Fabulous Contained Mess Idea

Kids love to make messes!  Anyone that has spent more than 30 seconds with one knows this.  There is that magical age between crawling and about 5 years old where I really think they have secret meetings to share ideas on new and creative ways to make messes.  I can spend 30 minutes cleaning and it is a wreck in 30 seconds. 

I used to spend more time than that cleaning until I realized there was no use.  Luckily, we have a playroom.  I try daily to pick up and throw everything into the playroom.  If I miss a day the house is a complete wreck.  I only clean up the playroom and put everything where it goes once a week.  If I spent more time then this I would go completely mental. 

Brennan is old enough now to help.  She used to suddenly become a deaf mute whenever I asked her to help clean.  Now she will help but the child does everything at a painfully slow pace.  Sometimes when we are super busy, it is just so much easier for me to do it myself. 

Anywho, hubby has a work thing in Myrtle Beach at the end of April for a weekend.  We are going to make a week of it and take the kids.  We are staying in a standard room with two double beds.  Hubby is naturally worried about the cramped quarters.  I am actually really excited about it. 

I think it will be nice to be crammed down each others' throats for a week.  I won't have to cook, do laundry, or clean that much.  Hubby and I can sit on the balcony at night when the kids go to bed and listen to the waves, drink beer, and talk...heaven! 

I was googling different ideas on ways to make our stay easier in such a small space with two young kids.  I read a lot of things but one in particular that struck me as odd was painting in the bathtub.  The more I thought about it, the more I decided it was brilliant.  I thought, if they can do it on vacation, why can't I do it at home. 

So that is what we did today!  Mr Tots wanted to paint but flings everything he touches right now.  Princess B can be trusted completely, but Tots was awake when she wanted to paint and Lord help us all if Mr Tots isn't included in something!  Everyone, myself included, needed a bath so I figured no time like the present to test out my little theory.

Once we convinced Tots that the paintbrush did not go in his mouth it worked fabulously!  They made a huge mess, loved every minute of it, and when they were done I simply turned on the shower and it all magically went away! Once all the paint was gone I got out the cups and paintbrushes and stopped up the bathtub.  I let the shower continue to run until the tub was full.  They loved that too!

From start to finish they were in the tub about an hour and half, maybe longer and they came out squeaky clean and I got cute pics!  I highly recommend this activity and will definitely be doing it again.  Thank goodness it went well because I guarantee you Princess B will wake up tomorrow asking to paint the bathtub again!