Resident Artists

Aidan is one of those kids who prefers "process" over "product," and I'm one of those moms who encourages it. As a result, many of his crafts and paintings and art projects look amazing as he's working on them, but when he's finished experimenting, the end result not exactly refrigerator-worthy. But occasionally, he creates something really awesome, and this is my most recent favorite. It's quite timely for the Chinese New Year, which happens to be the Year of the Dragon:


Leo is an expressive artist, capturing his emotions, thoughts, and feelings through his frequent drawings and paintings. He draws stick figures who are crying when he is upset or angry; colors huge hearts to give to whomever is feeling sad; illustrates cards of himself holding hands with friends from his class; carefully constructs family portraits, labeling each character (cats; snowpeople; monsters) with our names. Recently, he drew this snowman:

"You know who that is by the snowman's heart?" he asked. "Who is it, Leo?" I replied. "That's God. Because God is always in your heart."

Yes, Leo, God is always in our hearts.

But you - and all those whom I love - are in my heart.

By e.e. cummings:

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in

my heart) i am never without it (anywhere

i go you go, my dear and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear

no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want

no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows

higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)