Coloring

 The little girls came over to play, well first they wanted “second breakfast “ which is always yogurt and fruit then they do puzzles or get out the blocks and they always ask to color, always! Olivia likes the black sheets and the chalky crayons ( the black sheets wash right off she has no problem with that) Madeline likes the regular old crayons and a coloring book but mostly she likes to build with her crayons but they kept rolling off the table so I put them on a plastic lid. She was very happy lining them up and making occasional marks on the paper. I sat and colored too.  I read in a book this spring Beachfront Bakery: A Killer Cupcake by Fiona Grace about a young woman, Ali, opening a pastry shop and involved in a murder investigation who might have been just a little stressed…..anyway Ali goes into an arts and crafts shop, the owner, Delaney, directs her to a table and tells her to do some coloring while she makes tea for both of them.  Delaney tells her that coloring with her non- dominant hand is a scientifically proven anxiety-busting technique. The book did not have a footnote to back up the claim but I found coloring with my granddaughters to be very relaxing especially on a page with large spaces to color. Those books with the tiny intricate designs might cause rather than eliminate stress.  I wasn’t stressed so I used my right hand.  Ann