We are, all of us individuals. That ought to be common knowledge. It should also be kept top of mind – especially with two very individual beings coming into their own right in front of me.

I’ve been lackluster in the arts and crafts department lately, primarily due to baby # 3 (still in the womb) wrecking general havoc on my person. Today I vowed to turn things around and googled “fail-safe fun for toddlers.” A sensory-play food coloring yogurt event seemed exciting, and all the necessary ingredients resided in fridge and pantry. We were off.

Except my children are like me.  Apparently not at all like those other children providing google’s glowing review.

The towel was laid down on the kitchen floor. A long shallow pan placed between the two kids. Yogurt plopped in eight piles (four for each child) and food coloring at the ready. K identified each color as I squeezed a drop onto a pile and then the fun was to begin. Glorious mixing of color and yogurt with bare hands. Squeals of delight while squishing oozy goo. Sly tasting of that one particularly brilliant shade of blue yogurt.

K and I looked at each other, neither eager to mess up our hands. J eyed the largest chunk hungrily, caring not a wit about the drop of food coloring slowly inking across the white. With words of encouragement I plopped my hand onto J’s yellow yogurt pile, mixing the color in and motioning for K to do likewise. The precious girl did, albeit reluctantly. At approximately the same moment I hit sensory overload, K lifted her hand to me and asked, “Wash my fingers please Mom?”

J took advantage of my preoccupation with K to gobble the blue pile. I cheered him on, to his delight. K and I grabbed spoons to mix the rest of the colors. The fun increased exponentially.

In the end, we all enjoyed ourselves immensely. It was a false start with a great ending. Other kids may thrill to the touch of slime and overlook tempting food for art’s sake. But with kiddos like their mama, bring the spoons and bibs. We are interested in staying clean and eating well, individuals with style.