My kids are growing up with a pyschologist for a Daddy, and he doesn’t bring home his work, nor are his freebies necessarily useful for kids. However, their momma has a car and there is an Office Depot in town, so we’re good to go.

When you are 5, 7 and 11 there are only a few tools to your trade…

I believe it is more than a little bit important to keep mine stocked. I imagine the CEO of Crayola himself will greet me one day and thank me personally for providing the income for 1.2 families.

IN OTHER WORDS, I BUY A LOT OF CRAYOLA PRODUCTS.

And not just for me and mine either. I give them as gifts. How much more perfect a gift can a child (or parent, for that matter) receive than a bin full of art and craft supplies?

Talk about FREEDOM. Imaginations loosed.

Transformers? Meh. I’ll show YOU more than meets the eye!

Star Wars? Nah. Darth Vader ain’t your father.

I want my kids to unpack their minds all on their own. Googly eyes, glue, markers and scissors can become anything - anything at all.

More than once we’ve used art supplies to work through issues with our kiddos. We ask them to draw how they feel…Draw me what scares you. Draw me what excites you.

As they get older the illustrations are punctuated with words, and then, a bit older, the illustrations are a sidebar to the dialogue. Map pencils replace markers and journals replace manilla paper.

And though I miss the squiggly one-eyed humans with their over-sized heads and uneven stick legs, a new dimension emerges and I’m so very grateful to watch the little person grow.

It all starts with the first pack of crayons - the first sheet of paper - the initial freedom to color, draw, write and make believe.

Positioned at Emelie’s desk, Kenny colors while Em talks with a friend that came home with us from school.

“What are you drawing right now Kenny?”

“Love”

“Love?”

“Yes. Mommy, this one is for you, because I love you.”

My heart implodes from the sweet pressure of his love picture.

I think I’ll probably remember drawings like this when I see his signature one day as a man - on a Mother’s Day card or maybe a birthday or other holiday.

And I’ll promptly go out and buy a few more packs of supplies for my grandkids.

I love handmade crafty things. I love shopping for gifts. I love sticking it to The Man. (Come on. I don’t spend a lot of time sticking it to The Man. However, for the sake of this entry, let’s say that I do.)

Because of my love for crafty things, shopping for gifts, and Man sticking, I’ve been spending a fair amount of time browsing Etsy shops.

May I share some of my recent favorites with you?

Erin sews zombies. I own one (his name is Dummkopf), so I can attest to the zombie sexiness. I’m thinking about sticking Dummkopf on the top of my Christmas tree this year. Not as a snub to angels or stars, but because it will really kick ass to have a freshly fed zombie perched on top of a tree in my house.

Choppa bakes charms. And let me say this: She just made a severed thumb charm for me, and because I’m married to an amputee, I’ll be wearing the thumb charm against my chest until the day I die.

Secret Agent Josephine creates prints and stuffed cat heads. I can’t even look at Pockets the Lumpy Cat without getting a big goofy grin on my face. (Buy it for me. Really. Right now.)

Schmutzie takes photographs. No. Wait. Schmutzie takes Amazing Photographs. Her Etsy store just opened, and I can’t stop visiting.

Squaresville sews smile-stirring pot holders and oven mitts. I have the A pot holder, and I get compliments on it every time someone comes over to watch me put together one of my fabulously inventive pies. (I’m lying. That never happens. BUT, three people have seen the pot holder in my purse, and they all oohed and aahed over it!)

Kishcraft does the most amazing stitch markers I’ve seen. The doughnut stitch markers? Let’s just say that the doughnut stitch markers make me want to be a better knitter. And a better mother. And a better wife, friend, sister, daughter, and aunt. Kishcraft’s doughnut stitch markers will teach the world to sing in perfect harmony.

Don’t you think buying a mass produced Hello, Kitty doll seems so silly when there are zombies and lumpy cats who need good homes? (That was my official Stick it to The Man question. Take THAT!)

Do you have an Etsy store? Do you sell your handmade stuff elsewhere? Where do you buy your handmade gifts? Don’t you love the idea of hosting a Christmas party where everyone brings a handmade gift? (If you host one, please invite me.)

(If you DO sell your wares, by all means: Pimp yourself in the comments!)

((Oh. Please know that if you DO invite me to your Christmas party, I will never say something like “Pimp yourself.” You know I don’t talk like that.))

(((No offense, pimps.)))