I will occasionally throw away her excess artwork.
First of all, we can't keep it all. We would need a spare room for every sheet with the slightest scribble. Then there are those pieces with crap glued on it..glitter, beads, popsicle sticks, etc. Recently, she made an ear of corn (I have no idea why) with real kernals glued on. The kernals started falling on the floor so that piece went immediately in the trash. And of course I stepped on one of those freakin' kernals the next morning at 5 am. I don't even want to think about the karma.
I have a system for throwing the art away as well. Over the week, I build two stacks of art--the keepers and the trash. I have to wait until the kitchen trash is mid-level. If I throw it away in a new (white) trash bag, Laurel will see it on the bottom when the full bag is pulled out of the can. If I wait until the last minute and throw it away last, she will see it there, probably crumpled, on the top. So I wait until the trash is mid-level and I push the pieces of art down in the can. I can't scrimp on this effort..I really have to go elbow deep.
It's crazy, I have less guilt throwing away multiple empty vodka bottles at one time..
Van Gogh's mother probably never threw away any of his stuff..but then again, he was crazy which probably meant she was too.
(As a post script to this thought, Laurel brought home her art for the day. It was a menorah fashioned out of kidney beans and ziti glued on blue construction paper...awesome.)
After being caught a few times ourselves we have also developed the art of throwing out "art". Luckily this gets easier as they get older. Now I just tell Tyler he it's a good thing he has many other talents because he is no artist. I guess that's why you and I were such great roommates...both snarky.
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