For the beauty of the earth

I love it when creativity starts sneaking out of my kids when I least expect it! That says to me maybe I've done a good job here and there encouraging them to find their creativity and letting it bloom. Or, maybe I have nothing to do with it, but whatever. :)

On the way back from taking Em to volleyball camp today, my 8-year-old was riding quietly in the backseat through an oh, so-not-lovely part of the area. There is lots of ugly construction going on, new neighborhoods that already look old and rundown, drainage ditches, and so on. I was wandering through some unfamiliar streets trying to avoid getting back on the not-quite-finished crazy road. It's all kind of in the country.

Kristen spoke up and said, "That's a pretty field."

I looked over, expecting to see maybe a field of wildflowers or something. We have lots of wild sunflowers that brighten up the otherwise dreary and dusty brown places. What I saw was a cornfield. I asked if that was what she was talking about.

She said, "Yes, I like the colors."

The corn is about half-grown, and the fields really are pretty...if you take the time to look. The stalks are about 2 1/2 feet tall, a vivid dark olivey green on the bottom, and the tassles on top are full and a reddish-brownish-yellowy color. And, of course, the perfectly even rows are amazing! Kristen's been really interested in art for the last few years, and especially lately, so I told her she should try to draw a cornfield when we got home. She's working on it! She was questioning me about the exact color of the tassles, and we decided that blending dark red, brown, and gold colored pencil strokes should work.

She's taking a break right now because she felt like cooking something, so she's making some chocolate chip mini muffins. Yummy.

What a smart girl.