! I'm on the hunt for aprons for our girls, as I'm sure I'll be looking for more indoor activities with cold weather approaching.
Our girls do "artwork" probably 5 days a week, so I could never keep everything. If they do something really extraordinary (like the first time Baby A made a discernible "A", I kept it; and the first time she drew a cat that sorta-kinda looked like a cat. :)
I make a lot of cards out of the girls' scribbles, either mounted on solid background, or I'll cut it up to look like something. :) I've also made a few bookmarks out of their "art" on cardstock. Those are going to make holiday presents for friends and family this year. :)
I also use some of their artwork as background for scrapbook mounting.
Think about re-purposing...two birds with one efficient paintbrush stroke! :)
MandyE, I love the repurposing element and also your passion about structure!
ReplyDeleteLooks like lots of fun!
ReplyDeleteI had a girlfriend give me an idea that she does with all the kids artwork AND achool work...she hates clutter too, so she takes a photograph of the kids art work as it comes home and then they keep it until the next piece comes and the old piece is thrown out BUT becuase she has taken a picture...it's still around...KINDA! LOL!
I also love the idea of using it as background in Scrapbooks! ;)
Awww...your little Picasso's are just too cute! I toss the crappy scribbles. I keep the better/best pieces in a little memory box. Must say I have been notoriously bad with saving Joel's stuff.
ReplyDeleteJoshua actually did a piece last year that I LOVED. It's got a whole abstract thing about it. Am planning to frame that one and hang it. He also did Clay Play last year and made some EXCELLENT pieces that he gave to his Grandmothers as gifts. In fact, I think I should consider hanging some of their stuff like Laura is planning.
ps....that friend of yours is not cool but I LOVE that you took it all in your stride and STAYED PRESENT. Love that!
Keep 1 of each. In the future, take pictures of it and then throw it out. You can make some neat prints that have lots of their artwork on it all on one manageable page in a size you like. Also, here in the states we have a chain card/giftshop called Hallmark and they sell these neat frames that you can easily pop kids artwork in and out of to keep current masterpieces in ;)
ReplyDeleteMy mom saved EVERYTHING but I am an only child.
ReplyDeleteI rarely save anything.
I would like to do something like this in our new house:
http://pinterest.com/pin/179424919/
and just change it out whenever they make something new.
Looks like lots of fun!!! We let the boys paint from their high chair like you did with the playdough the other day. It contains the mess and keeps them from going everywhere with the mess. I did keep one set of paintings that I liked. The rest have been trashed. I think from having Phoebe, I know how these things can pile up.
ReplyDeleteSo cute! Wish we had a back yard to paint in.
ReplyDeleteI am keeping the 'firsts' of things--crayons, marker, paint, multi-media. And also going to take a photo of others. I think after a year's worth of photos, I will edit out and then do a digital scrapbook with Shutterfly or something so that each boy will have their own book for each year. That's my plan....Art Books!
I love the photos of your little artists. Art is such a wonderful way for them to develop and express themselves.
ReplyDeleteThe painting in the yard thing is a great activity for kids and yours look like they had fun doing it. I am seriously anti-clutter so I suspect that I will not be keeping most of their artwork.
ReplyDeleteI did read a blog a while back that recommended taking pictures of the art before trashing and then they can all be displayed on a digital frame.
I hate non =comittal and not pitching! So no on!
ReplyDeleteHere's my thing - I keep only the nicest, the rest I photograph and keep electronically.
Nicola's school binds all the term's artwork together in a book and send it home. I have those...and a few of my favourites otherwise. But I do end up chucking quite a bit that only has scribbles on them.
ReplyDeleteOh, paint...how I loathe thee.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing this (http://pinterest.com/pin/183616517/) with the Crazies' "artwork" from this year. I love it.
Depends on the artwork ... I don't keep scribbles, but I do keep "milestone" work - stuff that they really think about. I also tend to keep at least one art work a month while they are very young ... put into a memory box. Something that shows progression or a new medium that they were working with.
ReplyDeleteMy older 2 girls have started going through some of the saved boxes of school work and art work (we homeschool - so I keep their work, just in case there is a question about what they are doing) and they are tossing their elementary stuff ... not all of it. They are keeping stories and drawings mostly, reports and essays.
Right now, I'm keeping well over half of what Joel is producing - he can spend over an hour on a single work of art, longer if he colors it. Lots of thought.
So after he finishes it, I write notes or take a video of him explaining the picture. He is by far the "artsiest" of my kids.
And DATE what you decide to keep. I wish like crazy that I had been more dedicated to the dating thing.