Saturday, November 3, 2007

An intervention

The other day while Ben was coloring, I let Clara color as well on her highchair tray. I had done this before, and she had really enjoyed it. She can color right on the tray and because the markers are very washable they come right off her and the tray with ease.

Well this time, I turned around and Clara looked like this.


Then I found this. She has actually bit the end right off the marker and was chewing on it when I found her. I fished out the marker piece, took away the markers, washed her up and removed her from the seat.

The next day, I found her like this:


I am not exactly sure where she got this marker, but she was chomping away on the severed end just like the day before. This was the point I began to become suspicious she may have a bit of a problem. I searched the house for any markers at low levels and instructed the other children that Clara had developed a taste for Crayola Washables and warned them not to be enablers.

Then, later that same day, I walked into the office to find Clara perched on the piano bench (you can see it in the picture) looking like this:


She had climbed up and retrieved the basket of markers FROM THE TOP OF THE PIANO. The girl can't walk two steps but she can make it to the top of the freakin piano to feed her marker nub addiction. It was at that point we realized that all markers in our home must be kept under lock and key for her own good.
Poor thing, she just doesn't seem able to stop herself.
Note: Crayola washable markers are non-toxic and no babies were injured in the photographing of this post. Thank goodness.

8 comments:

Chaotic Joy said...

I have to admit that this was what I was going to post Wed, but I got all antsy when there wasn't a post by 11:30 so I posted it today (Saturday). I am getting a bit intense on this NaBloPoMo thing, always worrying we are going to accidentally break the rules. I'm such a nerd.

I hope that's okay Paige, you can take my Wednesday if you would like. :)

karen said...

1 WMP for your kid forming an addiction before her second birthday. Do you think Crayola Anonymous allows an older sibling to speak the introductions? "Hi, my name is Clara and my mom says I have a problem," might be a bit much for her to handle on her own.

emmay said...

Can you at least feed her generic store-brand markers so her habit doesn't run you into the poor house..markers can be expensive!

Chrissy said...

She looks so strung out in that first picture, Joy. Wonder if there are any withdrawal symptoms for coming down off of Crayola ink.

Anonymous said...

too bad she didn't do this on halloween. she could have been smurfette :)

Chaotic Joy said...

I think it looks more like she ate smurfette.

Anonymous said...

Crayola Anonymous won't help yet. The reason for the addiction problem is obvious. She needs a 12 Step Program while she can still only walk 2!

Lady Epiphany said...

Joy, we've systematically expunged any colored marker that found its way off of the higher shelf. I allow the Magic Wonder markers to find their way onto the art table because when they find their way into little hands, they don't color on anything except Magic Wonder paper.

They aren't as tasty as the regular "washable" variety. Or at least, Lindsay doesn't eat the nibs off of them. Lindsay also prefers the red marker so you're left wondering for a moment if she bit through her tongue or something.