If you are going to make a mess, MAKE a mess!

I'm all about the "go big, or go home" mentality and that sure was exemplified in today's project with the kiddos! A little backstory- a year ago.. last summer, I made some handprints with Brooke and since Benjamin was only about 5 months old, I did some footprints with him (uber challenging, let me just say). Here is the link to the original post from last summer. Looking back at it, I now realize that I've lost some of the footprints! Must find those!! I had planned on purchasing wooden squares and making a wall hanging with them, but I never found them on sale (sale enough, anyway) and well, life got in the way! A few weeks ago I found the prints and was reminded that I needed to finish this project in some way. Then, when I was in the garage a couple of days ago, I spotted a scrap piece of lumber leftover from my patio furniture re-deaux that was the perfect size to use for a wall-hanging of these little suckers! Best of all, it was going to be free. So, instead of doing what most sane people would do (get out a roller, paint the board, and let it dry), I decided that since it is going to be a display of handprints OF the kids, that it should be painted BY them as well.

Ok, so the artsy person in me knows that the best paint to use would be some leftover wall paint. The logicial side knows that it would be easier to use the cute little craft bottles of paint. The friends of mine who don't do crazy painty stuff would probably have used a kid's paint. I scrounged around in the garage and found all of the random, funky colors I could find and set them all out, put down a drop cloth, found some brushes, and got out the paint trays. Let the insanity commence...

Here's all of the pretty colors I chose! Fun!

Before the excitement..

Starting to get warmed up... Benjamin HAD to sit on the board. The whole time. Seriously.

Brooke did a great job of painting and of not getting completely covered in paint. She also was very patient with me telling her "not to muddy up the paint", "to stop rubbing it all together because it was turning brown" (to which she replied, "but, I like brown, Mommy!", and covering up the missed spots.

 

Benjamin totally loved this and was very adept at getting himself completely covered!

 

 

 

Please notice Benjamin's backside. This is what happens when you are sitting on a board that you have painted all around you and you try to stand up and walk away. You slip and fall on your butt....

Watching them work together and "talk" (Brooke talked to Benjamin, he responded with gibberish and pointing) is truly priceless. They are best friends, except when they aren't. 

The finished masterpiece! It is PERFECT!!!

Benjamin was watching me hammer the lids down and begin stacking them up to put them away. It was SO cute that i got out my phone to video tape it.. 

For some reason, the INSTANT I started taping him, he decided that throwing the cans was a better, more fun, idea. Not so, not so! Please enjoy the events as they unfold..

Even with the two cans of spilled paint and my heart attack at the mess that caused, I managed to get everything all cleaned up.. including the kiddos! What a fun and special afternoon! We ended it with a little water table play time, popsicles, and shaving cream fun in the tub before baths! I love my kids!