Homework?!

On Thursday my husband and I picked up the Firefly from school together. We were handed a piece of paper with a stocking drawn on it and a note that said, "We encourage families to work with their child to create a fun or silly creation on the attached template. Cut out the outlined shape, decorate it and please return to school by Monday, December 9th.". She's five months old and we already have homework? These people are crazy and I love it! For days we contemplated just how are we going to decorate this paper stocking. Then, inspiration and Pinterest smacked me in the face and I came up with a very Bright idea. These people had used their child's thumbprints to create Christmas lights on a canvas. Why not do the same with her fingerprints on the stocking and that way it's not just the parental figures creating a masterpiece. So, like all red-blooded Americans we allowed the Firefly to help us, in part, with her homework.

My husband is a pro at fingerprinting infants

Carefully, with baby in my arms I cut out the stocking. Using red paint for the body and sparkly white for the cuff I painted the shape. Time for the baby's artistic contribution! Gingerly I dipped my darling daughters teeny index in yellow paint, she instantly curled her fingers around my hand and now the back of my hand is covered in yellow. I assist her in placing the first small circle onto the stocking and our battle began as she insisted on bending her finger and I tried not to snap it off we were able to get one more "light" printed on our canvas, as my husband laughed at our attempts. I began explaining to him, very sweetly, that our project is becoming a disaster and BLAM! the baby takes her tiny hand and grabs a fistful of hair. Although yellow looks very pretty on my black haired beauty I was in a fit of hysterics. I laughed for at least 5 minutes and my husband giggled while taking the baby from me to show me the proper way to create an artistic masterpiece with an infant. Of course, he succeeded where I had not and the rest of the "lights" went from fingertip to paper with effortless ease.

All the "lights" done

Once the paint had dried my husband painted on the cords, thus, making the chaotic polka dots into a lovely string of lights.

Creating the string of lights

 I painted on her name and we finished off by gluing some yarn as an outline. I love it and hope the school returns it to us (mostly so I don't have to attempt a recreation).

Finished product

After Note: The baby was bathed and all paint removed from her locks!