draw

Taking the time to create always makes me feel better about life.  I enjoy coming up with ideas, figuring out how to make things happen, and being in the moment of creating something that is pleasing to me, when time seems to fall away and I feel motivated and productive.  Most of the things that I choose to pass my free time include some sort of creative outlet: painting and redecorating the house, cooking and baking, scrapbooking, writing this blog.  It takes all different forms, but the way I feel when I’m doing any of those things (and they are turning out better than awful) is always the same.  Powerful, determined, getting things done.

Ellie already enjoys leaving her mark on the world.  On paper, windows, dry-erase boards, refrigerators, notebooks, posters, and books, if we’d let her.   

The girl loves to draw.  It all started with her love of opening things up.  She loved taking the caps off of the markers (and throwing them on the floor, of course).  I decided to have her make David a father's day card back in June and I don’t think a day has passed in the last 4 months that she hasn’t drawn something.  She’s getting better over time, her grip has improved (it's crazy amazing, actually), she’s gone through phases of drawing lines, elephants, scribbles and now I swear she’s trying to draw faces, possibly of her favorite Yo Gabba Gabba character, MUNO!!!! (he’s tall and friendly!)  

Her love for drawing has caused a good share of our frustration with her (and her with us) as well.  She loves MARKERS, and will scream for them instead of colored pencils or crayons.  She thinks she knows how to ask for certain colors by screaming and stomping if we show her the wrong one.  She mostly understands what markers belong with the window, or the paper, or the fridge, but every once in awhile she tries really hard to convince us they'll work in so many different places. (the floor, the wall, the chair, your foot!)  Nightly baths are basically just to wash her completely stained hands along with whatever stray body parts she decorated that day.  We kind of hate it, but mostly we love it.  We’re always impressed with the ability and focus she shows.  I’m so looking forward to seeing if this sticks with her for the next few years.  And really anxious for the day she decides it's important enough for HER to pick up the caps and put them back on the markers when she is done.