We moved into our new home in September, which is about the time my almost-two year old discovered the joys of coloring. Which is also the same time I learned the reason behind washable markers.
The first incident was while mommy and daddy were chatting away in the kitchen- Melina was about a foot away, hidden by the too-tall bar height table. She was quiet .. that's when I knew something was wrong. I walked around the table and she loudly pronounced with a big smile "Mommy I color." And color she did- thank god with a pencil. I didn't even know you could scribble that much in the minute that she was hidden. That came off easy enough. Phew!
The second incident about a week later was while mommy and daddy were cleaning the basement. Melina was running around with a ball- kicking it from room to room. I should have known it was a distraction and a reason to enter the office. Silly Mom. All over the wall and our new office chair and the desk too... this time is was pen. Not so easy to wash off and the chair still bears the scars from my toddler.
The third incident. Oh the final push- the one that made me scour the house for all things that made marks- pens, pencils, markers, lipstick. This was in the stairwell. I was hauling boxes up and down the stairs and she was usually following me.. but she stopped... she was not behind me. I went flying down the stairs to find my mischievous little girl, marker in hand... permanent marker in hand, smile on face and a beautiful display of her artistic talents all over my walls.
Just so you know- the real magic eraser (not the cheap look-alike) gets permanent marker off the wall- along with the first layer of paint- but hey you take what you can get.
That is when I learned that she was not to be trusted with markers- crayons were hidden, coloring pencils gone, and the only marker allowed in her hand is the washable ones.
Of course there have been more incidents. The day we moved our chair to discover my little girl had used those walls as her hidden canvas. Or the time she climbed on a chair to steal the dry erase markers and color her playroom chair (that stuff does not come out of fabric) Or what about the time she stole another dry erase marker and colored on the window seal, table, chairs, floor, playpen....... A lot of elbow grease was used to minimize the damage but still my house will forever bear the damage of my disaster causing toddler.
To this day- whenever there is a color in her hands there is color elsewhere. Usually we can contain it to her body parts; whole limbs are colored black or pink... but every now and then she takes her abuse out on our furniture and walls- especially when we use the washroom.
I've talked with other parents who have cute little art areas set up for their toddlers- saying "it's good for their creativity" and "oh Anna knows she's not allowed to color on paper". So does Melina.. but that doesn't stop her.
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