Aspiring Artist

In January, I had the misfortune of what can happen to walls and furniture when you leave a toddler slightly unattended! I was in the kitchen fixing something to eat, while Thevy was in the living room playing or watching TV.

Well, toddlers at this age love to climb and Thevy is no exception. There was a permanent marker that I had previously seen lying on the floor. I picked it up because I did not want Thevy to get a hold of it and placed it on the bookshelf. Well, I apparently picked the absolutely wrong place to put the marker because it still was not out of Thevy's reach!

This particular bookshelf is next to our TV stand, which Thevy can climb. It brought her to the level where she could get her hands on the marker. Well, this all occurred unbeknownst to me as I carried on in the kitchen. The kitchen is adjacent to the living room, so I wasn't far from the little one.

At one point, almost simultaneously, I smelled poop and she came into the kitchen to inform me that she had "poo-pooed". Well, as I met her at the kitchen entrance to prepare to change her, I stopped in my tracks as I witnessed the scrawls on the wall!! I went to examine the scribbles and noticed she had also managed to draw on the armrests of her little Ikea chair, the Miracle piano (remember the keyboard for Nintendo?), and maybe a few inconspicuous marks on a recently acquired (and in good condition) second-hand stroller.

How could she?! Actually, I was mad at Peter for all this. Yes, Peter. Although he wasn't even there and I'm the one who put the marker on the shelf, he's the one who brought the damn thing into the house!! There is no reason why it should have been there period. He has a habit of bringing markers and pens home from work. (I've thrown away countless pens because we have no use for all that ink! We already had a good amount of our own!).

So, yeah... Thevy created a masterpiece and though her most prominent display was on the wall, I was more upset about the chair and the keyboard. You see, the wall can always be painted. But wooden furniture? Plastic keys? I tried to find a solution to permanent marker removal on the Net. I tried a couple suggestions, but none worked for my situation.

I thought of the Magic Eraser, which a friend had once touted a few years ago as having worked on tough stains she encountered at home. I saw it in Target and decided not to get it. I just figured, nothing will get the marker out. Then my doctor, who has two small children, suggested the same thing, even for permanent marker! Well, the other night I finally got around to actually purchasing the Magic Eraser. And you know what?? It worked!! Good old Mr. Clean helped me get the marks off the chair and piano. Now, they are not completely gone, but damn near it!