The kids, Braxton, left, Jack and Nevaeh, were thrilled to paint blocks, unlike me.
I SWEAR SHE would have locked me in the basement.
The sheetrock wall canvas.
Billie Jo, a former preschool teacher and the mother of two school-aged youngsters, insisted. “You need to paint a brick, Audrey.” She emphasized “Audrey.”
The paint comes from the county recycling center.
There was no wiggling my way out of her demand, even if my friend was preoccupied with opening paint cans, stirring paint, handing out brushes, washing kids’ hands and wiping paint spills from the concrete basement floor.
See, I really was busy taking photos, here of Hannah. She’s quite the artist who not only paints, but also sews. Plus, she writes poetry. Oh, and she made that pony tail holder in her hair.
Painting in bare feet.
Jack creating his masterpiece.
My excuse of “I’m busy taking pictures” wasn’t sliding by Billie Jo. Nope.
My, ahem, masterpiece.
So, eventually, I set down my camera and picked up paintbrushes to paint a clutch of lilac hued flowers, my name and the year onto an orange brick painted upon a sheetrock wall. I’ve never pretended to be an artist, except perhaps in photography.
Where the project started, on the cement walls.
Prior to the sheetrock dividing wall construction, visitors to Billie Jo and Neal’s south Faribault home created art (a record of their visits) on a cement block wall in a corner of the basement. That area is now covered by totes in a storage room stocked full of board games, art supplies and more.
“Garage sales are great,” Neal says.
Braxton, in near constant motion, took time to paint.
And so are he and Billie Jo and their kids, Nevaeh (heaven spelled backwards) and Braxton.
They are loving and kind and fabulous and generous and in the paperwork process of adopting, hopefully, two children from Colombia. These will be blessed children to join this fun-loving family. (International adoptions are costly, so if you wish to donate to the cause, email me personally or at audrey at mnprairieroots.com)
I love how they parent, reminding me of bygone times. They have no television, instead choosing board games and crafts and bike rides and storytime at the library and such to define their family togetherness.
My friends stretched a wood plank between their deck and an outdoor play cube for the kids to jump and run and do whatever kids’ imaginations tell them to do. The plank was added when Braxton was in his pirate phase.
Fun times for Hannah at Billie Jo and Neal’s mud party. The event included mixing of “potions” at the picnic table. Photo courtesy of Billie Jo.
Recently, they hosted a mud party, as in purchasing black dirt, shoveling it into a kids’ swimming pool, mixing in water and letting Nevaeh and Braxton and friends muck around.
Billie Jo tells me that clean-up lasted longer than the party. Here Braxton and Nevaeh pose. Photo courtesy of Billie Jo.
If I hadn’t been out of town, I would have been there photographing the event. But, if Billie Jo had insisted I join the fun…
© Copyright 2013 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Good on you Audrey for stepping up and showing your creative flair. I have no creative ability whatsoever and I would have broken out into a sweat! You did very well xx
Ah, but you are wrong, Charlie. Your creative ability lies in the kitchen.
What an awesome idea (all!)! Good for you!!!!Stre-e-e-etching those “boundaries” that we draw around ourselves. Sweating is a good thing…..cleans out our pores and serves to cool (with relief when said task is completed!!!! LOL!). “You don good” for sure! Hugs…….
Easy for you to say because you possess an incredible level of artistic talents. 🙂
Yes, it is a bit easier to say for me BUT there was a time (wa-a-a-a-ay back in the dark ages of my grade-school days) when activating imagination and connecting it to some type of tactile outcome was in the “learning” stages. The finish didn’t matter to this wonderfully intuitive nun. What was important was that we/I tried and worked at a concept (over and over). Because of these constant challenges presented (some daily), my creativity level began to grow. As with your writing, if such is not exercised, not only is growth stifled but “backsliding” most often occurs.
You are one wise woman, as was that nun.
Yes, she was (although, at the time I had some unspeakable thoughts!! No laughing matter!!!).
My husband attended Catholic school, too. He could relate, I’m sure.
;-\
Oh My Goodness – Between the Paint and the Mud – WATCH OUT!!! Great Captures – Happy Monday:)
Brave parents, I say.
Yes, BRAVE Parents!!! I am ALL for EXPRESSION and developing CHARACTER though:) I grew up on a farm and my mom was pretty amazed what we could get into at times (sometimes on purpose and other times not so much) – ha!
Growing up on a farm is the best. We kept ourselves entertained in the most creative ways. We always joke that Mom didn’t see us unless we came in the house to eat or sleep. That was pretty much true.
I know what you mean – I would stuff snacks in my pockets on the way out the door because I did not usually come back for lunch unless lunch was a big family get together kind of affair:)
My oldest brother can top your stuffing snacks in your pockets. He would sneak into the freezer and carry the can of Schwans vanilla ice cream outside to the top of the hay pile and indulge.
Yes, he has me beat – ha!
Maybe somewhere in my long ago childhood these activities would have been enticing, but I cannot remember it. Seems I have always been adverse to disorder, dirt, mud, and even getting my fingers soiled with paste.
Quite different from me then, Marilyn. I made many a mud pie during my childhood.