Art Class

Today was Maggie's first ever art class. I've wanted to enroll her in art since she was 3, but there was always some reason not to. I had her in a small art class this summer and she loved it, so finally, I found something that fit our schedule.

When I first told Maggie about the art class, she was totally excited. When we went to sign up for the class and the teacher told her how glad she was to finally have a girl in the class, Maggie's face fell. She's in a class with all boys.

Maggie has never been a fan of the opposite gender. Oh, she loves her dad and her grandpas, but after that, she gets iffy. And boys in her class? There is no lower form of life. It isn't like she hates boy, that would require emotion. She completely dismisses them. She doesn't learn their names, she doesn't play with them, she doesn't speak to them unless she absolutely has to. She always questions whether or not boys need to be included. Do they really have to go on field trips? Why must they eat lunch with her? And recess, really, can't they have their own? She'd be the perfect candidate for an all girls school if they had one.

So, off we went to art this afternoon. All Maggie can talk about is the fact, she's the only girl. She was so bitter I thought I wouldn't get her in the studio. Finally, she walked in, put on her apron and sat down at an easel. As the boys filtered in, her lips pursed as if she'd eaten a lemon. Until the teacher broke out the paints, then it was nothing but smiles.

I'll post her first piece of work when it's done. It wasn't dry at the end of class and when I picked up Maggie, she and her teacher were staring at the work. The teacher was asking Maggie if it needed more depth and Maggie's head was bobbing along. In the end, she asked if she could go back everyday. When I asked about the boys, she gave me a blank look, "Mom, I don't have to talk to them." Do you think I can quote her on all of this when she's 15? I hope so.