A Lesson in Battle-Picking

If you only read stories because they accompany pictures or videos, stop here. My mom very graciously mailed back my camera battery charger when I left it in Kentucky. Now that I have some time to post today, the batteries are dead, the charger's missing, and extra batteries are nowhere in sight. Not only that, but sitting in that camera is a great little video of Gabby singing . Yah.
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Recently, Gabby and I were coloring together. (Shout-out to Rachel, the big white table built by Don, and the color-naming contest with the 5 gallon container of crayons.) All adults that color will tell you that it's quite therapeutic. Try it. Anyway, we were coloring and I looked over to see Gabby gripping her crayon the way a Harley rider would grip the handle of his or her bike, except with the index finger sticking out. Wha?! Gabby has long been able to hold crayons/markers/golf pencils with the proper writer's grip. Excuse me, ma'am, are you aware that you were doing 14 months in an almost-3 zone? We are not about to regress in this house! No way, no how! So of course, I suggested that she hold it the way she knows how to.

"No, Mommy. Miss Tracy told me to hold it like this."

Miss Tracy! Why, that back-stabbing preschool teacher!
"Really? Hmmm.... Well, why don't you hold it like this....."

"MOMMY! Don't worry about it! It's not--a big--deal!" (Wish you could get the rhythm of that. Hilarious. So grown.)

Gabby retreated to her picture of Elmo jumping in leaves, and I retreated to the corner to lick my wounds. My almost-3 year old saw the value of the crayon grip properly (where I failed to), AND put in me in my place the same way I would do her.

It turns out that Miss Tracy may have some artistic skill herself. I spoke with the art teacher at school, and holding the crayon that way is training different muscles that real artists use when they sketch or do larger-scale work.

Oh, yeah. I have seen people hold charcoals and pastels that way before. Never mind, Gabby. You were right. It's not a big deal.