You are so right. The possibilities. HMMMM. So they say "out of the mouths of babes"?? "Out of the hands of babes" maybe a new discovery.

Bless you again. Hey, why couldn't you do a leaf casting w/thinset (think I remember you have some) for permanence. A collage sounds wonderful! You are certainly on the right track - get those kids away from the computer, and onto art. You'll be amazed at what they'll come up with. You may be "creating" artists for life. I so admire you for what you've doing w/those children.

it's been as much inspiration for me, to see the kids doing these things..
the 14 year old, Zach, has been according to his mom, unusually calm this past week.
his normal environment is so full of drama and trauma, he pings off the walls.
yesterday, when I said I understood if he wanted to hurry and get going to other places, cuz I live basically a boring life,(at least I think it's boring) he turned around and told me that he loves being here..

he's been removed from his 'normal' life, by authorities, going through the system, dealing with his mom going to court, to try and get permanent custody... and wondering where he's going to be living for real, as soon as next week, probably longer... all during the holiday season..

she's been awarded temporary custody.
there's nothing bad in her past..she gave him custody when hw was 7, when she took a civilian job for a company contract and was in Kuwait for quite a while.
for a long time, it's been adequate, not to upset the apple cart, till things got out of hand, recently.

my grandsons jumped at the chance to come over here, when they knew Zach would be home for the day..lol
they only just met him, the day after Thanksgiving...lol

that's how I happened to have the 3 boys here. the "grands" live about a mile away..
the 14 year old is the one draped on the two chairs, in the one picture, while the little boys are busy at the table..lol

this week, I will pull out the new 25 pound bag of clay...
for various projects...
for Christmas decorations, for the little boys to make something for their mom (my daughter)...also for Zach to make something for his mother and for me to incorporate some into a jar, for the genie bottle project.

I totally missed a chance to get en mass of clay, this last week, when a store that's going out of business sold the last of it to someone, who bought a couple hundred pounds at one time.
instead of their regular price of $9, the blocks went for $7..I went to get maybe 50 pounds, in two blocks and it was all gone...poof!..
that was a huge disappointment, to be sure.

and "slow"..that's a great idea, to use the thinset for the leaves...and actually, for the whole background of things that won't otherwise hold their body...
man, I think I'm going to have to invest in paper plates and cups and plastic silverware...
there are entirely too many things to do, to be wasting time on dishes or house cleaning....
how do the rest of you keep up with such things???

also gotta mention that the 7 year old, Kalani, got the idea on his own, to start 'layering' the little 'tess' on one of the rocks he made..
I had nothing to do with that...

I'm not sure and I didn't ask him but I think the leaf one is of a face...lol
I asked the boys if they wanted to take their rocks home and both of them wanted to leave them here, to 'decorate' the bottom of the Christmas tree...
so, they're going to be laying on some of the 'snow' fabric, with lights all around the base...

right now, it's not decorated or lit...

So wonderful seeing kids enjoying themselves doing something OTHER than watching the tv or paying games on the puter.

You should have a wonderful Holiday for all the joy you've given Zach and his Mom.