The Next Picasso

Samuel's new favorite activity is coloring!  And when I say it's his favorite...it is his FAVORITE!  As in, all day, ever day, for hours!!!  He loves it when I color with him or Eric or my mom or his grandfather anyone really, but it's a rare activity that he will do alone!  I've spent a lot of time researching whether this is healthy to let your child spend hours coloring, and the results are: there is no information provided.  So, I pull out a fresh piece of paper and let him go at it some more!

Samuel does not get his creative or artistic streak from me.  Other than winning a drawing contest in kindergarten...I am awful at art.  I can barely draw a stick person...and when the situation arises (and you'd be surprised at how often it does!) and I'm forced to draw something, I stick to a lady bug.  It is the only thing I can draw.  Anyway, Samuel gets his creativity from Eric's side of the family.  His Uncle Brian is an art teacher and great painter, Eric can draw, and Eric's mom is a great painter too!  So I just appreciate the art work, and enjoy a few minutes of silence.

For those people who aren't quite to this stage yet...let me give you a heads up.  Only purchase washable crayons.  They are more expensive, but somehow crayon markings happen...EVERYWHERE.  I found one in the bath tub the other day!  I have no idea how, but it was there!  On walls, on clothes, on my face, on doors.  I spend a lot of time wiping up crayon markings!

Second, do not buy this toy I have pictured.  It is the Crayola Color Me a Song.  While the concept is brilliant (a lap desk that holds paper in place while making music, buttons that light up,  the music goes faster or slower depending on how fast your child colors and it is inexpensive, has no small parts, and can't really break).  Samuel got this for Christmas.  It was an immediate hit...a month later, if I hear one of the 3 songs it plays over and over and over again I might scream!  Samuel loves it though, so I let him have his music, but hours of the same songs does get old.  So if you can avoid having this in your house, then do it...unless we get invited to your birthday party...and this will be the gift we will bring!  Kids love it :0) We try to bring popular gifts to parties!