Well I did it ...

I prattled on Friday and Saturday about all the wonderful things I learned this weekend, all the great ideas that I recieved, how I was so motivated and energized again. And so today, I began to pursue one of the great ideas I was given this weekend.
The thought stems from the fact that I am a homeschooling parent, I have to realize that I can't provide everything my kids may need. Afterall, I am only a mere mortal! LOL
My 5 year old has expressed an interest in art. She wants to be an artist, were she to pick a career path today. I can make stick figures. I can create a pretty decent crayon rainbow, I can even draw some decent clouds. But that is where my artistic ability ends. Dh has a smiley face mastered. And well, that's about all he can draw. Not that we aren't artistic ... just not in a Picasso or Money or Cassett sort of way! So, what am I supposed to do when my 5 year old tells me she wants to be an artist when she grows up? Sure, I could buy some watercolor paints, in their set of 6 with the clear lid that flips up to reveal the 6 perfect ovals of color. We could even go to teh library and get some books. I'm sure somewhere there is a book So You Want to Be An Artist When You Grow Up? But would it mean much to her? Would a paragraph accompanied by a picture or two really get her to grasp the idea of what an artist is? Probably not.
So, we are searching for an artist. Preferable a nice artist. An artist that wouldn't mind hanging out with a 5 year old for 30 minutes once a week for a few months. I have called several places, sent out a mass e-mail to about 30 mothers in the area, and asked several people for ideas. My 5 is absolutely thrilled that we are trying to find an artist to work with her, to teach her what being an artist is all about. She even knows that she will have to do something for the artist since the person will be taking time to help her.
I'm very excited for this. I really hope we are able to find her an artist, a mentor so to speak. What an amazing experience for her to have. And who knows, maybe this is something she will latch onto and become passionate about. And maybe, she'll get a few months into it and decide it's not really the thing for her. Either way, what an incredible thing for her to be doing.

Of course, I can't take full credit for this. My favorite speaker at the conference this weekend said "Find them mentors! You can't do it all!" And he's right. I can't do it all. It would be foolish of me to think that I could! So here I am, on a quest to find a mentor for my 5 year old! And I couldn't be happier doing it! =)