Wednesday, February 10, 2010

What to do with your kids' artwork?!

I am in a war with paper and clothes. They attack from all directions, so I'm always looking for new weapons for my arsenal.

One thing I learned early last year when Roman started kindergarten is that it was IMPOSSIBLE to keep every paper. No matter HOW desperately I wanted to keep every bit of evidence of my child's creative genius. There was NO way! So, I started keeping only my favorites. And, I'd recycle the rest. When he'd see me throwing his precious creations in the recycle cart, I'd tell him we had to make sure to recycle the paper so there'd be paper when it was time to make more. We were on the same page, he and I. We agreed. It was a great plan.

But, then, the favorites piled up. And then the 2nd child went to kindergarten. I was losing the battle again (like I was ever winning).

I thought and pondered and brainstormed and then remembered something I'd read somewhere, sometime about an idea to take pictures of your children's art instead of keeping every shred.

I was ALL in! A plan was hatched. I'll take snapshots of the art and papers and then include them in that child's annual photo book. They will be beautifully preserved and I will stay insanely sane!

Elijah's rendition of a squirrel. Liking the eyes and the 2 blades of grass for this hungry friend.
Roman came home with this on his first day of school. Generic I know, but what I like is the way he wrote his name....perfectly reflective.

Lots more pictures to take, but I'm on the way. I guess the next step will be to actually throw the papers in recycle bin. MAN! It's so haaard to saaay goodbyyye to yesterdaaaayyyyeeee (3 cheers if you can tell me who that's from)!

4 comments:

Lauren, Daniel, James and baby Brendan. said...

Boyz II Men!!!

Lil Eskimo said...

right on!!!

Lauren, Daniel, James and baby Brendan. said...

I am posting the art I like the most in the playroom (hanging it on walls with ticky tack....I am a teacher so of course I am addicted the the ticky tack). After a while, I am going to file my favorite ones (feet prints, hand prints, etc.) away and take pics of others.

Goodnight moon said...

This is a perfect idea!!! I'm going to have to use it! I can't keep all of my kids stuff either. Whenever Isabel see's that I have a pile of her stuff to recycle, she gets so upset that I'm throwing it away...so she takes it out, and then when she goes to school, I sneak it to the bottom of the pile so she can't see it. Out of site, out of mind:)

Crap....and now I have that song stuck in my head....was it Boyz II Men? It was, wasn't it?!?! Let me know if I'm write...I'm going to have to google it now.