(Part 2) Art for Kids--Making an Investment

Last week I wrote about investing in art books for children.  Today I'd like to cover the art supplies you'll need on hand as your children explore different art techniques.

The book above, which we recently obtained (we bought a used, 2002 hardcover, 12x9 edition), teaches basic art techniques, including:

tissue paper collage
oil pastel resist
collage with ink drawing
dragged paint
tissue paper rubbings
cardboard and potato printing
cut paper
techniques for trees
printing with a sponge
fingerpainting
pastel and ink resist
creating textured papers
brushstrokes
techniques for skies
mixed media collage
painted patterns
patterns with plastic foodwrap
watercolor washes
tissue paper and glue collage
printing with an eraser
techniques for water
wet inks and chalk pastels
blow-painting
adding gold highlights
tessellating and transforming shapes
continuous line drawing
techniques for fur
wet-on-wet painting
magazine paper collage
wax resist and splattering
paper collage
oil pastel resist and splattering
techniques for feathers
watercolor effects
chalk pastels
lifting off watercolor paint
scratched paint and pastels
collage with found objects
pencil and eraser drawings

If you're like me, you've never heard of many of these techniques!  My own education lacked any art emphasis--no performing arts, no visual arts.  I want more for my children.  I can't very well jump into a music curriculum for them--me, who can't carry a tune--but I can do something.

I can make time for them to participate in the Christmas Pageant every year, and in other productions; I can sign them up for basic music classes when they're appropriate for our budget; I can purchase simple recorders (a basic musical instrument) and accompanying book; and especially right now, I can invest in art materials they can explore at home.  

Let me say again here that my boys (ages 7 and 9) use our new Usborne art book independently (as well as our Usborne drawing books), due to the excellent illustrations and explanations.  If you're busy with little ones at home, your older children can still glean much from a good basic art skills book.

You'll likely need the following supplies on hand, if you do invest in a basic art book.  I plan on keeping this list in my purse--purchasing them a little at a time.

Paints
- watercolor

- acrylic

- poster

- gouache

Pastels (usually sold in sets)
oil pastels
chalk pastels

Inks
colored inks, which come in bottles, or you can use ink from a pen cartridge

Paper
- thick watercolor paper that is 190gsm (90lb) or above that won't wrinkle too much when you paint on it

- bristol paper coming in pads or individual sheets (wrinkles when you paint on it)

- colored writing paper

- textured paper

- old magazines

Pens
felt-tip pens with permanent ink


Enjoy their creativity, letting it color your world!

Let the Blessings Flow

My Gratitude List

- sisters in pink hats

- sisters side by side in the mud

- a dent in weed pulling (many hours left)

- sunshine making the greens so brilliant

- six people at the dinner table

- whole wheat and flaxseed pancakes with mixed berries ( 5 to 1 ratio on the wheat and flax)

- a quiet house after a noisy day

- a yard with shade trees

- flowerbeds full of weeds, to give us something to do together ( together is my favorite thing, when it comes to my family...together is beautiful)

- sisters who kiss each other good morning and good night

- sisters who squeal and giggle at each other as they ride bikes, and trade bikes

- penny rides at the ice cream stop

- the eyes of a child, when you put an ice cream cone in his hands 

- a yard to delight my children (I never watch my children on the lawn without thinking about all the children raised in apartments..or worse.  My children are blessed.)

- my heavenly father, who gifted me with daughters when I was 40 and 42 years old  

I think most women will tell you that their unplanned babies brought very special blessings....which is why I say....let the babies come!  Say no to anyone else, but never to God.  He knows everything!  My girls are pure sunshine to me--brightening even the darkest days.  My boys are just as wonderful, of course--hopefully that truth is evident on this blog.  But somehow God knew that without daughters--these two daughters--our lives would be too heavy.  That's the only way I can describe it, when I think of life without them.  Heavy.  The various disorders we've got going on here contribute to that word heavy.  What do we really know about our coming years?  Nothing.  Only God knows. We can't afford to say no to Him, can we?  

As an aside:  Whenever I say something like this--I'm sure it annoys some out there--I don't mean to imply that a woman should discount everything a doctor has told her about her reproductive health.  I know a woman who nearly died from preeclampsia, twice (her two children are healthy).  Her doctor asked her not to get pregnant a third time, as it would be too dangerous.  Unless God gives a very clear message otherwise, I think we should listen to our doctors--really skilled, experienced doctors--unless they advise something akin to abortion.  

I don't understand infertility, in terms of why God would allow such a horror, when so many woman have plentiful babies.  Infertility really is a horror.  But I do know Him.  I trust Him.  It is so hard to do that.....to trust Him.  But we must.  He provides the tools, the giftedness, the wisdom, the grace, to carry out His design for our lives.  When we trust Him, blessings flow....our lives are all that He meant them to be, here on Earth.

If you're like me, and your husband has already decided you will have no more babies, submit to the decision in your heart. (Yes, it is so hard!) In your coming years, maybe God has orphans for you to adopt.....and a changed heart for your husband?  Or a family member's children to care for?  We just don't know, but I believe God honors our trust in Him.  And He is pleased when we respect our husbands, who are just trying to do their best.  Leadership is hard.

Day in the Life of a New Prayer Warrior--Days 2 & 3

To go back to Day 1 of Day in the Life of a New Prayer Warrior, click here.

To read the 1st post of my prayer series, Into A Life of Prayer--A Journey, click here.


Days 2 & 3 chronicled below:

My husband and I worked out three days a week for husband/wife prayer. This will occur on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday--days he is home by 10:00 PM.  On the remaining days I will pray on my own, after the kids have gone to bed, and husband is at work.

I also decided to give the boys three days a week to pray on their own, saving four days for corporate family prayer in the mornings.  The earlier they develop this pray-alone discipline, the more impact it will have in their lives, making them mighty warriors for Jesus.  They already read the Bible on their own seven days a week--from Psalms or Proverbs, or rereading what we've read together.

On Day Two of my prayer warrior journey, then, I prayed with my husband.  We used the ACTS acronym and prayed for twenty minutes.  It would have been longer, but he had a sneezing allergy attack halfway through our prayer.  He is so ready to move to Arizona.  The allergy shot series he had in California left him feeling good for several years, but now he is miserable again, and showing signs of mild asthma on exertion.  We had a lot of health issues to pray about!  Paul has had a few incidents of wheezing, but nothing like I've heard from husband.  This has turned out to be a severe allergy season for our family, for whatever reason.  Excessive rain--record breaking rain--is the only environmental change I've noticed this year. Rain itself is not supposed to aggravate allergies, but maybe it leads to more tree pollen over a season?

Anyway, we appreciated the time to pray together, uninterrupted by children, and we were happy to set regular dates for our prayer.  Being intentional is so important!  Marking a calendar or creating a prayer schedule helps the whole family draw closer to God.

I didn't have to convince my husband of anything to make this happen. While I wouldn't describe him as a prayer warrior, he definitely does value prayer.  We started our marriage being very consistent about husband/wife prayer, but when our first colicky baby came along, joint prayer suffered.  It has been good at times since then, and spotty other times.

If your husband is less receptive to husband/wife prayer, just pray about it consistently, letting God do the work in your husband's heart.

On Day Three of my prayer warrior journey, I was alone in the house, after putting the kids to bed.  I was exhausted, but thankfully I had done the dishes and shuffled the laundry earlier in the evening.  I drank some water and then sat right down to begin praying, using my new prayer blog.  I considered how nice it was that I didn't have to look for anything--pen, pencil, pad of paper, etc.  I just had to sit down and start typing.

As an aside:  I had done about an hour of research the night before on The Lord's Prayer, using sermons given by John Calvin (1507-1564),  John Wesley (1703 - 1791), and Charles Spurgeon (1834 - 1892).  I wanted to know why the ACTS acronym has us praying confession second, but the Lord's Prayer (not meant to be recited, but to model prayer after) has confession further down.  It makes more sense to me to ask for forgiveness up front, but I wanted to model my prayer along the line of the Lord's Prayer.

I will do a post on structuring prayer as soon as I'm done with my research.  Husband pointed out that the Bible, when taken as a whole, seems to point to the importance of confession up front, after admiration--though he agreed The Lord's Prayer clearly isn't structured that way. Interesting subject that I will look into more--although as I said before, I think the Lord is happy with any discourse, and his Holy Spirit will help us structure our prayer in a way that pleases God.

Anyhow, for Day Three, I continued to pray using the ACTS acronym.  The typing definitely kept me very focused and disciplined.

I had about thirteen minutes of prayer time before Beth woke up.  After nursing her for fifteen minutes, I came back out and resumed my prayer, going for another fifteen minutes.  I really think I've found what works for me!  It was so easy to sit right down and get started, despite my exhaustion.

So tell me....how is it going for you?

Art for Kids--Making an Investment

Do you know what makes me very happy during the day?  

Watching my kids create.  

If we want minimal use of screen time, we have to provide alternatives.  Art is a wonderful option.  We found a $34 Usborne Art Skills book for around $4.80 used, labeled very good condition, from the Amazon site.  I've found that the used book companies who advertise on Amazon actually have better service than Amazon itself.  And the books labeled very good condition always come looking like new!

At seven and nine years old, the boys were able to open this book (open in front of Paul above) and do the suggested techniques independently.  With a two year old running around, it would have been hard for me to direct them.  I was thanking my Lord for this book, and for the boys' enthusiasm! My Paul, especially, needs to create.  Art is inside that boy--waiting to be expressed!

If you start searching now, in a few months you'll have quite a nice library of art books on hand.  You will be very pleased with your investment.  The Usborne company is outstanding, and you can start with their inexpensive paperback drawing books shown above (I Can Draw Animals; I Can Draw People)

I am learning to distinguish between arts and crafts.  Ideally, kids should experience both.  The points listed below, found here, are good general distinctions between art and craft:

Art is a form of work that expresses emotions and expressions.  

Craft is a form of work, which has a physical form just like in moulding and carving. 

While Craft is quantified, Art seldom is.   

One can create duplicate craft forms, which is not possible with art.  

Art forms move people emotionally, whereas crafts attract people.  

Unlike craft, art is known to come out of the heart and soul.  

Crafts are a product of the mind.   

In art, it is the emotions that flow out whereas in craft no emotion is involved.  

Art comes out from a person’s innate talents whereas craft is the result of experience.

Day in the Life of a New Prayer Warrior

My prayer profile thus far:
My custom has been to pray throughout the day for people who come to mind, for my family's immediate needs, for peace to return on difficult days, for my headaches or for my husband's and children's health issues to be healed or lessened.  In addition to this random, unorganized prayer life (it is far better than nothing), I also pray in an organized, disciplined fashion with my children, and my husband (less often with husband since he works nights and I have to keep a close eye on my Beth all the time--any daytime prayer is very broken and frustrating, between husband and wife here.)

My wrong thinking:
I was wrong to think that my disorganized, random prayers, and my corporate prayers, are enough.  Being a busy mom was just an excuse to avoid doing something that has always been hard for me--disciplined, sit-down, private prayer.  Keeping myself focused is the issue; my mind wanders the most when I'm at rest. While staying prayer-focused in the midst of husband and children is very easy, there are some issues that seem too personal, or perhaps too hurtful, to pray about in front of my family.  This is another reason we need to pray by ourselves--though a deeper relationship with God is the primary reason.

And consider this: Our family members could die in a sudden car accident. Where would we be then, if we didn't have intimacy with our Lord?  All things can and will pass away, except for our relationship with God.  It must be nurtured.....through prayer.

Writing out my prayers works to keep me focused, but I get fatigued from the handwriting. On a whim, I decided to start a private blog, not found by search engines, for my prayer time.

Day One
Nighttime is the best for me.  After putting the boys to bed, I headed to the kitchen to do dishes, wipe down counters and table, and shuffle laundry one last time.  My two-year-old woke in the midst of the cleaning, and I nursed her back to sleep.  Coming back out, I finished the kitchen and started my new blog, which just took a few minutes, since I already have a Blogger account.

I got through about ten minutes of prayer, which went very well.  The typing kept me focused, and I felt close to God.  I reread everything I wrote, speaking the words again to my Lord--this time without any typing, of course.

My time was not complete yet, when Beth woke again.  She has some issue lately--teething, or post-nasal drip from allergies...I don't really know for sure, but she is fine during the day.

I nursed her back to sleep and I ended up falling asleep in there for about an hour.  Coming back out, I prayed for another twenty-five minutes.  She woke again before I did my closing, so I closed my prayers while in bed.

As I fell asleep, I did feel closer to God.  I am excited and I look forward to a deeper intimacy with Him!  It's not that I've felt terribly distant from Him, but I have a desire to experience all that He has for us, in union with Him.  I know there's more!

Decide what your own stumbling block is, and brainstorm ways to get around it.  Might your solution be a prayer journal, a quieter place, or a different time? Experiment until something begins to work.

I am copying and pasting my prayers--just this once--in case someone needs a model for structuring prayer time.  Any structure is fine.  There is no right or wrong way to converse with God.  It probably seems ridiculous for me to do this, but I am mindful that some people are just beginning their relationships with God, and having some idea for how to proceed might be helpful.

I will post more about structuring prayer later this week.

I fixed the punctuation and such for your easier reading, but when I pray, I don't go back and fix errors.  I used the ACTS acronym, because I find my prayers are more complete this way.  I kept praying and writing until I couldn't think of anything more for each category.

Admiration:

You are glorious, magnificent, wonderful, all-knowing, all-powerful, faithful, loving, omniscient, trustworthy, you are mine to love, to honor, to please.  You gave it all so I could have peace in my soul, now and forever.  I love you.

Confession:

Search my heart, Lord.  Show me the ways I was far from you today--far from your spirit and your Word.  I am sorry I didn't always respond peaceably and with grace toward my troubled one today.  Help me tame my tongue.  Help me love him with your patience and grace.  Help me to understand his ways, his shortcomings, remind me that he can't help the most annoying things.  Show me how he is weak and help me to make him strong, with my love and devotion and belief in him.

Thanksgiving:

Thank you with my whole heart Lord.  Thank you for space to raise my children, and appliances to make my days easier.  Thank you for used books to delight my homeschoolers.  Thank you for creativity and love and laughter and birds and trees and husband's hugs.  Thank you for salvation, for forgiveness, for your presence here on Earth.  Thank you for the opportunity to be with you in prayer.

Supplication:

Salvation:  I ask for salvation for my mother, father, step-father, sister, nephews, niece, brother.  May we be with them in  Paradise, Father.  I ask for salvation for the neighbors on all four sides of us, and down both sides of the street, and in the stores we frequent.  May we be a light for you in this community.  I ask for salvation for all those on both sides of my extended family--many of whom I don't even know, Father.

Leaders:  Give our leaders godly wisdom, give them saving faith, protect our country and its citizens from ugly attacks.  Provide your divine grace and blessing and protection to those who have fought and are fighting for our freedom, and for their families, some of whom are grieving their loss.  Urge hearts to help them in every way, in their daily lives.

Disasters: Provide divine grace and earthly help to those who lost their loved ones and their homes through disaster.  Show them love through their surrounding neighbors and communities.  Urge hearts to give, to love, to listen.  Give them peace and salvation.  May they seek your face.

Husband and children: I pray for daily peace and for a new full-time job for my husband.  Give him confidence, wisdom, stamina.  Fill him with your love, your divine comfort.  Erase the affects of  the ADHD, if it be your will.  Help him in his leadeship roles--his father role, his husband role.  May he seek your face daily, may he rely on your mercies.  Help me to honor him with all my deeds and my words.  Help me to provide for him what he most needs from me.  I pray for a long, saving relationship with you, for all my children, grandchildren, future in-laws.  May my children develop deep prayer lives, may they always seek your face in their daily lives and in their trials.  May they especially seek your face in choosing spouses.  May we have strong, trusting relationships with them always and with their future families.  Help us to be healthy enough to help them with their own children, to provide physical and emotional support, despite our old ages.  Help us to take care of ourselves a good long time, to avoid being a burden on their young families.  Provide grace to them in any situation brought about by our advanced ages.  I pray for strong support for them from each other.  Bless their friendships with each other always--may they be lasting and full of grace and love.  May they somehow stay in the same cities or towns, to provide for each other all that is needed from a loving extended family.  I pray for their studies, that they will be hard-working and pursue knowledge with joy and eagerness.  Help me to be a loving, patient, kind, attentive teacher--all that they need on a daily basis.  Help the younger three with grace toward their brother and his ADHD.  If it be your will, may the disorders pass away.  May my son learn self-monitoring and self-soothing, so that fits begin to disappear.

I closed these prayers in bed.  And then I stayed still, trying to listen for whatever wisdom or love words the Holy Spirit had for me.  You can stay still and quiet before your prayers, or after them, as a way to listen.  We must listen to, as well as speak to God, so that it's truly a discourse.  That's what He wants....discourse with us...true fellowship!