I haven’t posted to Illustration Friday for a while, but since this week’s topic is “pattern” I couldn’t resist. I love making repeat patterns and they are quite addictive. If you don’t know how, Tara Reed has a great e-book for it and you’ll be making patterns in no time!

I signed up to organize a Miss Spider tea party for the Woog’s class Friday. We’ll have Miss Spider there to read her book, plus games & yummy tea party/spider themed food. I’ve hit about every store I know to find spider things in the Halloween sections and it’s been a challenge to find things with “just” spiders

If you’re not familiar with the Miss Spider character, she is from The Miss Spider/Sunny Patch books by author/illustrator David Kirk. His work is fantastic and he also has some cute outdoor things at target during the summer and then cute cups and plates.

Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find much of a portfolio online for him but did find this site. He works in oils and I love his color palette. And a cute tidbit, to go along with his nature themed work, all 3 of his daughter’s are named after flowers.

His books have also been turned into a TV series which is very popular at our house. You can see it on Noggin:

I am determined to have an art filled weekend! I have a promo to do for the Illustration For Kids mailer, greeting card ideas to finalize, some product ideas to compile and send to a manufacturer, plus start junkin’ my pumpkin for my annual contest & exhibit (you can follow Pumpkin Junkin’ on twitter or facebook for updates)!

Bear with me, but this is worth a read. My mom emailed this to me today and I kind of got all choked up!

The Price of Children:

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn’t even touch college tuition.

But $160,140.00 isn’t so bad if you break it down. It translates into:
- $8,896.66 a year
- $741.38 a month
- $171.08 a week
- A mere $24.24 a day!
- Just over a dollar an hour.

What do you get for your $160,140.00?
- Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
- Glimpses of God every day.
- Giggles under the covers every night.
- More love than your heart can hold.
- Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
- Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
- A hand to hold usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
- A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
- Someone to laugh yourself silly with

You get to:
- finger-paint
- carve pumpkins,
- play hide-and-see
- catch lightning bugs
- never stop believing in Santa Claus.

Have an excuse to:
- keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
- watch Saturday morning cartoons,
- go to Disney movies
- wish on stars.

You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother’s Day, and cards with backward letters for Father’s Day.

For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:
- retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof
- taking the training wheels off a bike
- removing a splinter
- filling a wading pool
- coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and
- coaching a baseball team that never wins, but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat in history to witness the:
- First step
- First word
- First bra,
- First date
- First time behind the wheel

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you’re lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match. In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren & great-grandchildren… It’s the best investment you’ll ever make!