Art Therapy

Josie's discovered a whole new method of communication. And I've discovered a whole new way to gain a glimpse into that wonderfully imaginative and frighteningly observant mind of hers.

Josie doesn't sit long for much. Not for circle time at school. Not for meals. Not for bowls of candy. She absorbs and eats all she needs in the few minutes her attention will hold.

But for some reason, she will sit for almost an hour and draw, paint, color or cut to her heart's content. She goes through drawing books faster than I can buy them at target. She dries out markers, and not just because she keeps leaving the tops off.

She started drawing crazy blobs of color all over the page. Then she figured out how to draw triangles, then squares and something that sort of resembles a heart. She was thrilled when she figured out how to draw a "J". But since the other letters didn't come, she focused back on drawing objects. And her new obsession is drawing pictures of her family.

I wish I had a scanner to upload the one she drew this morning. They keep getting better and better. Norm is the biggest. Then me. Then her. And Owen is off by himself all in the corner and compared to the rest of us looks like a premature baby. "Owen's really small," she explained.

"I can see that," I said. "What's on mommy and daddy's head?"

"Crowns," she said, thrilled that I had thought to ask.

"That's so special," I said, thrilled that she thought that Norm and I were crown-worthy.

I've decided to keep the drawings to track the evolution of our family in her eyes. In her big, blue, wonderfully imaginative and frighteningly observant eyes.