Painting in Pampers

Last Friday, two days before Father's Day, I hosted playgroup at my house for the first time. [Actually, before I go on, I would like to share my favorite joke about Father's Day.

Question: Why is Father's Day in June?
Answer: Because about a month after Mother's Day, someone went, "Hey! Wait a minute..."]

Thanks, thanks very much. I can hardly hear myself type with all the laughter. Anyway where was I. Oh yes, playgroup. We meet once a week and it usually involves sitting around and chatting while our babies stick various toys in their mouths. This time I had the genius idea that we should make some kind of artwork for all the dads for Father's Day. I went and bought paper and supplies, my good friend Becca brought a big sheet of plastic, and we stripped everyone down in preparation for what was sure to be the Great Fingerpaint Disaster of 2012. Here is the calm before the storm:

There were four babies including Ashton: Lucia (far left, also born August 3rd), Maggie (a little wary in the front) and Owen (who is Ashton's role model at 18 months, he was too busy running around for me to catch in this picture!).

It started out nicely enough, Lucia had the orange...

Maggie chose blue (and couldn't resist a little taste :) Good thing it was nontoxic!)

And Ashton watched Chera help Owen with a footprint

Then I put my camera down, helped him get some paint and things got much messier.

I'm sure you can't tell how chaotic this was, but, it was. 

What do these look like to you? Weapons of mass destruction, that's what. Or something out of a horror movie where babies are allowed to crawl amok and smear paint on what is otherwise a very clean, nicely decorated condo!

Whoever the geniuses are behind Crayola fingerpaint, I applaud you for your product's key adjective: washable.


After the "painting" was done, Owen took a rinse in the sink and the other babies went into the bath. Sounds innocent enough but I'm pretty sure this was the best moment in Ashton's little life so far:

Two girls in his tub? Yes please.

I think what made the rest of the day so cute is that everyone continued to hang out in their diapers (uh, babies, not moms). Ashton and Maggie had snacks:

Owen was happy dancing around:

And they ended with a good old fashioned game of "Hey! Let's pull up on a dining room chair and all stand there together!"

It was a really fun time. It made me look forward to all the cool things that we will get to do as Ashton gets older. For now, I'll leave you with his first masterpiece- the best gift that Jason will ever get :)