The Arts Together mascot, Tomo, gets to go home with each student for one weekend during the school year. Hattie's weekend just happened to coincide with Clara's birthday weekend. Hattie had a blast bringing Tomo to all of the festivities, and she did not let Tomo out of her sight the entire weekend. It was definitely a weekend to remember, and Hattie's artwork documented the visit perfectly!
Hattie and Big Sister Clara proudly show their portraits of Tomo
Clara celebrated her 7th birthday on Saturday, February 27, 2016. And what a celebration it was! Nearly 20 girls attended the festivities, which included face painting, balloon making, arts and crafts, a pinata, and nail painting. What a wonderful way to celebrate our sweet Clara!
Hattie and Clara love making art. Clara has been learning about business and economics at school. For several days they have been planning how to turn this avocation into a money-making vocation.
Enter the sidewalk art sale.
The girls spent a few days putting together their portfolio, primarily a crayon on printer paper medium. Also some marker. Mostly featuring landscapes such as sun rises as seen from parent's window.
At lunch time on Saturday, we set up shop at a spot Clara picked on the corner of the cul de sac and a slightly more trafficked street. From previous attempts to sell lemonade at the top of our driveway (which is at the bottom of the cul de sac), we learned about find pass-through traffic.
We came out with a table and taped the "Art for Sale" sign to the front. We pulled up folding chairs and set up lots of jars to collect the money. We we even brought Uno so we could play cards if business was slow.
It was not.Within 5 minutes, we had our first customer. A familiar face from elementary school with her two daughters. They bought one picture from Clara and one from Hattie. $2 each, plus $1 for the tip jar. The girls felt the rush of early success!
Now, rather than sitting back in their chairs and waiting for business to come to them, they started smiling and waving at the cars driving by.
The result...a thriving drive-through business.
As they tore through their inventory (about 15 pieces altogether), Clara said very matter-of-factly: "Daddy, if you have a lot of customers then you're supposed to raise the price." And she did. The price had been a spot negotiation. When the customer asked, Clara sized them up and decided whether it was going to be one or two dollars. Now, based on her understanding of price elasticity, it was going to be $3.
There was never a chance to play Uno. There was hardly a chance to eat the lunch we brought up there. In about one hour, they worked through the full inventory. And the take? A whopping $42!
Clara and Hattie split the spoils down the middle and immediately started making pieces for the next art sale.
The following morning, after having a full night to consider the experience, Clara announced to her father that she would use art to become richer than her parents. She would be an artist who makes a million dollars!
Clara's interest in piano has resurged. Over the past few weeks she has become eager for her weekly lesson with Ms. Meredith. She is even running down stairs in the morning and practicing without any parental goading or threats. Sometimes, despite having other options to watch a video or play outside, she refuses the "fun" and chooses to sit down and work on a piece.
Piano has become fun!
But it has not always been so. Last Fall she fought practice, resisted going to lessons, and was visibly frustrated when she didn't get every note just right. The late-November recital did not go well. She dreaded it and couldn't muster the courage to play in front of the audience when her turn came along.
This December video gives a sense of her interest level.
We took a break from it for a few weeks over the holidays. No forced lessons. Hardly a mention of piano. Just a few informal sit-downs to play carols or fool around with the keys.
And then came January, lessons started again. Interest was tepid, but resistance wasn't so bad. But slowly she warmed to it. She got a new lesson book, she was feeling more comfortable with the new songs, she was having fun with Ms. Meredith again. It was like those first few weeks of practice all over again.
We're not exactly sure why the turnaround has happened. Was it the break? Was it Daddy's offer of a quarter each time she practiced without being asked? Was it Mama's frequent (gentle) encouragement? Maybe all of it, maybe none.
She did mention to Kate that she just feels less nervous now that she doesn't have to think about performing in a recital. No matter the reason, we're having fun watching Clara have fun again.
We're losing count of all the Krispy Kremes we've run now. Brent and Will came down for this one. Lots of fun, lots of puke. But the big news came from Clara and Hattie joining for the second half of the race.
Clara ran the full 2 1/2 miles. Hattie chose to stay in the stroller, save for (maybe) 100 yards or so.
Lunch at B Goods followed, as we all reveled in spending some fun time with cousins.
We're beginning to average about one sleep over a week now. Both of them love it, and it helps Hattie cope with not being old enough to do it at her friends' houses just yet.
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