While shopping at the exchange for Chris' captain's bars I came across some Crayola finger paints...you know, the kind that they've been advertising on TV as 'no mess'. Apparently, the finger paints only work on specific paper and don't stain clothes or furniture. It was worth a shot, so I picked some up! Sure enough, Sophia had a blast getting 'messy' and painting her first work of art! Although the 'paint' was sticky it is advertised correctly and made for very easy cleanup. What a great activity to cultivate her artistic abilities and occupy a couple hours before nap time. As she gets a little older and can follow directions better, I like the idea of actual finger paints but until then I'll stick with this 'no mess' kind. I remember painting when I was younger. Mom would put us in old tee-shirts, cover the floor with old towels and let us go to town. I think it's important for kids to be able to get a little messy and let their creativity go wild every once in awhile. Lately, Sophia has been creatively decorating our sofa so it's perfect timing for painting and coloring in a supervised setting.

On a different note, miss Sophia has surprised me once again. I hung a 'Happy Halloween' sign on the fireplace and the other day saw Sophia pointing to and saying 'O' and 'E'. At first, I didn't think anything of it and thought it must be a fluke until yesterday when she pointed out the same letters on the tee-shirt I was wearing. All this reading must be paying off!!!!! So now that my 'Happy Halloween' sign has given us the perfect opportunity for learning new letters, we're trying to work on the letter 'A'. Life with a child is such a funny thing. Being able to experience life through the eyes of a child gives you a whole new take on life and I'm enjoying every second of it!