Last year my girls showed up at Vision Fest due to a lack of childcare. Josh really wanted to experience the event. He’s such a supportive hubby but I digress. While the girls were hanging out watching tv, they eventually came out to see exactly what we were doing. After seeing all the tearing, cutting, gluing and painting they demanded that they be allowed to partake. I honestly didn’t have the heart to say no.
Once they got situated and ready to create they asked, so what exactly are we making – what do we do? Hmmm… good question. My forte is teaching adults not children, so my go-to tactics were not going to work here. Instead, I gave them one simple prompt, find images that make you happy and together we created Happy Boards.
As Maddy and I chatted while looking at her 2019 board, she shared with me that the board reflected several key happy moments from the last year.
Eating Gelato with You
Maddy recalled all the times we stopped at Essan Thai this past summer and got gelato. She said the gelato makes her happy but being with me made it a favorite memory. Not going to lie, my heart melted a bit at this moment.
My Puppies
Maddy pointed to the puppies on her board and said these remind her of Aly and Molly. Our puppies make her happy.
I love to Paint!
Seeing the paint colors that she had added to the board served as a beautiful reminder of her inner artist. Maddy loves to paint.
I love Make-Up!
Maddy’s board has several images of make-up, which is something that she loves. I also laugh when she comes downstairs with a little bit of eye shadow and lip gloss. When I make any sort of comment, she is always in complete denial.
Sports with Dad
Maddy pointed at the M&Ms holding a baseball bat and said the image reminds her of the times she gets to go to baseball games or play sports with her Dad. She says those are some of her favorite memories.
When I asked Maddy if she had one big takeaway from 2019 after looking at her board. She pointed at the image of the brain and the excited individual surrounded by colorful candy. She said,
“I sometimes get crazy but the brain reminds me that I’m smart and I can do anything!”
Maddy smeltzer
PS- If you have a little one that would benefit from a Happy Board, they are welcome to attend a Create Session with you!
Sincerely,
