Then two days ago Leona asked if they could use some of it, but she didn't know how they should use it, so I suggested they paint some pictures and then shake some glitter over their paintings. Because the glitter pours out quickly, I stood with them at first, holding Cedrik in my arms, and showed them how big, or rather small, the opening of the glitter boxes should be. Then I took the fussy boy to the bedroom to see if he would sleep.
[Leona's painting on the top, and Eliana's on the bottom]
The girls finished their paintings and then asked if they could add the glitter to their soap play (I have bought in tons of cheap hand soaps that they play with in the bath tub as well as in their kitchen play). I said sure, but just take a little glitter at a time, and keep the play in the bathroom.
I saw them running back and forth between the glitter stash at the kitchen table and the bathroom, chattering and organizing away, sometimes hearing an "oops" and "that's ok, we can just vacuum ['suge-suge' as Eliana says in Norwegian] it up later" every once in a while (as they also would go via the living room carrying the glitter).
[a random glitter pile on their trek from the kitchen to the bathroom via the living room]
After Cedrik had taken a short nap and I had had some peaceful relaxing time, he woke up and I was busy with his fussiness again. About 3-3.5 hours after they had started painting, they came to me and asked if I wanted to see.
[bird's eye view]
[close-up]
Ends up 'just a little at a time' didn't hold as long as I had hilariously assumed. Really should have known better when it's Eliana we're talking about. All four glitter boxes were empty. As were three-four hand soaps.
I dropped Cedrik off downstairs with my mom, pulled out the vacuum, and tried to salvage as much of the dry glitter as well as the glitter soap as I could, so that it could be used during play again at a later date.
[far left the salvaged glitter, three remaining glitter boxes now full of glitter soap - as were two additional hand-soaps]
Next day it continued.
[day two, they found some bar soaps that they scraped with plastic knives and added the shavings to the mix]
[our new reality - post clean-up but pre vacuum day two]
Because of all the glitter on the floor in the play room, there is now some serious sparkle that has been walked out all over the house. Kind of pretty actually - hehe. Ugh.
[day three, just getting started]
[deep in the mix of things - cake, hot chocolate, whipped cream...tomorrow is Eliana's birthday apparently. adding to the mix today is cut up toilet paper rolls and other bits of paper]
Due to the increased complexity of the glitter soap mix, I'm not sure how many more days this is going to be able to last. Plus during each clean up loads of it gets washed down the sink. But they're loving it, which is the whole aim of having this stuff, right?
I mean, at first I was thinking shoot, all the glitter stash, at once~! But...seriously hours and hours and hours of busy play. That's what it's for, really. Pretty great to just be able to let them play their play.
(Well, ok, so I totally put restrictions on them. Water has to stay in the bathroom, and the glitter goop has to stay in the play room or in the bathroom.)
(Well, ok, so I totally put restrictions on them. Water has to stay in the bathroom, and the glitter goop has to stay in the play room or in the bathroom.)
.
