At least he is honest and quick to apologize

There's this little fellow. Let's call him Lex, shall we?

He's recently really gotten into coloring with crayons. And I don't want to discourage him, because he is doing such a fantastic job and it's such an important skill. But,

but...

BUT!

the kid keeps coloring on stuff that he shouldn't color on.

In between filling up his coloring books, he's colored on himself (with a Sharpie that Grandpa Kirk left out for him, natch!), my walls, my floors, my carpets, my couch, etc.

If it sits still, he will color on it. Heck, sometimes he can even hit a moving target with his crayon.


Here are some of my favorite stories:

1. While I was loading our car up with our suitcases for Daddy's birthday trip, Lex and Connor were making Daddy some birthday cards. Once Lex was finished with the card, he took his purple marker and colored all over the garage door, the front door, the wall between the two doors, and up and down the hallway. And since he had so much purple marker all over himself, too, he left little purple hand prints all over the walls as well.

So, I say, "Lex, we don't color on the walls."

And then Lex says, "Yes, I do."

"I know you did. What I mean to say is that we don't color on the walls, Lex."

"Oh, sorry Mommy."

Thank Crayola for washable markers.


2. While I was switching the laundry in the basement one afternoon, Lex decided that the oversized Cars poster that he was coloring on the kitchen floor was too small for his liking, and proceeded to color all over the floor with a blue crayon.

I say, "Lex, we don't color on the floor."

And then Lex says, "Yes, I do."

"No, Lex, we don't color on the floor. We color on the paper, only."

"Oh, sorry, Mommy."

Thank Crayola for washable crayons.


3. While I was sitting on the couch with Connor reading him a book, Lex was sitting at his art table on the other side of the couch. Lex was coloring in his Elmo coloring book. While reading to Connor, I had my eye on Lex. I even stood up a few times to check his work. He was coloring Elmo red on one page, and on the facing page, he was coloring Grover blue. Nice job, Lex!

But, when we were done with our book, and I stood up to go into the kitchen, I passed by the back of the couch and found that Lex had colored a huge blue, orange and yellow mural all over the back of the couch while I was sitting on it and supervising him, and I still have no idea how he did it!

All I know is that there was no mural on the couch when I sat down on it, and when I got up, there it was. I think Lex must be taking Ninja Art Classes at night at the Secret Agent School for Toddlers. He must be attending on scholarship.

So, I say, "Lex, we don't color on the couch."

And he says, "Yes, I do."

And I say, "No, Lex, we don't color on the couch. I don't want you to color on my couch. Please, please please stop coloring on the couch. Please color on the paper, only, for the love of Heaven."

"I'm sorry, Mommy."

Thank you, washable crayons and scotch guard. You are my heroes.

P.S. Memo to Lex: We color on the PAPER ONLY. Please and thank you.