I like to call this “Family, as seen by Kafka”
Published November 16th, 2007 in Mostly a picture, Re: the lil' monkey, Visual aids.(Or Giacometti? What is it with kids and Giacometti?)
The lil’ monkey was having her way with the white board the other morning.
She made what she called a picture of “the whole family.” Her little bro is the red one with the curly hair. Mama’s in the middle. Her head is nearly nonexistent, but oh, oh what a voluptuous body. Hmm, what’s that about? Head: irrelevant; body: fleshed out? Hmm. And Baba. Baba’s the thing that looks like a quizzical, blue, Praying Mantis. A blue Praying Mantis with movie producer Brian Grazer’s hair.
The artist at work. Here she’s putting the finishing touches on another version of Baba, after she re-did the picture to include herself (as green cyclops).
(Yawns.) “My work here is done, people.”
8 Responses to “I like to call this “Family, as seen by Kafka””
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Lesbian Dad is written by a parent who answers to the name "Baba" and works toward a world in which amor does indeed vincit omnia. 
That’s impressive. My daughter is still drawing people like jellyfish and only when I bribe her with cheddar bunnies.
Adorable! Absolutely adorable.
Haha. Looks like little bro is about to pick up where she left off.
And it’s pretty cool that the kids are almost as big as the adults. Everybody’s kind of an equal size. Doesn’t that denote high self-esteem in a kid? Yay for her!
You know, Vikki, I wouldn’t be so sure a jellyfish wouldn’t be a more accurate rendering, certainly of me these days.
Thanks, Liza. And yeah, Chris, that was exactly what he was up to. If he could figure out how to uncap the pens he would. Instead he contents himself with pulling them all off the shelf and then kind of wiggling in place. Elsewhere, he’s already hoisting himself up to her “art table” and rubbing crayons back and forth on the table. Whatever she does, he’s going to do it. Plus a few extra things she never considered doing, like clambering up the bookcase and whatnot. Okay he hasn’t done that yet, but we are bracing ourselves (and the bookcase!) against that eventuality.
And hey, Shereen! If it’s true that the relative sizes denote self-esteem, then I am THRILLED. (A) Because the kids are both really big, and (b) because Baba is looming, god-like, if also Praying Mantis-like, at the margin.
(this got a lot longer than I’d originally expected….!)
You know, the “House, Tree, Person” test totally backs up Shereen’s comment - height *does* denote self-esteem. It doesn’t matter WHO is drawn - even though she’s not pictured, it still speaks directly to her esteem. It’s interesting, I remember administering this test with youngins several years ago and I was always excited to see what sex the kids would draw first….and then looking for differences between GLBT and straight parents. (The majority of kids will draw a person of the same sex as them FIRST….if they’re not drawing not themselves. Some of my colleagues thought this would change in an environment where gender - not necessarily sex - was more fluid. Interestingly, it did not.)
Also, it looks like she took a good amount of time on it (at least enough to yawn afterwards!) That’s also an indication of good, positive energy towards the family. I’d look at it and say, “Wow, lots of love.” It’s a great drawing for such a wee one!
Okay - last thing….the fact that the ears look like they were an afterthought and added on later? TOTALLY a normal thing to leave them out. Then, to realize it and go back? I love it! What fun to see that they’re drawn in a different color!
Not a surprise, but from that, it looks like you have a really well-adjusted, proud, happy and loving li’l monkey!
Of course I am so glad your comment got longer than expected, Dr. Peas! (Can I call you Dr. Peas? Or I suppose I.M. Peas, kind of like I.M. Pei, only different.) Any cheery reports of the kidlings’ well-being couldn’t possibly be too lengthy or detailed, by my lights. Thank you thank you!
This came home with her from preschool yesterday:
So it looks like the afterthought ears are a kind of signature detail.
She later disputed whether it was a renditon of me, or of her mama. True, the hair is a kind of a mix between what she’s done for either of us before. Long for me, short for mama. Maybe it’s the 80s androgynous look coming back.
So it looks like the afterthought ears are a kind of signature detail.
Or? Yall have ears like Swatch Watches - you can change the color to match the outfit (though unfortunately it looks like you mayn’t be clothed often by the drawings.)
And the 80s andro-look MAY be coming back…or you all stand in the wind a lot!!