Crayons (and glue, and scissors, and pens, and markers) are for PAPER!!!

So, Lucy (and Reeves) love art projects. We spend hours and hours each day creating new masterpieces. Reeves is very "by the book" with his artistic style (typical first child...stays in the lines, follows the rules, strives for the top).


Lucy, well Lucy is a bit more creative. She likes to push the limits a bit. I was OK with that, until, she decided to venture to more "adventurous" artistry..





Yep, that's crayon on the face. As you can imagine, it took quite a bit of effort to make that crayon stick. Lucy is a determined and strong willed child though. She wasn't takin' NO for an answer.


Not two days after that "crayon to the face" incident did we have a true crisis involving art supplies. This incident turned out to be a lesson in patience, determination, consequences, and forgiveness. Here's what went down....


I had just served the kids dinner and was cleaning up the kitchen when I found the evidence.


Green magic marker strokes all over the white kitchen cabinets. I knew who did it, it was just a matter of getting her to confess to the crime.


"Hey guys", I calmly called from the kitchen. "Who wants to tell me who colored on the cabinets with a green marker?"


Pause.....


"Not me, I promise, IT WASN'T MEEEEE.... I DID NOT DO IT!", Reeves begged and pleaded with all his might. I knew he didn't do it (he can't hold a lie for more than 2 seconds).


A couple minutes later, Lucy says, "Well.....I didn't do it either!" With a tone of sassy determination.....mixed with a teaspoon of G-U-I-L-T!


I knew she did it, but I was gonna start out like I could hold out....


"Well, somebody did it, and there will be NO MORE crayons or markers or glue or pens or ANY art stuff till you tell me who did it".....


"MOMMY! I PROMISE IT WASN'T MEEEEEE!" said Reeves.


(I know sweet boy, but hang on with me on this one...justice will be served!)


"Well, I didn't do it either" came a soft little voice from the same room. Guilt was written all over it.


I needed reinforcements, so I quickly found Chris (who was bathing sweet G) and explained the situation. We decided to really use this as a teaching point, and we were determined to stand firm.


Into the den we went...together.


"So, guys, somebody did this, and you gotta tell us who it was."


Silence...


Reeves was crying and Lucy was sitting over on the couch with a look of wonder and fear and...... GUILT.


After only a few seconds, she fessed up. And what did we do next?


We hugged her, we cheered, we told her how proud we were of her.


Crazy....maybe.


But, for Lucy and Reeves, it was a lesson learned. This was our perfect opportunity to explain forgiveness, and to give them every reason to come to us when they have done wrong.


The last thing in the world that I want is for my children to not tell me when they have failed. I want them to know that I am there, even when they have fallen. I'm not saying it's OK to color all over the cabinets, but, I am sending my kids the message that if they do wrong they can tell me and I will still love them (and next time there WILL be consequences).


Isn't that what God did for us through Jesus? Isn't that what He wants us to do in our lives?


I sure hope so, cause I screw up all the time!