Pure Genious, or Utter Stupidity?

The other day when the kids were bored and it was too cold to go outside, Ashe asked if he could paint. Painting is one of those things that I both love and dread. Ashe can get totally wrapped up in painting for hours, but he also goes through about 3 trees worth of paper. And of course what Ashe does, Soren wants to do. But Soren likes to try to eat the paint, not paint with it.

It's a dance to keep both children happy while I try to keep my floors/walls/kids safe. Normally I try to distract Soren to other things, but lately he has become determined to be indistractable.

So this day I decided to let Soren paint while sitting on my lap so I could keep a close eye out. He happily bashed the paintbrush in blue paint, whipped the brush up into my eyebrow then slammed it down on to the paper, gurgling in abstract pleasure. I tried to smile as I wiped my blue face. After about 10 minutes of this a lightbulb flickered off in my head. He doesnt need actual paint! Water might work too......


So I set him up with a shallow bowl of water and a few paint brushes and he went to town. And my floors (and face) stayed clean. And he was happy. I thought to myself, "Why, this is pure genius!!! Why didn't I think of this before?... Wait... why didn't I think of this before? You would think, after 3 kids, that I would know all the tricks and tips. But thats not how it works. By kid 3 you're mind has gone soft like over cooked noodles and it's hard enough sometimes to remember your birth name is not Mommy, let alone things like this.

But I was determined to write this down so I dont forget. When Ashe wants to paint, Soren can paint with water. Remember this, B!