That New Crayon Smell

I love back-to-school time, especially now that I don't have to go back to school. But there's a feeling of change in the air, of old friends and new beginnings. As a teacher, Troy doesn't exactly share my sentiments at this time of year. He spent most of last night curled up in a fetal position. 

Even though Kyle is not in school yet, I try to take advantage of all the sales by stocking up on arts and crafts supplies for Kyle. Last week I bought him some new crayons. I only got the 24-count size because that was what was on sale. And Kyle doesn't really give a darn about coloring. This makes me so sad. I try to get him interested, but he doesn't like to do it.

I think part of the problem is that he has inherited the ice cream bucket full of old crayons left over from Troy's childhood. "They were good enough for me!" Troy insists. But I don't think Troy realizes that crayons age. And they just don't color very well anymore. Kyle doesn't have the patience or the dexterity to use them. He can't push hard enough to make a mark.

I am anxiously awaiting the day when I can buy Kyle the giant 64-count box. Again, Troy thinks this is excessive. He made it through school with the small box, and so can Kyle. And yeah, look at how much joy Troy gets from art now. None. I hope Kyle can grow up with a better feeling about art. And that starts with the 64-count crayons. 

Or those 150-count towers. Now, those really rock. 

I found a quiz at the Crayola site where you can test your knowledge of all 64 colors. Try it out for yourself here. I got 12 wrong, but it's not my fault. I don't think the color is calibrated correctly on my monitor. Plus, a bunch of the colors are new since I last got a fresh box of crayons. 

Let me know your score, and have fun coloring!