Artists...

On Saturday I needed to make a banner for my church and it involved painting. I knew the only way to protect my banner from my children was to set them up with their own painting supplies and so the three of us had a wonderful saturday painting in our backyard.

They painted themselves too.

And their table

Isn't it beautiful

I was doing my own work. Every time they walked towards me with their hands totally covered with paint. I urged them to retreat back to their own work. Scary times, scary times, 4 little paint colored hands wanting to help mama. 

He also painted his face. 

They were both a huge mess, but this is progress for Eli. There was a time when this mess on his hands would have totally sent him over the edge. Although it didn't take long for him to request, "Wash hands, wash hands." 

Emmy could happily paint all day everyday if we would let her. 

To get Emmy to put on the paint shirt I told her it was her special "painting dress" I don't know if I've mentioned but lately she only wants to wear dresses. Every second of every day. So to get her to take off the Christmas dress she was wearing I told her about her very special pink painting dress.

Also nightgowns are "sleeping dresses". I'm not sure where her love of dresses came from not her mother. She's pretty much never seen me in a dress. On Sunday's when I put on my robe in church she gets really excited that "mama put on a dress too". 

She's so cute. 

And their painting pants were old christmas pajamas. 

It was a really fun afternoon and their bath was all kinds of interesting colors.

My banner turned out well too, free of toddler assistance (except for a little area that Eli got with a pair of scissors).