Recently, I read an article about brave and huge-hearted, Katie Davis, a 22 year-old fron Tennessee, raising 13 girls on her own in Uganda. My heart was touched as I read a little about their daily life and how they became a family. Even though she hasn't been able to legally adopt the girls, Katie wonders what it would be like to bring them to the US: I can't imagine that I would ever be able to afford to raise this many children in America, she said.
I've contemplated what it is about living in the US and many other parts of the world that can make raising children seem so expensive. There are so many expenses, and yet, I've found our summer to be relatively expensive. Mostly because we've tried to do all we can at home and nearby.
Here are a few of the artful trash items we've collected that have made art/creative activities free in our home:
- apple containers - once our favorite local guy is out, we will happily buy apples in boxes, but until then, we found that these plastic containers cut in half make 2 excellent paint palates.
- cardboard canvases - tearing apart boxes that have made it into the house make different size and shaped canvases for the kiddos to embellish. After their painting session, they used them for the backgrounds and walls of their puppet show theater.
- rock art - we have an abundance of rocks in our neighborhood. When walking, the kiddos collect their treasures, bring them home and make all sorts of things: dams when it is raining, borders around trees and they love to paint or draw with chalk on the rocks.
I hope you have as much fun collecting and creating as we have.
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Katrina Berg