Monster Me

Both James and I have been suffering from horrid headaches for over a week now, today I felt the worst I have in a long time. Sick in the stomach, dizzy, splitting headache and generally drained so we had a relatively quiet morning reading and doing puzzles. After Ellie's sleep she had plenty of energy to burn so we ventured outside so that she could do her thing while Kahlei and I sat in the cool. I put some colouring in the remaining paint mixture and let Ellie go nuts with that.

Three pictures down and Ellie started coming towards me, laughing and waving her 'paint brush' at me so I grabbed the closest paint brush to me and started painting her arms.At first she seemed quite shocked and possibly a little offended. She looked at me, looked at her arm and then a great big smile broke out on her face and lit up her eyes. I did some more on her arms before she decided to go and pick up a paint pot to decorate my arms.

It was cold on my skin, causing me to make funny noises, which she found completely hilarious. Once I had one blue arm and one orange arm she was satisfied with her work and had a run around leaving me to entertain Kahlei with some silly faces and songs.

Halfway through one nursery rhyme I noticed Ellie picking up her pot of paint and sidling over to me, a little tentatively but with a gleam in her eye that can't be mistaken...

Apparently, she had decided I needed a makeover. My lovely multicoloured arms weren't enough. She placed a sweet little arm around my neck, said "Plop" and pressed her blue paint covered sponge to my nose. I feel like she had really been thinking about doing it before she took the plunge! So, we painted each other's faces while Kahlei looked on, slightly amused and very clean.

She was very precise with her application.

She loves these messy activities where she is given free reign to let her imagination run wild. I love them, too. I, personally, believe these kinds of things are really an important learning curve for toddlers. They get a chance to explore uninterrupted while working on their fine and gross motor skills, as well as encouraging cognitive and language development through their play. Sure, it makes a little more work for me as I have to make the paints, clean up the pots, and then soak the clothes before I wash them but it is so worth it! Watching her in these activities is pure bliss.

Ellie and I ended up looking like monsters while Kahlei stayed clean.

We decided we looked like monsters, so we may as well run around roaring like one, too.

After a swing for my Little Monster Kahlei started to grizzle, so we went inside and popped Kahlei in bed before running a Monster bath for Ellie.

PS Did you notice that James actually graced us with a post?? I'm very excited. I am forever telling him that it's not becky.com... and he just replies with "I'm behind the scenes"