Friday 2nd August 2013.

6 months since our baby daughter died.

6 months since we lost Matilda Mae.

6 months since the world as we knew it completely fell apart.

So much has happened since Baby Tilda died.

So much has not happened.

It is such a long time.

Yet no time at all.

6 long months in the blink of an eye.

Some days are bearable

Or at least are manageable

Every day is painful

Every thought and action hurts

Every ray of sunshine

Comes with a heavy rain cloud

Sunshine and showers

Without the rainbow!

Many days the intensity of grief can take you by surprise

Combined with toddler wants, needs and tantrums

Sometimes just getting through a day is truly truly tough

And when the going gets tough?

We get out the Tuff Spot!

It may sound like a silly thing to do.

But play is important to us.

To all of us.

And playing with the right tools and materials.

The right attitude.

Can be incredibly therapeutic.

We are big fans of process art in our house.

It does not matter what you make

It is the making, the doing, the painting that is important.

Esther and William love to paint.

So when the fighting becomes too frequent, the squabbles to stressful

And we all need some time

A release.

We get out the Tuff Spot

To get us out of a tough spot.

And I’d say 9 times out of 10 it works.

We do not very much painting.

Compared to water play and general being outside play

We should paint more.

I have a bit of a problem though …

On this tough day I got the Tuff Spot out, some paints and lots of different painting tools.

Sponges, brushes, stampers and rollers.

Everything that we had.

We chose a spot in the garden and got to work.

To play!

We each had some paper to paint on. Esther and William experimented with different tools and colours.

I decided to paint butterflies using the old folded paper technique.

Esther and William liked them very much and both decided to have a go.

We had varying levels of success and lots of fun.

Esther and William soon returned to making random experimental marks. They were really focused on what they were doing, chatting away and enjoying getting messy in the garden.

As they made their marks I tried to add to them to make their abstract art into something real. Train and track is always a favourite request!

We actually made some rather lovely pictures together.

But then this happened!

Honestly, my children just embrace messy play and I love that they do, but I dare not take them anywhere!!

They had such a wonderful time painting themselves and each other with rollers, stampers, brushes, sponges and just their bare hands.

They squelched in the paint, slid in it, stomped on it, splashed in it like a puddle.

They had such such fun!

And they made a glorious mess!

And it warmed my heart.

It used up their energy

Focused their minds

And made them laugh and play together.

No tears

No tantrums

Then this …

Which I am certain is the equivalent of a spa day when you are three!

Don’t you think?

This is what we do when we need to let off steam.

When we need a way out of a tough spot

We get the Tuff Spot out!

I would love to know what messy play you have been up to.

This post marks the start of Messy Play for Matilda Mae.

A weekly Saturday link up for all your messy and sensory play posts.

Please do come and join us for messy, sensory fun.