The Full School Folder

When Flip started his little Mother's Morning Out program he would do some cute little crafts and coloring pages.  I would see his art skills on display in the school hallway or once a month when it was sent home to me.  This was a good arrangement for me. 

Then his second year he had different teachers who thought I would be delighted to have more partially colored paper lying around my house (if you are one of those people that every time you visit home you pull out your artwork folder that your mom kept for you and weep over your talent then stop reading because I am going to share some horrible truths).  I mean, seriously, do the teachers really think that I will do anything but toss the legal size construction paper with the cotton balls glued on it?  School hallways are notoriously dull, that artwork should stay there!

Of course when Flip explains to me that this scribble in red is a fire truck and this one is a shark I pay close attention and tell him how proud I am of him.  But when he is off in his room or glued to the TV I toss it in the trash (or I will mail it to one of my sisters because I feel guilty about throwing it all away).  It works out most of the time - except when he sees it crumpled in the trash and is reduced to tears.  I will then immediately blame it on Dexter.

This year is the start of Preschool for him.  And to my utter delight (HA) I get a folder filled with paper and practice work EVERY SINGLE DAY!  So this first month of school he brought home 21 papers with letter tracing...sure I get to see his progress, but that doesn't mean I will keep it.  I am much better about how I discard it now though. 

I do keep some things (but never any kit from Oriental Trading).  So far I have one picture that I intend to get framed.  It is truly a work of art.  It was Flip's first stick figure drawing.  The picture is titled "My Baby Sister." Is that not the sweetest, cutest, most adorable thing you have ever seen!?!?!?  This is not going in a folder of things I will save for my kids to look back on, this is going on the wall!