A Frog Says Ribte?

I should not be mean, but I might be anyway, so if you still consider me to have no vicious bones in my body, please stop reading now so you can maintain the illusion.

We took the girls over to the Vineyard Carnival that the school puts on. They did a really good job getting it organized and I was impressed with how many people turned out for the event. It was perfect for our girls. We bought them each two dollars in tickets and once those were gone, we called it a night. They used their tickets for fun, silly stuff like the fish pond and balloons. We bought popcorn and cotton candy and enjoyed getting all sticky. They even had face painting (which many of you know, I adore). Naturally I got all the girls in line and it was only two tickets.

Ivory was up first. I was a little surprised to see that they were using craft paint (which isn't the best for face painting) but I guess you work with what you can get. But then, as this girl began to paint Ive's face, I wondered where they found her? It must have been all volunteer, but people, don't volunteer if you can't paint basic shapes. Some of the other face painters had stencils to help, and others had natural artistic ability. The girl we sat down with apparently had neither. I almost asked if I could do the painting myself. I had to remind myself that the girls aren't going to care, and they would only notice if their mom raised a fuss. So I sat there and cringed as this girl tried to paint hearts (I've seen June draw better hearts!). I should not be so cruel...after all, this girl was volunteering her time and she could probably have been off playing with her friends (although I secretly wished she had chosen that option). I think it is the perfectionist in me. Ivory got a passable flower on her cheek, and June ended up with two blurry hearts. And then my lovely little Robyn requested something unique. I didn't hear the request, so I was watching with wonder as the girl starting painting this strange thing on Robyn's face. I didn't want to be rude (and I had held my tongue until now) but I finally asked, "What is that?"

"It's a frog." She said. "I've never painted a frog before." (or hearts apparently, I thought). At this point I am trying to morph my emotions from annoyed to amused as I watched her paint a brown streak on Robyn's cheek that was supposed to be the frog's tongue. Then to put icing on the cake, she looks at her handy work and decides to herself that people may not be able to tell it's a frog, so she says, "I'll just write ribbit on the side." And then in green paint, she writes "Ribte."

I wonder if anyone has actually died of laughter…

So her talents do not lie in art or spelling. I hope she is good at math or history. At the very least she was a very pretty girl who is probably much nicer than I am (although that wouldn't take much now would it?).
Anyway, I know you have been waiting anxiously for the pictures. They probably aren't even as bad as I made them seem and like I said, the girls didn't even notice. In fact when I was talking to Tyler about Ivory's 'funny' flower, June said, "I like her flower." This is a good sign. Hopefully June will turn out kinder than her mother as well...




This is your frog...This is your frog on drugs...Seriously a frog?