Magic Marker Monday — Guess Who?

"It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child."

~Pablo Picasso

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She comes running toward me while I am still in the process of orienting myself to the thought of beginning yet another day. She pounces, waving a brightly colored piece of paper. "Mom!!!! Guess who it is! Guess who I draw-ded!"

I smile as I see the vivid yellow house with 'Jacqui Kyle Mom Dad Dog Cat Love' written scrawled the top. "Why, that must be Kyle!" I reach for it with a grin as she abruptly snatches it away, scowling.

"Noooooooooooooooo!! You guess-ded ALL wrong!"

"I did?"

"Course you did! Dat's not Kyle, Mom! Look ah-gin!"

I stare at the paper once more, perplexed. The second line mentions 'Dad' so I try that. "Daddy?"

"NONONONONO! You gotta look atta picher Mom! Guess who it is?"

"I have no idea, Sweetie."

She rolls her eyes at me in exasperation. "It's STEVE!"

I'm completely lost. "Steve? Who's Steve?"

"Moooooommm! Steve is jess Steve like he all-ays is!" She points at the little dog. "See? Dair's Blue!"

Suddenly it all clicks in place — Steve's green(ish) shirt, the blue(ish) puppy, the yellow house… "Oh! Steve from Blue's Clues! Why of course! You did a lovely job, Jacqui! I just thought it was Daddy or Kyle because that's what you wrote across the top of the picture."

She tilts her head to the side, considering. "Oh, yes. I forgot-ed sum-fin." She attacks the paper with a pencil that materializes out of thin air and adds a third line… "Steve Blou" (Steve, Blue). She hands the picture back with an arched eyebrow and a lurking dimple.

"Ah, perfect! The picture looks just like them and now with their names up above, everyone will know just who you drew! Nicely done, you! May we hang it up on the refrigerator so that everyone can see what a talented little artist you are?"

She giggles with pleasure, slaps her creation to the front of the fridge and darts down the hall in search of tutus and ballet slippers.

I pull her little creation down from the fridge and in for a closer look as I sip my tea and smile.

I just love days that begin like this one!

What about you? What has your little artist been up to lately?

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