My Artsy Kid

I know that all moms dote on their kids but as of late I've been noticing a change in my son Clyde's artistic abilities. He seems to have an eye for color and the things he draws are actually looking like what he says they are. I know that this happens to most 4-year-olds but this is MY 4-year-old .
Last week he told me that he wanted to make something for his new friend Lila. We had planned on making a frame because, well, this is what I do. We went to Hobby Lobby because I have only my glue stick and scissors here as art supplies. He picked out a wooden dinosaur for it and then began picking out papers. He even picked the puffy paint for her name. The only problem was that we couldn't find the frames we usually use so we settled on a jewelry box. This took a bit of discussing since he wanted to use a treasure chest that Lila herself would fit into. When we got home he tore the paper and told me where to glue everything... Sorry not letting the boy loose with glue in an apartment that contains some one elses furniture... This is what he came up with.Then there are the drawings. Every day it's something new. I bought him a spiral notebook and Grandma had given him some washable markers both of which he loves but his medium of choice
seems to be his travel size Magna-Doodle. (Think modernized etch-a-sketch.) The other day he showed me his fruit people, "Mr. Pear and Mr. Apple". He wasn't completely happy with the apple though because his arm ended up looking like a funny nose. I just couldn't believe that they actually looked like fruit.

And then of course there's PLANKTON. You may know him from Sponge Bob.

I always say that I don't care what my children do as long as it makes them happy but if Clyde should become an artist, either as a hobby or for a living, I'll do a secret little happy dance and then start living my life vicariously through him... Isn't that what every good mom is supposed to do? ;o)

No!

No. I say it all day everyday. 'I said no.', 'No you can't stick your tongue on there', 'No you can't buy an elephant', 'No, your sister does NOT want to see what happens when you put that in your mouth', 'No, you can't have a puppy'. Seriously, it's all day. I'm lucky if it gets 'heard' about every tenth time. If it's not 'no' then it's 'don't' or 'stop' or 'put that down'. It's exasperating. It wears me out.
I'll admit, there are times I just give in. It's not usually when the question refers to playing in traffic or with knives. Those are fights I'm still managing to have the upper hand in. But, if the question is something like 'Just one more Sponge Bob, please...' I'll often cave after the third or fourth time.
Lately I'm caving pretty quickly. We're staying in a 2 bedroom apartment for the summer and I don't want to wake up the neighbors at 6am over an argument about the benefits of a banana over Lucky Charms for breakfast. They haven't been able to win the cake for breakfast battle yet, though.
I know that the rugrats have banned together and work this ploy as a team. They drive me nuts, wear me out and then start asking questions. Clyde's tactic? Keep asking and asking and asking and talking and talking and talking. Claudia's? Point, scream, throw self on floor. When they do this simultaneously it creates quite a ruckus.
I love my kids. I do. Really. I swear. Yep. Some days it's just a good thing that they're cute. :-)