Showers to Flowers (part 1)
“Be like a flower and turn your face to the sun.”
– Kahlil Gibran
T in April of 2008
T in May of 2008
April showers brought May flowers, and summer is just around the corner, but to me it still feels like spring has only just arrived. . .
T’s been learning quite a bit about flowers this season. From the parts of a flower (petals, seeds, leaves, stem, stamen, roots, pollen) and what they need to grow (sunlight and water), to recognizing quite a few of the varieties that we see blooming all around us. T’s getting pretty good at correctly identifying many of the trees, bushes, common springtime flowers, and weeds that live in our neighborhood. Dogwood, cherry blossoms, daffodils, marigolds, roses, tulips, honeysuckle, forsythia, clovers, dandelions, clematis, buttercups, . . . her list goes on and on and grows by the day!
But with a brand new baby due in April, I decided not to even bother with an actual garden this year (even though I knew T would be all over a project like that – next year, I promise). Zia C taught us how to force tulip bulbs to bloom indoors by planting them in pebbles. So we tried it! Teaball had a blast with her project, and kept a close eye on those bulbs for a week or two. . .
They sprouted, but unfortunately never got much beyond that. I guess all the markers and paint in the world can’t make a real green thumb! I thought T would be sad about it, and she was – but not very. . . because by the time we had given up on those bulbs, our yard was showing signs of life;
The previous owners of our home must have had the greenest thumbs on the block, because we’ve lived here for 3 years now, and aside from the hosta and the clematis, we had nothing to do with any of the above pretties (except for maybe the weed)
One day while she was painting, T decided to create some blossoms of her own. She put those poster paints to work while I was in the other room, and called me in to have a look at the pretty flowers she had painted for me. Here are a couple of the pictures that she painted that afternoon;
I really like them! I love the abstractness that is the honest trademark of a 2-year old’s “all by myself” style – but I’m impressed with how flower-like they are. She did a great job – I totally see flowers. . . of course, I’m also her mom. 
Teagle didn’t stop there, either! Next time we crafted, she wanted to play with her pom-poms. . .guess what she made?
You got it! More flowers. . . and then she made a cute couple of pom-pom caterpillars.
But they needed somewhere to live, so we turned the green construction paper they were glued to into leaves. When she woke up the next morning, she told me that she wanted to make a GIANT flower for said leaves to belong to. So, using some Styrofoam plates that we found in the eaves of our attic (prolly from 1974 – again, three cheers for the previous occupants of our home), she did!
The end product was bigger than tiny T, and I should have taken a pic of the two side-by-side, but didn’t. . . A pony bead mouth and a tissue paper stem completed T’s project, and gave her little caterpillars a new home on her wall of creation!
Huginn, Muninn, and me 
wecki77 said,
June 15, 2010 at 7:49 am
Her paintings still amaze me (I did get to see them in person the last time we were up there). It really is rather cool what she can do.
I love the pictures of the flowers. Maybe we can help with the garden next year. I have a bit of a green thumb. I do wish I could get rid of some of the plants in our garden (there’s a morning glory that drives me nuts! asked the nursery how to get rid of it…response was, “You know we sell that plant?”…yes but it is growing over all my other plants).
Anyway, one day we’ll catch up on the sleep, right?
deb said,
June 15, 2010 at 10:10 am
Of course I am totally smitten with your garden photos.
And the bulb idea ~ you are such a good mother, nurturing and supporting and finding all these teachable moments.
I am no expert, but spent a lot of time crafting with the kids (mine and others), not to the amazing degree that you do, but still. I think it was hugely important.
Artistic or not, creation is imagination and expression of wonder and awe . This should always be encouraged.
You might need some serious storage solutions in a few years when the new baby sister joins in the fun 🙂
good luck as always on the sleep thing.
have a great week
maygan said,
June 15, 2010 at 10:23 am
Wow- I LOVE her flower art. I know you’ve probably got more hanging around then you know what to do with, but the first flower painting is one that should be framed!
Kelli said,
June 16, 2010 at 9:25 am
Gardening is such a joy…I’m not very good at it, but that doesn’t keep from loving it! Tell T I love her flower and that we are going to make one at our house!! Hope you get a lot of sleep tonight!!
Bryna said,
June 16, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Being an artist myself, I’m a bit upset that my daughter has no artistic bone in her body. But I guess she will excel at something else. She seems to have a knack for soccer…
T is SO talented! That first painting is def. museum worthy. 😉
Amber said,
June 16, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Beautiful art.
She does better than I do!
Jenn said,
June 17, 2010 at 10:48 pm
beautiful art, beautiful flowers, and a super beautiful girl!
and I totally understand about the sleep issue! good luck! 😉
Kendall said,
June 21, 2010 at 9:07 am
Gorgeous!! I love her paintings, especially the first one. 🙂 The pom pom and paperplate flowers are great too. 🙂 I’m sorry your tulip bulbs didn’t do anything. Try planting them anyway and see if something happens later(like next year). You never know. Good luck and I bet you two had EVERYTHING to do with that weed. And such a gorgeous weed it is.
FooFoo said,
June 21, 2010 at 5:46 pm
I love those paintings T did! They’re gorgeous. The second one reminds me of fox glove. I always imagine a little fox sticking its tiny paws into the blossoms. Cute green polka dot tank top, that looks cute on T.