Painting Tigers

Sadly, no matter how funny, how special, how touching, or memorable a moment seems at the time it happens, it can still manage to slip past the wispy, winding threads of our memory and get lost forever in the vast labyrinth of all that we have ever thought and experienced in our lifetime.  Thankfully, I have secured many safety nets around me: friends, family, facebook, and my blog, to catch these fading stories before they slip entirely out of my grasp, and recently, through this intricate web I weave, I was able to retrieve a very precious story from Baby Girl's past.

Baby Girl was also a very creative young girl.  She loved crafts and music.  In fact, it has only been in her teenage years that the athletic side of her personality emerged and joined the party.  As much as we adore Sporty Spice, I sometimes miss that little girl who was always covered in glue, paint and glitter and wore crazy sunglasses and a pink, furry boa.

PIGTAILS! 

 

Although Zoe has always been very serious and looks at the world through black and white lens, those lens are bedazzled with pink rhinestones just as they were when she was little.  In spite of her seriousness, this girl has always had a great sense of humour, and there are times still when she can be downright zany.  It's why we love having her around! 

 Anyhoo, time to get back to my long lost story.  Well, recently, my dad posted a picture of the drawing Zoe made him for Christmas on facebook, and one of his friends commented: "Is this the same granddaughter who once . . . .".  When I read the comment, I froze.  I could not remember this moment.  As much as I racked my brain, it was not coming back to me.  Sure, there was a vague recollection but I could not picture it, and I could not remember when it happened or with who.  It really saddened me that this could happen.  Then, yesterday, as I was going through our old photographs, I came across THE picture and the memory came flooding back to me.  Oh, it feels so good to have it back in my possession and to capture it here on my blog so that I will never forget it again.  Now, without further adieu and probably with way too much build-up for such a tiny story, I present:

 A Long Lost Relic from Baby Girl's Childhood

I was in my bedroom putting away laundry when I heard Zoe calling from the living room.

Mom, mom!  Come quick!  I just painted a tiger!

Great, dear!  I will be out in a moment.

No!   You have to come quick!

Okay!

As I came down the hall, I saw Zoe and Elliot standing in front of the easel, I peered around the easel to look at her painting but it was a jumble of brush strokes and splashes of colour.

What a lovely tiger, Zoe.

Not THAT, HIM!

She laughed and pointed to Elliot, who I just realised was covered in black stripes.

tee hee!

We laughed together and thankfully, I had the foresight to run and grab my camera so that this would not be one of those moments that I let slip too quickly from my grasp.

Zoe - almost 4, and Elliot - 6 or 7 months

I love how proud of herself she is in this photo and how eager Elliot was to please his big sister.  Really, things haven't changed much.