I thought I was prepared. I had read several articles in parenting magazines. I have heard my friends with older kids talk about it and their options for dealing with it all. I thought I was ready for the slew of paper and art projects that come in your child's backpack from kindergarten.
I had hung a very large cork board in the explore room (our play room) to hold some of it. I had a folder for each child to hold papers, thinking that ever so often I would go through them and do the ol' pitch and keep.
I thought I was prepared. I was wrong.
This is the pile of papers and artwork that have come home in the first month of my oldest two being in kindergarten. Just one month! And actually this photo was taken about a week ago, so believe me when I tell you there is more. I also do art projects here at home with them that pertain to a current interest or theme we might be exploring. And those projects need to be stored and displayed of course too.
The boys have started tacking their drawings on the wall above their bed, just high enough that they are out of little brother's reach. (And yes, thank you for noticing. It is a messy bed. But Ian says he likes it like that....ahem, sure you do Ian!)
I have framed some of my most favorite pieces - now that their drawings are actually starting to resemble what they were meant to resemble. Not that I don't love those two year old abstract works, but you catch my drift (wink).
And now we have a vintage drying rack (purchased from an Ebay seller) in the living room currently displaying a summer watercolor, a johnny Appleseed tree and a "letter T" kindy worksheet among other things. I really love this drying wrack idea because the "gallery" folds down or back against the wall if not in use. So handy!
We used to hang a clothes line in the boys room to hold artwork. And I am thinking of doing that again. I guess the boys got accustomed to that (see photo number three). I am thinking of using these type of clear containers to store papers under the bed. Here are a few more options that we might have to put into use.
I am sure I am not the only mama who wants to validate their child's creativity by hanging their artwork for all to see. Im sure I am not the only one who looks at each little signature and wants to save them all, but knows there is not a storage unit big enough to keep all of the papers and projects that will be coming home in the next 12 years.
So here is the question...How do you sort through the piles of papers and artwork? How do you store it all? How do you decide what goes and what stays? And how do you display those deemed most precious?
Let's share, shall we?
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Before I forget, a quick birthday shout out to one of our adopted Grammies. My friend Maggie's mom turns 60 today! But she is not a day over 30...she is still body surfing with the grommets. The boys and I made a little zippered linen bag, hand embroidered ocean pattern for her to keep her keys, sunglasses, etc. while she is catching some waves. Hope you enjoy your day Grammie!