Crayola

I wonder what it is about walls and furniture that children are sucked in to draw on them? Over the last couple months we, as parents, have become witness to the damage that can be done. I must say thank you to the many people who have offered their ideas on how to remedy our current situation. I have plans to try some of those ideas this weekend. I quite possibly will be stocking up on Magic Erasers.

The difficulty I am coming to is what to say to Olyvia. I don't want to scar her for life, although the conversation that we did have I am sure will be worth at least a few hours of counseling when she is older. Robb and I were in complete and utter shock. Robb exclaimed from their bedroom, while I am making dinner, 'Jessica, have you seen this?' By the tone of his voice I knew it wasn't good. Grabbing a towel so as not to drip raw chicken juice all over the floors, I headed to the bedroom. We were both in such shock from the amount of green crayon that was all down the side of her pine bookshelf that I almost couldn't contain myself. 'Goodness girl. The bookshelf?' I exclaimed. She just looked up at as with these big blue eyes, her hair casually parted down the middle, letting just enough of her face peak through to be totally pathetic looking. It was very much like that of a puppy dog that just at your favorite Jimmy Choo shoes. Robb was quick to jump in front of me on the punishment line however and exclaimed to Olyvia that all crayon, maker, and paint use would be taken away for the rest of the week. I myself would have gone for eternity rather than just a week, but I suppose that the week is probably a little more realistic time frame.

This morning when she woke up she came to me and said 'Mom, do we need to talk?' And so we did. I exclaimed that I was so proud of her for her writting skills and all that she is learning but that if she wants to practice her writting she will need to do so on paper and for the next week would be doing so with pencil only.