Mabel asked, “Hey mom, you know that thing you did for drawing how clothes will look on you?”
“You mean my croquis?”
“Yeah. I want one of those.”
“They’re really easy to make–just have someone take a picture of you in your underwear or a swimsuit, then take it into Photoshop and get an outline of your body. You can use a filter to get the outline or just trace around it.”
“Yeah. Where’s your croquis?”
“I’m not sure. Somewhere in my sewing room.”
“I want to use it. Because you don’t want to help me make one right now.”
“You could get someone else to take a photo of you.”
“I just want to use your one. Where is it?”
“Probably in a folder on a bookshelf. I don’t want to come look for it for you. Actually, I don’t really want you to use it.”
“Why not?”
“Because . . . it’s my body. It’s private. And the last time, you drew those awful pictures.”
Mabel laughs. “No, I didn’t! You did. You’re the one who drew yourself in a tutu.” A few minutes later she finds the folder. She shows me some of my drawings of clothes I’d like to sew, and says, “See, you did these bad ones.”
“Oh, thanks.” Mabel flips through some more and finds the sheet of her drawings. I point to the one of me in a fuzzy bodysuit with pom-pom antennae. “See?”
Mabel laughs again. “But these are awesome.” A few minutes later she brings me drawings of me in a flapper outfit and a full-skirted princess dress. “Do you like these?”
“Well, the flapper one’s pretty cool.”
“See?!”
Later, I say, “I can’t believe I’m thinking of putting that drawing of the fuzzy bodysuit on my blog. I don’t want to put that drawing on my blog.”
“But you have to! It’s funny! People will laugh!”
“It’s embarrassing! Well . . . okay. Maybe.”
—
I think I just won enough good-sport points to last me a LONG time.
—
In a not-entirely-unrelated story, today some friends at church were telling us how, about a year ago, Rose (who’s now 7) had been sitting next to them in Sacrament meeting, and Rose kept drawing the husband, then she would point to his face and furiously cross it out.
I laughed. “That sounds like Rose, all right. But why did she do that? Was she mad at you?”
The husband admitted, “I might have made some faces at her.”
I love those! She definitely has some talent. I’m only laughing a little.
Go ahead and laugh a lot. It’s what makes the humiliation worth it.
As entertaining a conversation and supporting pictures–and then Rose anecdote–as one could wish for.
Glad you enjoyed. Can’t quite bring myself to link the post on facebook yet.
Maybe you need to draw the line somewhere.
I like you as the bank robber best. Lol!
These are awesome! Mabel has got some real talent.
They are horrible! But awesome, too, yes.
Sometime Dean and I worry that Mabel will be frustrated trying to choose between all the things she’s good at. But maybe she’ll just do it all . . .
OK I am really mad (BUT NOT AT YOU). First I quit getting the reply updates I “signed up” for, and now I’m not even getting notified of your new posts! Doggone it, I never saw this one till right now. I just went to your blog to see if your little birdies (that I love–but I was curious) were still on your header. Grrrr!!
Anyway, I adore all these drawings of course. The outfits are great, and the faces are especially fine.
Rose, oh Rose.
Drat. I’m very sorry for any malfunction keeping you from seeing my posts.
You adore ALL the drawings? Every SINGLE one? Hmph.
Yes. Hmph.
I love these. Especially the flapper and the bank robber.
That’s just awesome. I have to say, motherhood with an artist in the family around here has been very helpful in my development of humility. So, silver lining.
It was also silver lining-ish when the little girls declared the fat fish in the library koi pond “the Mama fish.” Soooo humility-inducing.