Painting Pottery

Alright, so two doors down neighbor texts me the week before Father's Day and says she would like to take her son to paint something for Father's Day and asked if Ty and I would want to go, too. I'm a HUGE fan of painting my own pottery in my own hues and designs, so of course I'm down!

I picked Ty up from daycare, had snacks on hand for him to eat on the way there. They were to meet us there. Ty scarfed down some snacks and I told him about what we were going to do. He loves to paint and I knew he would be into it.

We get there and the gal working was already wiping up the floor. Apparently, two doors down neighbor and son had spilled a bowl of water. Then, of course this place had to have Dum-Dums in plain sight. Both kids are about the suckers. So, since her son had one, Ty had to have one, too. No biggie. He is content for the moment. Ty chose, okay, okay, I chose a coffee mug for Ty to paint. Things were a bit dicey when we had to sponge water all over the pieces we were going to paint. Ty was WAY more into this than I thought he would be. So much so, that he wanted to just play in the bowl of water with the sponge. Distraction came when he remembered the Dum-Dums.

I got his attention when we went over to the shelves of paints and I let him pick out the colors he wanted to use. Back to the Dum-Dums. The gal finally put the suckers behind the counter.  Did I mention that before that, our children had both placed their have sucked, licked and eaten suckers back in the bowl??? He picked three different greens, a yellow, a red and a blue. He concentrated while he painted. He was quiet and painted with conviction. I held the mug and spun it as needed. He painted the inside and outside of this mug in no particular pattern, just covered the mug in paint. It was hideous, but made completely by him.

After he got done painting, he said he was ready to go home. Well, we still needed to clean up and pay. During the time that two doors down neighbor was finishing up the painting on her husband's mug, our children, sitting side by side in chairs, get into a slapping match with each other. They NEVER act like this towards each other. I separate them, putting Ty at a different table so I can clean things up. He's back to wanting to play in the murky paint water.

Ty gets to come back to the table which we are sitting and sit back in his chair. Then the boys get into it again. Tyson didn't want the neighbor boy's hands on the chair and the neighbor boy didn't want Ty to sit in the chair. I was in disbelief they were doing this. We had them hug it out and all seemed well.

I paid and we start to leave. Ty stalls in the entryway and starts playing with the glass door. Then the neighbor boy comes and they are now fighting over the door, playing tug of war, one on each side of the door. The neighbor boy pulls the door closed on Ty's fingers, Ty is crying. I tell them both to not play with the door for fear of getting fingers pinched again. Again, disbelief. They never ever act like this.

After about 7 minutes of back and forth with Ty on leaving because he wanted to stay in the entryway of this place, I gave him the choice of walking or being carried. He didn't choose. I chose to pick him up and carry him. He was SO MAD. So mad that he actually hit me in the back of the head with his closed fist and it made my ears ring. No, I'm not joking.

After I spoke sternly, he and I rode in silence all the way home. I pull into the garage and he is whispering, "sawwy mommy. I need a hug." I go to get him out and I start crying. He starts crying and says, "I need out! I need a hug!" We hugged it out. Brett wanted to know what was going on, I could only tell him that he was naughty at the store.

The Saturday before Father's Day, we went to pick up the mug. It was a different gal working and I told her I was there to pick up a couple mugs that we painted. She pulls out a nicely painted, symmetrical striped, mug in bold colors. I told her, "look for hideous." She found it.

Ty and I got back in the car and I ask him, what else should we get daddy for his present. Without hesitation and in a "duh" tone, he says, "coffee!" I was thinking that we would get some fancier coffee, but Ty had something else in mind: the coffee that we usually have at home, the 270 cup tub of Folgers. He insisted that we get two. He also wanted to get his daddy some paints. We go to the craft aisle and he wanted to get finger paint. Done. Right below the finger paint was a pack of three safety scissors. Apparently, daddy needed those. I let him pick out the gift bag: a giant bag with pictures of balloons on it. Time for a card. The one card he liked right off the bat was a Minnie Mouse card, but it was to daddy from daughter. I put the kibosh on that and had him pick something else. He picked a Lightning McQueen card that played "I can't drive 55" - yes, Sammy Hagar singing.

Brett was pleased with the gift selection and he finally got to hear this whole story. Hopefully, we can go paint a mug again sometime. I hope it is a better experience next time. It was fun while it lasted and the mug, is so ugly it is beautiful.

Signing off for now, to all of you near and far and to those of you that celebrated Father's Day with similar gifts, until next time...