Self-portraits, kid-style

Latest big art project: Self-portraits. Honestly, I had very little hope for these. I figured that either the kids would get bored, that Catherine would self-destruct in tears when she couldn't draw perfect eyes, or that both kids would draw whatever the heck they wanted in the ovals I printed off as templates for their heads (because God knows I can't even draw ovals).

So, best case scenario, I'd have one oval-with-ears covered in hearts and princesses and another in architectural renderings of houses.

To start, I made little cards of famous self-portraits. Rembrandt, da Vinci, van Gogh, Frida Kahlo. Then I gave them the templates, set them in front of a mirror and they got to work. The result shows for itself. Needless to say, I was surprised -- pleasantly!

My favorite part of the activity was when Vincent proudly showed me his upon completion. I puzzled for a moment over the inclusion of a straw hat and sideburns, but then he pointed out the same features on van Gogh's self-portrait and cheerfully explained, "I'm Vincie van Gogh!"

Nature notebooks

A few days ago, when it was rainy and cold and I was struggling to get in the door with a week's worth of groceries, Vincent squatted in the muddy garden and just stayed there. I yelled called nicely for him to come inside, and he responded, in a very reasonable tone, "I can't. I'm exploring. I need to find something for my Nature Notebook."

The Nature Notebooks are something we started this spring. Whenever the kids find something they deem interesting (oftentimes synonymous with slimy) we capture it for a brief while (if it's alive) and they draw it in their notebooks. Catherine's notebook is a very nice bound sketchbook, while Vincent's is, as he often reminds me indignantly, simply a big pile of paper. He is also rather indignant that Catherine has her own library card.

So sometimes their drawings are of live creatures (slugs, snails, worms, earwigs, birds, moths) but they also love to collect and draw acorns, leaves, tree bark, flowers, rocks and whatever else they can find. I've noticed over time how their drawings have become more and more detailed. They use a magnifying glass to study them, and we look everything up in field guides to figure out the Latin names and other information. 


They have become so ingrained with the idea of noticing their surroundings that it's impossible to go for a stroller ride without having to stop every few minutes to load up with pinecones and leaves. Vincent has been known to demand that we stop and help an army of caterpillars safely cross the road, and Catherine's compassion for the smallest of creatures is constantly on display. Not long ago she secretly housed a cricket -- named Musical -- in her bedroom. Even Dominic gets in on the action by bringing me cicadas, half-squished moths and every pinecone he finds.

And then, of course, there are those times when it's cold and rainy, and a little boy uses the Nature Notebook as an excuse just because he wants to play in the mud a little longer. And, of course, Mommy falls for it. Every single time.