Enriching = Exhausting

My children spent the morning painting pictures and playing in the dirty dishes.

(Which is a reason to delay washing them.)

A lot of me wanted to intervene, since just one toddler experience with watecolor paints means that they no longer are distinct in their colors, but washed together and not quite so brilliant. Especially poor, poor yellow.

Two painted masterpieces later,

we cleaned up the spilled water on the table and the paint off the walls.

And about those dishes... well, any degree of water play makes for excessive bubbles and puddles on the floor.

Good thing I have invested in a solid collection of highly absorbent towels.

**************

“One of the sad realities of being a parent is

that the same stuff you know is

exciting, educational, and enriching

in your child’s life is often

messy, smelly, and exhausting

to deal with.”

~Joyce Maynard