It was mine and Ashton’s turn to do an adventure video for this week and as I was thinking about what to do, I couldn’t stop thinking of painting. I hesitated at first, thinking how it might scare more parents from doing a painting activity than it would inspire them! As everyone well knows, painting with children (especially babies) is never a clean project. And as you will see after watching our adventure video . . . we made a mess!

Which brought me to ask the question afterwards “Was that worth the mess?” and I have to say, I 100% think it was  . . . So today I want to blog my case and try and convince those out there who shy away from doing painting projects with their kids, to at least give it a try.

During our ‘Tempo Painting’ activity, Ashton and I ran into countless learning moments which totally justified the mess at the end. . . we got to physically experience different speeds of fast and slow. . . we sang “The wheels on the bus” and did the actions in the paint as we sang. . .  we explored different shapes. . .  we mixed colours and talked about the new colours as they evolved. . .  we got to feel the texture and talk about how it felt on our hands. . . and, oh the fun when we got in the shower! We got to watch the water change colour all around us, another fantastic talking point!

Those are just a few of the wonderful learning moments we encountered and would have missed if I hadn’t been daring enough to take the plunge and get messy for half an hour! (Let me mention that we did go in prepared! We wore our painting clothes, we had a tarpaulin down and a cloth to wipe off excess paint afterwards! – If you prepare well, its not as scary and the more you do it… the better you will both get at it!)

Ashton and mummy get creative with TEMPO PAINTING! Go on do it! You know you want to!!! ;o)

After a lovely holiday away in Surfers Paradise with my family I am back into Polkadots action . . . well, I’m trying to  anyway! I am of the firm belief that you need at least two days to recover and get back into routine after a holiday,  especially when a child is involved. Unpacking, laundry, grocery shopping, catching up on e-mails, you name it… there are a million things to do and in amoungst it all, trying to entertain your child so that he knows he is still the centre of the your world!

All of this sparked my BLOG thoughts for today. . .  because as I was going about my business, trying to get life back in order, Ashton’s baby chatter calls for attention were getting louder and louder. It was at this point I reaslised how quickly our babies and children get caught up in our crazy adult lives. They have no choice but to go with the flow . . . of course we can’t stop doing everything and just play with our children 24/7 – BUT! we can stop every now and then to give them pockets of quality time. And if we really think smart we can work our role as teacher to our children in with our role of ‘whatever else’. You could take a 15 minute walk (exercise) with your child and stop to smell the flowers. While preparing afternoon tea, talk with your child about the seeds you discovered inside an apple. While reading a bed time story stop half way through the story and ask them to make up a new ending using their imagination. Make the every day ordinary adult crazy daily life moments… extraordinary. You just need to take a few seconds to think “How can I make this moment a teaching moment?”

We are meant to be teaching our children about our world, preparing them to take on the world and enjoy it. Kids are all about having  fun, so if you can find ways to teach your child in ordinary day to day tasks, your crazy day will become a lot more FUN!

Ashton explores the flowers

So… The rest of the Polkadots gang tell me it’s my turn to do the blog. I’ve never really done anything like this before and have to admit it’s a little out of my comfort zone, but I guess that’s what life is about and when it comes to the kids there is always so much to talk about so I figured I would be fine once I got the ball rolling… and now it’s rolling, so I must be fine.

In fact, I think that is what I might blog about. The very fact that once you have kids you can’t really remember what it is that you used to talk about before you had them or what you used to take photos of before you had your children or even how you used to spend all your time.  Come to think of it I do remember how I used to spend my time.. I used to actually shower before midday, and eat my meals at a leisurely pace and not take at least 10 attempts to send one email. I used to wear make up most days and do my hair.. Now my children ask me what big event is taking place if they see me with a hairbrush in my hand, or if they see I have got dressed for the day! I keep trying to teach them that it is normal to do those things each morning even if you are not going anywhere… so I guess I’ll just have to practise what I preach.

I love how once you have children you can talk to almost anyone else who has had children and immediately have so much to talk about, especially if you are both at a similar stage of parenting. I have a 4 month old baby and it seems I have spoken more about sore boobs and body parts, sleeping patterns, birth / labour stories, and methods for getting gas up in the last few months than I ever imagined I would in a life time. But I love it, and don’t ever seem to tire of it.

Our other children are at different stages and so that brings a whole new set of fun topics for conversation. what Our two year old decided it was time to potty train herself, so I have not only been blessed with being able clean up after poos and wees all day, but I also get to share in the numerous stories on the subject with my friends and even complete strangers who are going through the same thing.. I never would have known there was so much to say about poos and wees??  But those who are on the outside looking in would be amazed.

The reality is that these beautiful little beings come into our life, and make us work harder than we’ve ever worked, love more than we have ever loved and sacrifice more than we would ever freely do of our own accord. They fill our lives with so much joy, that all the ‘hard’ or ‘yucky’ stuff that comes part and parcel with having children doesn’t even seem to register, other than being something to talk and laugh about with others in the same boat.

The reason we can’t remember what we used to talk about is not because we all have baby brain, or because we are seriously sleep deprived.. it is because once we have held our precious little ones in our arms, kissed their beautiful cheeks and gone through all we have just to have them, everything else seems slightly insignificant in comparison, and there is nothing better than sharing our little pride and joy with any and all who will listen.

Family Kiss