Proud illustrating mum
Amelia has discovered how fun it is to draw. It kind of crept up on us as previously she would stop to scribble something for maybe 30 seconds or so before careening off to do something else, but suddenly she is spending literally hours at the kitchen table wearing out her felt tip markers as she devises complex scenes or sweetly simple portraits. She has filled a new photo album with dozens of tiny portraits of all of her stuffed animals and dolls with a few family members thrown in for good measure. The picture above is of Lily’s new doll, and one of my favourites is this picture of Lily asleep in her car seat:
and then there is this lovely picture of me:
You can tell it’s me – with my post Christmas generous girth, my eyes like saucers and my delightful floral hat!
Sitting next to her at the kitchen table while I draw in my sketch book or do a little sewing is one of the nicest things… that and holding a freshly bathed sleeping baby. If only both girls would sleep! Ahhh!
These pictures are adorable . . . she clearly has the talent for art . . . like her mom! 🙂
And there it is…the reason we become parents! How gorgeous 🙂
So Amelia’s attention span has gone from that of a gnat to a super illustrator – wow! And how I love that drawing of Lily! Very cute indeed 🙂
I love those drawings, so sweet. How lovely for you. Love your blog.
They are gorgeous drawings, how nice it must be for you to have that in your life. My boys are still in the 12.2 second scribble on the way to something else. I am hoping now that they may grow into this… beautiful!
Simply adorable!
I know what a pleasure this must be for you…. It’s always gratifying to see our children enjoying something that we enjoy. And then I get all caught up in musing “nature or nuture? Where does it come from?” Then a give myself a little shake, and remind myself to just enjoy! and not think so darn much….
that drawing of you is too funny…they can see right into our souls, no? kidding.it is a wonderful feeling to sit side by side, being creative with your children. i couldn’t agree more…
so cute claire!
happy new year!
Oh, too too cute. You’ve got to embroider those onto something, they are so precious.
Let me know if you ever figure out how to get them to sleep simultaneously. I need to learn that trick, myself!
You ARE good lookin’!
What precious drawings. Looks like she’s inherited her mom’s talent!
It’s bits like this that make me wish I’d started journalling sooner. It all passes too quickly.
LOVE the hat 😉
What a clever girl. I have kept all my son’s first drawings, too precious.
You’re definately looking a little sleep depraved in that last picture!
oh! the flowers on that little dress are just! so! sweet! all of the drawings are!
my son was the same way, no interesting in drawing at all (“you draw it mommy”) and now, i get all sorts of pictures, mostly of trucks, swarms of them, “for YOU mommy!” (linked to it for my URL)
i just LOVE kid art 🙂
I love it how kids do boobies (as my son calls them). If those scribbles on your chest are boobies, at least they’re not down near your belly as my son interpreted the placement of mine last mother’s day.
Oh, what darling drawings, Claire! I even see a hint of your style in her art! Is it genetic, do you suppose?
I love the illustrations…where DID you get that fantastic hat? :)I understand your sleeping relief…our six month old sleeps rarely. I can’t imagine what it’d be like with two!
my first child wasnt into drawing at all. my second, a little bit more, so i dont have a lot of these sweet pictures. so you’ll understand how happy i was when my youngest presented me with a drawing of his family for christmas. its him, his brother (with red underneath him, ‘he’s standing in fire, hahahahahaha’), his dad ‘see his long legs? its because he’s so tall’, and me ‘you are lots of coulours mum, because you are beautiful’.brought tears to my eyes because of how sweet he was, and because his dad and i arent together anymore. but its a beautiful drawing.
your little girl draws beautifully
xx
thank you for this post- it reminds me of what is so lovely about being a parent!
it is wonderful to watch your children develop interests that you have as well–may you always find comfort and pleasure in each other’s company while creating.
I know this is late, but better late then never … CONGRATULATIONS on your little kids craft section which popped up in the Age. I was wonderfully suprised to find it. I think there would have been many little children all over melbourne waking up on christmas morning with the best ever home made crayons in their stoickings.
And I thought you were wearing a pirate hat – argghhh !!
I love the Lily pic best too – she looks so happy. That Amelia picks up on this truly is a testament to a happy home.
that looks just like you Claire : )
Oh, those pictures are so wonderful! I’m hoping hoping waiting for the day when my son will start really drawing. Until then, I have to be satisfied just hanging up every little scribbling he makes.
May I just say that the drawings are precious! I am 30 and my mother saved all of the drawings that all of us kids made. I can not tell you how much I love that she did, and how it has delighted me as an adult. I am sure you are going to do the same. I have no kids, but I love “kid art” so much that I hold my friends’ kids hostage and beg them to draw and paint for me… ps: The drawing of you, just wonderful!! I love to see how kids portray adults. It makes me smile from ear to ear. Thank you for sharing.
Clair, I do love your daughters. I think Amelia can be a good painter.please kiss them for me, and put new pics of them.(I wonder what Lily looks like now)
I love kid drawings. I’m an aunty…so as a treat for my sister I got my nieces to each draw a ‘self-portrait’, I then framed them for my sister who teared-up she was so happy….and the girls are most chuffed that their work is on display in the ‘gallery’ (aka: hallway).
So sweet!!! She will always remember those special moments with you. 🙂
I usually just lurk – but these lovely pictures! They remind me so much of my own daughter’s doodlings – love the one of Lily in her carseat – she looks so content!
I adore your daughter’s drawings, especially the one of you and that big ol’ church hat. Has she got you topless there? Is “M” for mom? You should embroider that top one on a dress for Lily – too fun!
What gorgeous delightful pictures. Maybe she will take after her mummy and you both design a book together. Too cute.
Happy happy new year, Claire! Your resolutions all sound lovely – and do-able! I love Amelia’s drawings! So cute. I have (only) one from about that age which was done in yellow crayon and has SIS! written across the top (hedging my bets, the S was attempted facing both left and right), since that’s what all my relatives called me, and, I suspect, because it was easier than SAMONE!
I can’t wait until my older daughter can really draw like this. It is so fascinating to see their interpretation of the world.
I’m not sure how you feel about sleep training, but it was TREMENDOUSLY successful for us and I can’t imagine having to care for both of them without it. I recommend a book by Dr. Richard Ferber called Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems – read Chapter 5. A bit of crying may be involved, but there is nothing like a baby (and a child, too) who sleeps from 6 pm to 6 am uninterrupted every night!
My mom still has a set of dinner plates that I drew back when I was 2 and a half (I think what happens is you draw on a paper plate and then they…um, make it real? I don’t know). Anyway, one is of my mother and she has this HUGE belly colored like a bullseye – she was pregnant with my sister at the time. I’m hoping to get the plates some day.
It must be the age, my son is exactly the same age as Amelia and today started drawing and drawing and drawing – declaring “drawing is my favourite”. We’ve decided that during his ‘quiet’ time each day when his sister naps we will draw together, this is something I’ve day dreamed about since before he was born.I recommend ‘The good sleep guide’ by Angela Henderson we used it with my son at 9 months and my daughter at 6 months. Even has a page that tells you exactly which bits of (the very concise) book to read if you are too tired to focus on the page – I was very impressed with this feature at the time! The motivation for me was the different person I became with my children when I was sleep deprived, and the almost instant change once I started getting some uninterrupted sleep. Good luck.
these pictures are great and gave me a good chuckle! I hope the wee one gets on a schedule soon! I wish I could dispense some advice but I can’t remember much. Nursing from momma’s milk seemed to have some great hormone in it that worked wonders.