Pulling Earth #23

Turtle, owl, four, house

It is shortly after 9 p.m. I have climbed up into Violet’s loft bed with paper, pencils and a few large story books. We fold our paper into four sections and flatten them out on our books. Pencils in hand, we are ready to go. Violet shouts out the subject for our first square: "turtle." We each start to draw our version of a turtle in the first square. I am the slow one, so she adds in a few more turtles to gift me some time. Finally, we agree to move on. I call out "owl." She is quick to compliment my artwork, “That looks good, Daddy!” I share my enthusiasm for her vision and intricate detail, “I love the patterns of four in your four.” (#3 is "four." #4 is "house.") The words don't have to be fancy—it's what you do with them. 

It is now past her bedtime and despite our fun we need to turn off the light. We both want to keep putting final touches on our sketches . . . it's hard to stop. Finally, with the lights out Violet still can’t stop talking about her house—the weather vale, the vines with flowers, and how cosy the rooms are. She says she will add some more details in the morning. Perhaps, I should have added a few more houses to my drawing . . . to gift her a bit more time. She was dreaming of a neighbourhood...