And some more...

I love getting and seeing the "artwork" that comes home....but they are 5...and the drawings are great and sometimes really needed for a good laugh, but holy cow! We have enough paper for a forest right here in my own house...I'm going to have my landscaper come in and trim THESE "bushes". And Tyler's stuff. How do I do this nicely...he comes home everyday with a drawing for me, this drawing is a picture of whatever topice for the month that are printed onto a page and the kids color them. So last month, I have 20...yes TWENTY (4 weeks in a month, and 5 days in a week) pictures of a butterfly AND in each one only the head is colored in. It is either black or blue. Black is preferred that's his favorite color and when the teacher hides the black he picks blue. I try and recycle them and reuse the backs, but then I hurt his feelings. "Mommy you ruined my art!" Oi vay!

I have to say though that they are at least better now, they used to be big black scribbling all over the page. "wow Tyler! that's awesome! i love it!" and Madi, dear sweet Madi would point out, "but mom that is just scribbling!" and then Tyler gets upset. Wonderful cycle.

So back to the bulk art work. How can we limit what is brought home? I have stuff taped to my wall, posted on my fridge, in a bag "for later", and well sometimes yeah I do recycle them off. However tip to the parents....do NOT let them see you do it. Tyler found some of his stuff and almost died from disgust.
"Mommy! you throw my art away?!?"
"No Tyler! I would never do that! Must have been Daddy!"

Oh and another line I use, I tell them I am hanging them in my office. Now I work from home mostly and although we have an office to go to, I am never there and if my kids ever go to the office with me they will ask to see their art and I will be screwed! So be careful!
Sorry Daddy, yes I throw you under the bus all the time, but hey I'm the one here all the time with them and have to listen to the whining and nagging, so oh well!

And here I am sitting here and thinking...what will I do tonight?! it's the end of year school picnic where there will be a silent auction. Each class will have an item to auction off. Great! More "art". So not only do I have enough for the entire city of Newton, but now they want me to actually pay money for more?!?! and not just stuff from my kids but other people's kids too?!??!
It's like seriously!

So...before your kids enter preschool. Teach them to draw, that way when the stuff starts coming home you don't have to bite your lips to keep from laughing and lie to your kid telling them it's beautiful. Don't even deny you are lying, because deep down you are thinking "good god kid do you really see me with a head THAT big?!?", or at certain times of the month when your mood is not that great and you are extra sensitive you think, "even my preschooler thinks I'm fat! Look at that midsection in the picture!" And Tyler, I don't have fingers longer than my legs and Madi, my eyes are not so big that they look like round rimmed glasses!

Wish me luck ;)