As a small child I began my love of art and drawing.
My favorite and earliest memories were drawing with my mom each night at the kitchen table.
She would provide me with brown grocery store bags to color on.
Our medium of choice was chalk but crayons were fine too.
I remember sitting for hours each night just coloring with my mom. I don’t remember what she colored but I know my favorite was Strawberry Shortcake.
I know this because my mom kept all of my artwork. I have a huge container of my artwork ranging from ages of around 3 up to my teenage years.
When I look through it clouds of dust swirl from all of the chalk drawings.
Those were some of my happiest times as a child. Just sitting with my mom doing my favorite activity.
I try to keep this in mind when dealing with my own children.
It does not take expensive toys to make them love us or keep them entertained. It doesn’t require doing elaborate crafts or expensive outings.
They just want us to be with them; spending time and enjoying who they are. That is what they will remember.
pictures I did when I was around 4 years old
picture I did when I was around 4 years old. Strawberry Shortcake and Orange Blossom
Motherhood Is An Art 
I think it’s amazing that you still have drawings from when you were a little girl.What a rich legacy you are passing onto your kids.
thank you!!! There are hundreds more too!!! I really need to do something with them someday instead of just keeping them in a trunk! I’m so glad my mom saved them!!
Awe – strawberry shortcake!!! classic
It’s hard to believe I have a daughter now that loves Strawberry Shortcake too!!!
That’s cool that you have so much of your old art work.
Isn’t though?!!!! Way to go Mom!!!!
I remember drawing on those big boxes the Pampers used to come in! 😀
haha!!! That had to be ideal!!! Lots of space to cover!!!
I love that you still have drawings you did as a kid. I have always had a love of drawing too. My thing was always giving inanimate objects eyes. My dream would have been to be an animator.
It is great isn’t that I still have all this stuff?? I wanted to be an animator too when I was 8 years old. My mom bought me this electronic board that you drew a series of pictures and then it would put them all together and put them in motion! I still have that too and can’t wait to give it to my kids! It was called The Animator! Anyway, I’m stilling waiting for you to work in a post with your owls…I can’t remember the right name for them!
Oh ya! The ookpik! Gotta get on that!
by the way, the “ookpik” post is complete and you are mentioned in it.
I echo the previous comments, that it is great that you have such vivid memories AND tangible pictures, too! L. is pretty ambivalent about artwork (creating it, I mean), but A. has really gotten into drawing lately. We keep a lap-sized magna-doodle pad in the car and most of the time, she draws and erases, draws and erases wherever we go! She can draw a pretty decent face, too. I know it’s obvious that no two siblings are alike, but this is one difference in particular that is truly fascinating. And I totally agree that it is often the simpler items and activities (and more frugal ones, too) that create the most lasting memories: sofa forts, water heater boxes, styrofoam peanuts, doodle pads…you know already!
Those are wonderful things!!! Both of my older kids really enjoy drawing however they both have such different styles…it’s amazing watching them create and seeing how their brains work so differently!!! You can really tell a lot about them just by watching them draw!
Wow! That’s a really nifty Strawberry Shortcake you got there! 🙂 I wish my own mom kept my drawings! 🙂
thanks!!! They are so fun to go through all these years later!!! My mom was really good about keeping stuff. I’m so thankful!
What a blessing it is to share your own art with your children! Your mom is a special and wise mom, indeed!
thank you!!! She sure is!!
that’s sweet that she saved those….and for the record, I couldn’t draw pictures that well as an adult! 🙂
haha!!! Thanks! It’s great that she saved everything!!! I’m trying to save as much stuff for my kids too…it’s pretty overwhelming though trying to find a place to store it all!
Lovely post . . . and it reminded me of all the times my mom and I drew together! 🙂
Thank you!! That’s so neat that you did that too!! What good memories for us!!
What a lovely post! Everything you said is so true, and I love that your mom saved your drawings. I do the same for my kids. I figure they’ll have a good laugh 30 years from now!
Thank you!!! The art you and your kids are making is absolutely wonderful!!! What a great memory THEY will have! Everything you do is amazing!!!
Thank you so much! We’ve had an awful lot of fun doing it 🙂
Did the same with, and for, my 3 kids…so worthwhile. Now my daughter is doing the same with her kids:) I can’t tell you how many hours we colored pictures together as we watched Sesame Street! Fine motor skills and attention spans were expanding as minds were learning……nice post. Keep posting that precious artwork all over the kitchen!
Thank you so much!! I will do that!!!