Learning Art

In our house, we have crayons popping out all over the place. I swear that they are breeding and multiplying like rabbits. I remember spending hours coloring and entertaining myself with crayons and coloring books. My kids have tons of coloring books and crayons, too. It is a kid classic right??

I must have short changed my children somewhere along the line. Though I have purchased these items for my kids, they have never really had a lot of interest in them. I remember when Daria broke her arm and we were waiting in the doctor's office for them to check what the ER had done the night before, we waited a LONG time. Daria and I spent a lengthy amount of time coloring. That was probably the most extended amount of time that one of my kids have ever spent towards that activity. Every year, on the school supply lists, they always ask for color crayons, markers, colored pencils and watercolors. Caden's art stuff all came home hardly looking like it was used. My kids just never seemed to want to do artsy kind of things.

I always that it was my fault that my kids really didn't show interest in them. Maybe I should have sat down with them more often to encourage that creative bent. How else are they going to learn neatness and the importance of coloring within the lines??? On the other hand, isn't part of the draw for coloring is that it can be done independently? Don't mothers love to pull out those items so that they can have a chunk of time to complete something uninterrupted? Guess that isn't the case with my kids.

So it has been interested to watch my son the last couple of nights. MITCH has finally decided to hire an art teacher. It is actually our music teacher who is extending her hours to teach art. Yeah. I am really pleased with that. I lack all abilities in the artsy department. I'm the kind of girl who can dream something up....but when I got to put it into actuality....all I can do is shake my head and walk away. What a mess! So, I am excited that someone with a little bit of gifting will be directing my children in this area of their development. Maybe somehow my kids can rescue me from my artistic follies.

Back to Caden, he has been drawing and coloring like a mad man lately. He probably has a "collection" of art that is about an inch thick. The impressive thing about it is that I can actually identify most of what he is drawing. Tim, on the other hand, needs to have everything spelled out for him. The other day he drew some pictures of some habitats. Tim was showing it to me after Caden had gone to bed. I noticed right off that it looked like he had drawn some cacti....and the other had trees. So, when Tim said that they were habitats, I said..."Of course...this one is the desert and this one is a forest." The look on Tim's face was priceless. Doesn't he know that a Mama always knows? Caden also draws a pretty good looking mini van and race car. (Good for a first grader anyway....and definitely better than I could draw!)

So...that is my musings for today. I just found it so striking that Caden has developed this yen for artsy things. Maybe I did fail him. Or maybe God has just brought along a great teacher that is sparking some interest in him. Either which way, I just had to do a little thankful dance last night as I went to bed. It is so fun to see your child blossoming.....especially when I take the time to smell the roses.