Smell the magic.

Sam's new favorite thing is drawing with chalk in the backyard. Unfortunately, the majority of our backyard is grass, so he crouches on the 6 feet of walkway between the deck and the gate and scribbles up a storm. That's his favorite little area. It's where trucks roll, puddles form, and also where the big stinky garbage can lives.



I don't understand why, but he loves to go behind it and pick up sticks and rocks, and generally, just hang out. There are sticks and rocks elsewhere in the yard, but apparently, these are better. I've thought about relocating the garbage and declaring this corner Sam's space (at least for the summer, in the winter? Can. Lives. Here.), but somehow I think the area would lose it's appeal once Mama didn't wince or gag everytime he disappears behind a huge digusting stink bucket.

But in this less than ideal environment, the creativity flows. Behold. Sam's first drawing of something.



Or at least, one that looks like something. Rather, one that looks like the something it is intended to look like. He's drawn "spots!" before, which is just pounding the chalk repeatedly into the ground. And yes, that does make spots. And there has been lots of random blobby things declared to be submarines or cows or something. But when I asked him what he had drawn, he looked up at me and said "spider!" And gosh darnit if didn't look like a spider.

Yes, my child is an artistic genius.

Ok, so a spider is pretty much a blob with lines sticking out of it. But hey, before it was just blobs. And since, there has been many spiders. I can only imagine this is due to my astonished and gushing reaction.

So spiders it is. Lots. Next to the gross garbage can. Oh, and did I mention, that is also where the dog likes to pee? Yep, the grass is all yucky and burned. Which appears to be the best terrain on which to ride a plastic John Deere tractor. On humid days, or if it rains just a little, the garbage and ground mix to smell like a barnyard...on top of a landfill.

And this is Sam's studio.



It is said that "true art is born from suffering..." I don't mess with the man's process.