Chenford family

Alexander's Peanut Butter Picasso

One chilly Saturday morning, Lucy and Tim were in the kitchen getting breakfast ready when they noticed things had been unusually quiet for a while. That was never a good sign. Alexander, their almost two-year-old, had been busy stacking blocks on the living room floor a moment ago, but now... silence.

Lucy wiped her hands on a towel and gave Tim a knowing look.
Lucy- You go first. I'll back you up.

Tim chuckled and tiptoed toward the living room. When he peeked around the corner, he had to stifle a laugh. There, standing in the middle of the room, was Alexander, completely covered in his own masterpiece: a thick layer of peanut butter from head to toe.

Everywhere they looked—his cheeks, his little hands, his shirt, even his hair—was smeared with a generous coating of sticky, brown peanut butter. Beside him, the open jar lay on its side, with a little trail leading back to the kitchen counter where he'd apparently reached it.

Tim called back to Lucy, his voice trying to sound stern but barely holding back laughter.
Tim- Luce, we've got a peanut butter Picasso in here!

Lucy came over, and her eyes widened at the sight of her toddler proudly showing off his "work of art."
Lucy- Oh, Alex... what did you do?

Alexander beamed up at her with a huge grin.
Alexander- I'm toast!

Tim nearly lost it, clapping a hand over his mouth to keep from bursting out laughing.
Tim- You're what, buddy?

Alexander held his hands up, showing them his work, and nodded with serious enthusiasm.
Alexander- Toast! Like Mommy makes.

Lucy's eyes sparkled with a mix of horror and amusement, hands on her hips.
Lucy- Sweetheart, you wanted to be the toast?

Alexander nodded proudly, looking very pleased with himself.
Alexander- Toast like Mommy. And sticky!

Tim knelt down to Alexander's level, managing to keep a straight face for all of two seconds.
Tim- Well, buddy, you sure nailed the "sticky" part.

Lucy stifled a laugh and shook her head.
Lucy- Alright, Mr. Toast, let's get you cleaned up.

Tim picked out the boy, holding him away from him to make sure nothing else gets peanut buttery. Finally, as Tim lifted him into the tub, Alexander looked up, a little bashful.

Alexander- No more toast?

Tim chuckled, trying to keep his hands in the bathtub.
Tim- No, buddy. No more toast.

After they got Alexander settled in the tub, Lucy turned to Tim with a playful glint in her eye.
Lucy- How about a little game of rock-paper-scissors? Loser cleans the peanut butter kid.

Tim raised an eyebrow, a grin spreading across his face.
Tim- You're on!

They both faced each other, hands at the ready.
Tim threw rock, and Lucy threw scissors.
Tim: Ha! I win!

Lucy- Best two out of three?

They played again. This time, Tim threw paper, and Lucy threw rock.
Tim- Yes! I'm on a roll!

Lucy- Okay, last round! No way you're going to win again!
Tim smirked as they played the final round.

Lucy threw paper, and Tim threw scissors.
Tim- I'm the champion!

Tim pumped his fists in victory while Lucy rolled her eyes dramatically.
Lucy- Ugh, fine! Guess I'm stuck with the peanut butter Picasso.

Tim laughed and gave her a playful nudge.
Tim- Good luck! I'll be downstairs, enjoying my coffee!

Lucy stepped over to the tub and groaned softly as she began the arduous task of cleaning up Alexander. She filled a small cup with water and began rinsing the sticky layers of peanut butter from his skin. The first rinse hardly made a dent; the water was brown and gloppy, and Alexander giggled at the sight of it.

After several minutes of rinsing and scrubbing, Lucy had to change the water. Twice. By the time she finished, her hands were wrinkled and sore from the effort, but at least Alexander seemed like he has fun.

Finally, she grabbed a towel, wrapped it around Alexander, dried him off, and dressed him in fresh clothes.
Lucy- All clean! No more peanut butter toast!

Alexander grinned, completely unfazed by his earlier sticky adventure.
Alexander- I wanna be jelly next time!

Lucy laughed, shaking her head in disbelief.
Lucy- Let's maybe stick to being a regular kid for a while, okay?

As they left the bathroom, Tim was still lounging in the kitchen, coffee in hand.
Tim- How did it go? Is my little toast all cleaned up?

Lucy shot him a playful glare.
Lucy- Yes, and I believe you owe me a for that cleaning job!

Tim laughed, knowing he'd be fetching more than just coffee after this morning's adventure.