crime scene

Once a week, I get to watch the youngest two kids of one of my good friends. I look forward to it every week. Usually our mornings are filled with play dough and snacks. Often a good fight with countless shouts of "Mine! NO MINE!" is involved. There is imaginative play, dance parties, book reading and dress ups. Laughter, tears and every emotion inbetween, which is expected when two two-year-old girls play together, right? 

But today was the best yet. After the aforementioned snacks, play dough and fighting, I rolled out my trusty IKEA paper and traced the outline of the girls' bodies for them to color. I imagined they would be interested for about three minutes and then wander off to another activity. I'm happy to report I was wrong. 

Both girls took their job of coloring their self portraits very seriously. Kate spent a long time coloring her toenails, fingernails and eye "browns". And Abby was meticulous down to (telling me how to color) the tiara-turned-necklace, beloved (giant) pumpkin rink and solo-jeweled shoes (the jewel on one shoe was tragically lost). They were so proud of their final creations. 

My house usually looks like a crime scene after these girls play together, and often it sounds like one. But today, the only evidence were two petite body outlines. And that is a line too cute to not cross.