MY OTHER TODDLER!! Who has also discovered paint! And who has also discovered MY artwork!!
Are you gasping yet?! Well. You can believe I did!
They'd been quiet for, ohhhh, 10 minutes tops when my friend said, "Should we go check on them?" Apparently she reads my blog! ha! I said, "Oh, they're probably ok." She went anyway and came back with a WHITE face and a gaping mouth. NOT a good sign! 
THIS is what she saw!! Ellie got paints and canvases for her birthday. I kept them back here in my workshop because we have these interlocking tiles as flooring and hardy tile floors underneath. They can take destruction. I did NOT want that paint anywhere else in my house. This is where I paint too, so I figured, when I got mine out, she could get hers out and we'd work together. She had other plans!
And now there are only this many interlocking tiles. The others were trashed!
As for the canvas, nevermind it was a live auction item at the Shake 4 Jake. And nevermind that someone spent $5700 for the package it was included in. For whatever reason, they got their opening season LSU tickets and all that came with the package, but have yet to pick up this canvas. I am hoping that means they didn't really want it. Because, wellllll....
But if I do hear from them, I will have to offer to do them a custon one of whatever they want. I doubt they'll want this original by Gabbi Girl. And there you have it. My life as of late. I need a MASSAGE!!
Mo
17 comments:
OH MY!!! Looks like you've got your work cut-out for you for sure Mo! Neither of my two were quite that, ummmmm, "active"....so I really don't know what you should try. Like you say looks like you've tried everything. You may just have to keep the "art room" and supplies locked up until and when, you are in there with them. No access when they are alone and unsupervised. God bless you and your little "artists".....huggers, BJ
Please go get a massage, TODAY! you deserve it. I think I would have had to run away by now!
Goodluck! Hope this week is going much better.
I literally gasped out loud when I saw that canvas! Poor Mo, you've been through the wringer with Gabbi getting ahold of your canvas and Ellie getting ahold of your ballet shoes (oh my, if that had been Bella on that one, it would've been so hard for me not to have spanked the snot outta her, lol) I was just about in tears for you over the ballet shoes and I didn't even take dance when I was little. I'm for locking up the art room. All of this other stuff is just causing you undue stress and let's face it, no one needs added stress. We try to work on one problem at a time around here. I've been looking for a book titled "Loving a Strong Willed Child" or something of that nature. I'm hearing it helps with discipline and the like. I'm willing to try anything at this point because not only is my newly turned four year old is fast like making my hair turn gray, I now have bald spots from her making me pull my hair out, lol. If you see that book anywhere around town, shoot me a message on FB please. Good luck, too bad these lil critters didn't come with an instruction manual.
I'm so sorry to hear about the recent craziness at your home! I have a 4 & 2 year old and we have many similar issues. Have you read Parenting with Love and Logic books? It doesn't always work for us but it works better than anything else we've tried. :) Also, if you do any reading on raising spirited children--a lot of good stuff--it definitely sounds like Ellie would fit the definition of a spirited child (as does my oldest son). It gives a lot of info on what is happening psychologically with them which in turn helps you think through some of the best ways to handle some of the challenges. Also helps to maintain patience b/c it helps you understand how they might react to the world differently than others do. I highly recommend it! :) Good luck and know that you are not alone!!
Here's the title of one (this author is often recognized as the "expert" in this arena but there are many others too):
Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, Energetic [Paperback]
Mary Sheedy Kurcinka
Lock that door. And, let those girls see your anger. Let those girls see your pain. Ellie is old enough to know better. She is testing you like nobody's business. She is the boss right now, and that is not good for a child. Gabbi is just copying that behavior.
You know I love you to pieces. Here it comes.
You are the parent. You are the adult. You must not allow Ellie such latitude. That art room is filled with things that could really hurt. Scissors, knives, paints that are poison, etc. No way should those girls be in there alone, ever. If they don't like the new rule? Tough noogies. I had to do it with each of our children. One time. It took.
Sermon is over. Let's have some sweetroll and juice! I love the idea of those interlocking things on the floor. Think I will go looking. The floor in my study/studio is wood, and it is taking a beating!
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can only imagine! Ummm... maybe a day or two a week at daycare?!?! Gives you some "sanity" time... and my girls always listen better at daycare than home! They know there are rules and consequences there... mom is usually a push-over! Definately think losing the toys (or something special) is a MUST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Perhaps taking away dance????
Oh my!!!!! I can only imagine what my mom would have done to me!!! Setting boundries and consequences will help in "reigning" it in, but I understand that you don't want to squelch creativity. But, remember, boundries and consequences are not bad words!
OMG....is it ok that I laughed out loud after I gasped!!!!
OH.....MY.....MERCY..... Girl lock that room ~ lock it right now!! I think I better bring a couple extra bottles of wine down ~ along with some Calgon cause I think it needs to "take you away"!! ;) {{HUGS}}
Ok!! HOLD THE PHONE!!
Disclaimer: I interrupt this blog for an IMPORTANT MOMMY one-on-one.
I'm gonna come at you "pretty blunt", and its nothing less that I woud tell you face-to-face!!
As much as I adore your girls and all the cute pictures of them, I think you are sending mixed msgs to the girls by "photographing" and HI-LIGHTING their "creativity when it's something "wrong" that mother/daddy does NOT approve of.
Kids NEED to know their limits and boundaries. It's not that you are "squelching" her creativity, but you are "teaching" her the correct ways of using her art supplies.
Both need to learn that is NOT OKAY for mommy to redo, restore, rearrange, or redecorate things because of something that they no they should have not touched, opened or destroyed.
I agree that Gabby is only copying what she sees Ellie do. Ellie will set the precendence for her. It needs to be "nipped" now!
I now return you to your regularly scheduled MO JOY BLOG!!! :)
PS: Bella's Mommy try your local library for that book.
Well I have to agree with Kathryn "Lock the Door" and let them know that you are very upset!!! Now go and get that massage and relax but LOCK that DOOR!!!
I am not laughing. Ok, I lied. I know it's so exasperating when you are in the thick of it. My oldest, who just turned 20 last week, cut his hair every time he found scissors. It didn't matter if he was at school, or where he was. The poor kid had a buzz cut for what seemed like ever because as soon as it grew out, he'd snip it. Finally, out of desperation, I told him if he cut his hair again I would have to spank his butt. Kid you not, the very next week, he didn't cut his hair, he cut his little brother's! Yes, apparently I was not specific enough. If it's any encouragement, this too shall pass. LOL Then it will be onto the next thing.
Hmmm...lock the door, girlfriend! ;-)
Maybe you should only allow them supervised art time from now on. You won't be squelching their creativity...but, you might just save your own sanity! lol
P.S. You need to book at least an HOUR for that massage!
Sorry Mo....I am laughing too....but I feel bad for you also!!! I just say lock the room for now except when you are with them. They are going to grow up so fast and you are going to look back at this and laugh!!! It is so frustrating while you are going thru it and you don't know why they do what they do....my grandkids got into baking soda recently and had it all over...(and they did it really fast). I think sometimes the older ones get the little ones to do things.....the little ones just follow along. ....I just can't wait to come and meet those little sweeties of yours!!! In the meantime, I think you need to relax and go get that massage.
Hugs!!!
Memories! I have 2 boys who are just 10 months apart. What one doesn't think of the other one does. The good news is, these phases pass. Before you know it, they are 9 and 10. In the meantime, enjoy the chaos! I promise you will miss it someday. Now, go get that massage! You deserve it!
Too many wonderul things at their disposal with no regulation of their use. They should not have full access at any time to the art room at their age. Lock the door. Let them know you are upset and hurt by their actions and there are consequences. They will only get to use certain supplies at certain times when YOU are with them at that time - you are not stifling anything, you are teaching them for every action there is a reaction - good for good and bad for bad. My girls are both very accomplished artists and creative thinkers and writers and designers - they never had every kind of art supply available to them when they were little - they EARNED the right to use the nicer stuff - it was MY decision not THEIRS - that is a hard and fast rule they will need to understand throughout their life - not always their choice or their decision - and sometimes it is JUST BECAUSE I AM THE MOM! Nothing more needs to be said. They will be better for it in the long run and your precious and important items will not be destroyed. It happens all the time raising kids - you just need to know where to draw the line and stick to that line. I am watching my daughter go through it also with my 2 year old grandson - God love her and you!
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