Project

A couple of weeks ago, Levynn's teacher sent home with her a plain posterboard paper doll and a note that said, "Please work with your child at home to make this doll look like her. You may use whatever you like. Most of all have fun with it! Please complete your doll and return it by Sept. 28."

So, much unlike Mom's usual procrastination, she and Lev got started on the project today. During quiet time, Mom made some cutouts of shirts, pants and dresses, cut out shoes from magazines and gathered all the crafting supplies in the house at the kitchen table.

Levynn was very curious to see what Mom was up to.

We talked about how the blank paper doll looked like her because she had arms and legs but how she didn't look like Lev because she had no face or shoes. So we decided the doll should have blue eyes, a red mouth, green ears and an orange nose; those were created with watercolor paints by Lev. She needed some hair, and Lev cut with her little scissors lengths of narrow red grosgrain ribbon. Lev glued those to the head. and then she tried all the different shirts and clothes on the girl to see what she liked best and what would fit her. We trimmed a dress to a shirt and got it all glued on.

She needed shoes and then Lev decided she needed hands, "just like mine." Hmm, Mom hadn't thought of hands. Lev said they should be pink and Mom was considering what to do when Levynn reminded how she likes to have her hand traced on paper. So life-sized hands it was. And in her hands Levynn said she should be holding a book, so we made a miniature replica of a book they'd made in class this week.

The paper doll turned out lovely, just like our girl.

Mom tried very hard not to get all Martha Stewart about it, and to really let Lev lead the way. We seemed to have accomplished the goal of having fun with it, because Levynn asked to do another one tomorrow. Of Mom and Dad and Lincoln.