While putting clean clothes away in the girls’ room, I found a pile of garbage shoved in the corner of the closet. I threw it away. A few days later, I found a pile of empty mac ‘n cheese boxes under Sarah’s desk. I piled them all on top of her bed, which is my code for “clean up this mess before you go to bed.” The next day, the mac ‘n cheese boxes were neatly stacked ON the desk and they had been joined by several cereal and pop-tart boxes, with pictures cut out from them. A quick search of the desk contents revealed that trash was being incorporated into Sarah’s art projects. I shrugged it off as a phase and decided to ignore the pile of food packaging.

Several weeks later, Sarah now has piles of trash in her closet, under her desk, on her desk and in her window sill. Large brown cardboard boxes have been broken down and stacked under her bed. Every few days, I remind Doug that Sarah needs an art area downstairs. Even better, he needs to build an old shed in the backyard for Sarah to use as an art studio. Anyplace that is not her bedroom. Sarah doesn’t understand why the piles of trash in her bedroom are a problem. “It’s just paper.” The problem, besides the fact that she digs in trash cans to collect this stuff, is that I think she’s trying to transform her bedroom into Mrs. Galetovich’s classroom. Tomorrow night, is Open House at the high school. I am going to try and snap a picture of the G’s classroom. The picture won’t do the room justice. It is a 365 degree, full sensory experience. Even with a small 2-D picture, I think you’ll understand why I have trouble imagining that room in my house.

I wonder how Sarah will describe her art supplies on her college roommate application.

As promised: