"Look Mom, I Can Write My Name"

Emily started learning how to write her name over the summer.  She would scrawl haphazard letters that were sometimes almost indecipherable on the paper in front of her. 

After lots of practice at home and preschool, she has gotten quite good at writing her name.  She shows how proud she is of her "new" accomplishment by writing her name on papers, cards, and even the newspaper.  She has also started drawing pictures that are recognizable (such as her stick figures that do somewhat resemble people).  Notice I say usually since her recent drawing of rocket ships also kind of resembled potato people.

Since she has been really good about only writing on paper, if I am doing laundry or some other task while her siblings are napping and she asks for paper so she can draw at the table or practice writing her letters, I usually say okay.

I hand her paper and always remind her to only write on the paper and nothing else unless Mommy says it is okay.  I recently stopped reminding her to only write on the paper because I assumed she "got it" after I have repeated it at least a hundred times and because she hasn't written on the table or any other surface in months. 

My mistake.

After walking into the kitchen after walking through the downstairs collecting stray pieces of clothing since my children love to play dress-up about ten times a day, I walked into the kitchen to find marker, washable mind you, on most surfaces in my kitchen.

How much havoc can a toddler wreak in five minutes?

Her name was written on the fridge, the polka dots that decorated her rocket ships in the card she had been working on for her dad also had been drawn on my kitchen stools, and she had scribbles on her booster seat and even her brother's high chair.

After me explaining that the proper place to write was on paper, I handed her a wet cloth and had her wipe down everything on which she had drawn.

I was reminded yet again that no matter how responsible and helpful she can be for a four year old, she is still only four years old.

Just like I am thankful for magic erasers and hand sanitizer, I am also thankful for washable markers!