Finger paint extension

I'll never forget the first time I fingerpainted with Elizabeth. John surprised me on my first mother's day with a bunch of fingerpaint and large sized paper, we stripped Elizabeth down to her diaper and we had so much fun. Elizabeth would just crawl through the paint and get it all over and then made a move for my face with those cute little hands.... Such a spunky kiddo, even at 8 months!

Today we were drawing and she asked me what I wanted to draw (after she had made a picture of some monsters). I said "a caterpillar". I then thought about using something else other than a pen to make them - - and fingerpaint flashed into my head. "Hey, what if instead of a pen....we used.... fingerpaint??" "YEAH!!!!" was the joyous response and she darted straight for the art drawer, demanding the use of the orange paint this time.

I used a thumbprint four times in a line and then drew legs, antenna and a smiley face with a colored pencil to make my caterpillar - and then let Elizabeth go to town. (I saved a whole box of the flattest moving paper and I love how many of these super large sheets have contributed to numerous art projects so far.) I purposely took a seat on the couch and let her do her thing. She started off doing thumbprints, too, but then when she tried to draw with the colored pencil, all of the sudden that became a paint brush....and then she decided to paint her *finger* - nails, then her hands, and her arms.....all while talking about caterpillars. But wait, then she started to talk about painting her face, so I had to intervene. :) She managed to get some paint on her nose with a giggle as I walked over and saw several hand prints and a bunch of orange streaks from the colored pencils (aka paint brushes).  I asked about her caterpillars and then she said, "I was a caterpillar and I went in my chrysalis and now I am a butterfly! An orange butterfly!!"

After that, we didn't clean up - we flew like wild butterflies around the house - with only my gentle reminders that butterflies can't touch anything because their scales will rub off, of course!!