Too much of a good thing?

With he cooler weather approaching we don't get outside as often as I would like. To make up for it I am trying to create some real quality activities for Wednesday. Easiest of course is arts and crafts. Today, I pulled out some paints. Twice. This morning Wednesday painted for about an hour. But she was tired from an early rising and we were cleaned up without any sort of protest. Here are some photos from the fun.





Apparently though, I have created a monster. After Wednesday went down for her nap I went out for some much needed shopping. I came home to her crying. Just beside herself. Apparently she woke up from her nap and was ready to get back to painting. She didn't want lunch she wanted to paint. It took everything we had to redirect her attentions whilst the pasta cooked. (Can elbow macaroni take any longer to cook?!) I managed to talk her down long enough to eat some lunch and we were back to painting.

As it happened, whilst I was doing some much needed thrifting I came across a basket of tempera paints for two bucks. Sold. I was excited to bring them home for Wednesday, I had no idea they would be the end of my entire afternoon. I undressed her, put her in her booster seat, covered the table, put paint(s) in the egg tray and let her go to town. After she used up all the allotted paint I had givene her and a lot of paper she of course wanted more. I felt bad but had it been up to her she would have painted herself out of the paints I had bought her. So I told her we had to clean up the paints so that we could play with sparkly stuff.

Oi vey. there went my evening. We played with the sparkly stuff. making butterflies, that we had painted that morning we added glue and rhinestones and marker etc. Whilst she cared little for the butterflies, she loved the glue and rhinestones (obviously) but when it came time to pack it up for a stroll outside things got a bit hairy (is that how you spell it in that instance?).

I completely understand it was more about bounderies than glitter. Daddy was home and he has a habit of giving in whereas I am the enforcer of rules (naptimes, sugar content etc.)But this time he had my back and I think that bothered her even more. she became grabby with things and cried when she couldn't have them. It happens I know. But, afetr we got home from our stroll to the store she was adamant about glue and sparkles. Right up until bedtime. Carzyness.

Here is my dilemma though; I love love love to encourage her creative side. Her fatehr is both an artist and a carpenter and I am a craftbot so it is truly wonderful for both of us. But. Between the paly dough, paints, markers, colouring books, crayons, pencil crayons, glitter, pipe cleaners and pom poms I am forever fetching and cleaning. For serious. Today we painted twice, pulled out the play dough once, played with glue and glitter and coloured with markers before bed.

Is this normal? How do I get anything done? How do you mamas get anything done? And another problem has creeped up. Now with the glitter and paint Wednesday is too good for her colouring books and crayons. She went from colouring on and off all day and loving it to turning her nose at the suggestion. For that I have a solution. No more paint and glitter until she appreciates the simpler things a bit more. I know she is a toddler, not even two years and three months but she is both smart and too smart. So I think for both of us this is a good decision. The whining will drive me crazy but I am just as stubborn as she.

The artwork she is making is great though. When she draws, she draws a shape and can give it eyes, ears, nose, smile, feet and now hair without any help. She has been colouring as much in the lines as possible for her age since summer and is really getting the hang of play dough. Her imagination is growing every day and I want to encourage it but I also need her to love the little things again. Everyday cannot be twice painting. I think everyday cannot be painting. I'll figure out a schedule maybe...what do you do?



Bye!~