Tuesday, September 16, 2008

I Can't Wait!


I have been trying to think of more creative activities that I could do with my 2 and 1/2 year old, Brady. Sometimes I feel like I am not really sure what is his age level or really what to do, but recently, I have realized that there are so many things that I can do with him that are art related. We color, draw and occasionally play with play dough, but I have not done a whole lot more than that, in the art category. A few months ago, we bought fingerpaints as a birthday present for Abram. I decided to get the Color Wonder ones for him so that his Mommy would not have to worry about a mess - she had enough to think about with a newborn! So, I was thinking that I would get the same ones for Brady.

On Sunday, I went to Michael's with my 50% off coupon! Before I went into the store, I began to think about what I was going to buy and a thought and picture came into my mind. I could envision my son fingerpainting with the real "messy" kind of fingerpaints - and he was having a blast and giggling! Excitement started to well up inside of me...but I was also thinking about the mess that fingerpainting can make...so, I was wrestling with what choice I should make. I mentioned it to Dawson and he told me to do whatever I thought would be "right" - or something like that. I knew that whatever I bought would be fine - Brady would have fun...I just had to decide what I wanted to do.

Brady and I went into Michael's and I found the non-messy fingerpaints and picked them up, but as I looked at them in my hand, I felt that this was not what I was supposed to buy - I felt that I was supposed to buy the "messy" fingerpaints - so, I put the Color Wonder ones back and picked up a four pack of paint. You know what happened next? A huge smile came onto my face and excitement welled up inside of me.

I am really looking forward to using these fingerpaints with Brady and making some really cool pictures! WE are going to have a lot of fun using these TOGETHER! :) We have not had a chance to do anything with them yet, but we will soon - YAY!

When I was thinking about this today, I remembered back to my college days...I was a biology major and I had many, many labs experiments that I had to complete. While in the laboratory, it is important to measure things correctly and to keep your area clean and neat - no messes (on purpose!). During my sophomore year of college, I took a pottery class as my art elective - not an "easy" elective - in fact I probably was in the pottery lab, throwing pottery, about 20+ hours a week - and I enjoyed a lot more than organic chemistry! In fact, I loved it! If I had more time in my schedule, I probably would have taken Pottery II - in fact the instructor encouraged me to do so - I thought that was a little funny, considering I was a Biology major!

Do you know what I loved about this class/lab? While I was working in this lab, I got REALLY messy - in fact, I had a special outfit that I kept in my art locker that I only wore while working with the pottery...it had clay all over it! The cool thing about it was that I was ALLOWED to get messy! I LOVED it - it was almost like a "freeing" thing.

This is the same excitement that is welling up in me as I look forward to the fingerpainting. It is okay to get messy. It will wash off - and it will be done outside, in a place that I will not mind cleaning up. So, now I will find an old couple of dress shirts from Dawson to use as our smocks and it will be time for Brady and I to create! :)

4 comments:

Hands-Free Heart said...

I hope you two have a lot of fun! It's a great activity for this age. Fuzzy-Wuzzy loves to fingerpaint.

Promises said...

HFH - I remember this post and I was thinking about your little guy and how much he enjoyed it! I think that we will have lots of fun!

Melissa said...

Okay...now you have me excited, too! I want to fingerpaint, too!! We used to do that stuff alot with #1, and a little bit with #2. Since having #3 she doesn't really get into art like the other kids did, so we haven't done this in a looong time! Maybe we will now!

Trish said...

Sounds like a lot of fun! My little guy isn't too crazy about getting messy, but he will do it with some coaxing and the promise that he can wash his hands right away. :)