J Cooper Photography

My kids have only asked me one thousand four hundred and sixty seven times this summer “Can we color?”, “Can we paint?”, “Can we glue?”  I normally have a nice little organizational system of art tubs in our pantry (nice in that there are bins properly labeled for every art supply under the sun….but don’t you think for one moment that those supplies are actually neatly tucked into those bins).

I saw a blog post from Meg and thought the soda crate was a perfect solution for supplies that I was comfortable keeping out all the time.

I didn’t purchase supplies…just filled it up with stuff we keep on hand.  I felt pretty good about everything I placed in there until I overheard Super Sam repeating the mantra “scissor are for paper” over and over to himself.  Might need to re-think those

I added some clear plastic cups to contain smaller items (the dividers in my crate don’t go all the way to the bottom)

I like that they have access to art all the time.  When they have a few minutes free they can draw a picture.  Plus…it’s like fruit in a bowl on the counter…you are more likely to reach for it if it is within eye sight!

I’ve also recently been finding some pretty hilarious drawings on my phone.  When we are at appointments I usually pass off my iphone to one of the kids to keep them entertained.  Later those images automatically synchronize onto my lap top.

Exhibit A:  The Contents of My Stomach

I especially appreciated the downward arrow to show the movement of the food?!

I must take the opportunity to hop on a little bunny trail here.  Once when The Brainiac was about 4 or 5 we were at a church on a Sunday morning.  For some reason…her Sunday School class was not meeting that day and she was forced to sit between us for “Big Church” much to her great dismay.  I handed her a few sheets of paper and she got busy intricately drawing a picture.  After the singing was over a sweet elderly lady leaned over from the pew behind us and said to The Brainiac “You are doing such a beautiful job in church today…what kind of pretty picture are you drawing?”  At which point…The Brainiac held up a portrait of a small child hurling with volumous amounts of vomit into a measuring cup that read “10 pounds”.

She says she wants to be a jockey.  Or a blueberry farmer.

But I’m thinking gastroenterologist is a better fit!

Exhibit B:  The Contents of My Stomach Plus Gas Bubbles.

I sincerely hope that your children draw you pretty pictures of horses frolicking in a meadow of flowers.

Mine clearly don’t!