Little Collections

I'm always finding little "collections" of things throughout the house. Legos. Rocks (they go back outside). And, Jackson's all-time favorite: "The world's smallest pencils." These are pencils that Jack has sharpened and whittled until there's barely anything left. Sometimes removing the erasers, so he can make them smaller.

He's the artist in the family, so I'd like to think that he keeps them in his pocket for impromptu sketches. That would explain why most of these have gone through the washing machine. And for some, the dryer, too.

What do your children collect? (Or what do you collect?)

I should to a whole series on "You know you're getting old when ..." This happened to me again this morning. This time I was lowering the deck of the treadmill and sniffled simultaneously. I guess my body can't multi-task anymore. I could only run two miles today. The movement of my arms and the jarring of my neck hurt too bad to continue.

Comments

Karyn said…
Hmm..the only thing I can think of that I could say I collect would be crafty junk!

Oh, Joe would say I collect cameras. I have many. I want more. Don't ask.

And stop hurting yourself!
ha ha ha... I have a mug that sits on my dryer. Guess what's in it?.. coins and little, tiny pencils that the boys stash in their pockets!!
So it's not just your kids!
Unknown said…
I remember keeping tiny pencils in elementary school! I don't think my kids collect anything yet...but I'm sure my oldest will start soon :)
Jessica said…
HAHA!! I love those pencils. Go Jackson! My kids bring all kinds of rocks in the house. Most of them end up in the wash machine and then when I try to throw them outside Ben tells me "That's the prettiest rock ever Mommy and I brought it in just for you." How can you argue with that???

Go ice & heat your neck (not at the same time, of course) and QUIT SNIFFLING!!! :-) Hope you feel better soon!
Emily said…
Oh my goodness! My boys have a similar collection of tiny pencils - many of which have also gone through the wash. I wonder what it is about boys and little pencils?

My 9 year old also has a little "secret" box hidden in his room full of twistie ties. He picks up a few every time we make a trip to the grocery as well as taking them off the bread in the pantry, etc. He only likes the the little paper covered wire ones and I'm not really sure what he is planning to do with them but I'm sure he's got big plans! :-)
Anonymous said…
The word collection makes my eye twitch. No collecting of anything! :)
Amanda Jean said…
i think jackson and zach are long lost brothers!!!

zach has a collection. it's stored in a tackle box and we add to it occasionally....little odd pieces of metal, rocks, paper clips, tiny pencils, you name it. it's, ahem, interesting. (he took it for show and tell in kindergarten. it was sooo cute.) one of his favorite things to do is play collection. i swear that kid is going to be an inventor some day.
Anonymous said…
Dust. I collect dust.
nikko said…
Once my Mason collected string cheese wrappers. Ew. I stumbled upon the pile one day and promptly threw them out. He said he wanted to save the jokes. LOL.
Jane said…
One year I had a whole class **obsessed** with the "shorty pencil." It was next to impossible to stop because it was the whole class. I must have confiscated 100 tiny snippets of pencil. At the time I thought I would loose my pencil pick'n up'n mind! But, I saved that bag o' loot and it makes me laugh.
Kat said…
Nick loves anything blue and he really does have an eye for antiques. He also loves keeping stickers in an old wooden box he found.
Diane said…
My collection: postcards, from any and all family and friend's vacations. My daughter loves these three little black rocks in the neighbor's yard. Once she brings them home, I have to run and put them back so she can "discover" them all over again tomorrow.

The sniffle/muscle pull makes me laugh - but I know my turn is coming!
Anonymous said…
i am the mom of 7. my artist did the same with pencils - he would make them so small you couldn't hold them. and the point was always so sharp. i saved many ina jar that i love to look at now. he is old now - not so much of an artist...i miss teh fun days of those pencils and mini sketch pads.
Lynn said…
My son always had stashes of "stuff". But mostly rocks and sticks. We had a lot of trees and always had sticks on the lawn - but if we were at the park and he saw a "good" stick he would have to bring it home. When we moved to our new home, and were in the process of cleaning out rooms we found rocks everywhere in his room - big ones mostly. It's a wonder his floor held up with all those rocks hidden under his bed!
stitchin' girl said…
My 10yo daughter collects "little" pencils also!!! She does not sketch, but writes poems and stories - she always has many of those pencils in a case and a lined notebook with her everywhere she goes :o)
utmommy said…
My oldest collects odd little things too, including small pencils. Too funny.
Angela said…
My daughter will cut up tiny pieces of construction paper and color them. She calls them tickets or game pieces or whatever, but I find thim stashed inside things all over the house and she freaks out if I try to throw them away!

Neck pains are a pain in the neck. Don't let it become chronic! Oh, well...I guess oldness is a chronic condition, isn't it. (not really)
Michelle said…
I love it! I find these type pencils at school sometimes and wonder how the kids even use them! Love it!
Jill said…
One of my sons is a big collector. Marbles. Business cards. Wrappers from milk jugs at school. Honey packets.

Once I picked up his very heavy backpack and said, "what do you have in here, rocks?"

"Yes!" he giggled and sure enough, he had about six medium sized rocks in there, culled from the playground.
nikko said…
6 days with no new posts from Lera? Is everything okay?
Bonus Mom said…
I was wondering the same thing. Lera I hope everything is okay. Maybe you are just super busy ;) Look forward to hearing what you've been up to.

Popular posts from this blog

Reusable Swiffer WetJet Cloths

Thrifted Chair