Another breakthrough

This marker set is the best purchase I made this month. We weren't doing so well with the crayons...mostly because Qq is more interested in eating them than drawing with them. She liked my art markers, but couldn't be persuaded not to draw on the hardwood floor in permanent ink. So while on an art supply run, she and I found these markers that only color on their own special paper. I put the pad on her highchair table, and.....presto!
One happy and well-occupied QQ!
I can't tell you how it does my heart good to see her drawing, finally, and actually getting really into it. The first few times I got her to scribble on her floor pad, all she would do was a quick side to side scrawl...only to be immediately distracted by something that interested her more.
These pens, however, really hold her attention. She's eager to use them, and reaches out for the pad when she sees it. And she'd focusing enough to really start learning how a pen works in her hand. This is the first time, in fact, that it seems pretty clear she's right handed.
With the crayons, she'd grab them with any which hand, and usually attempt to use the wrong end. She also had a clumsy way of grabbing them backward in her fist and then flipping the fist so that the wrong side of the pen/crayon always hit the paper.
With these, even just in the first hour, I could see her adjusting the pen in her hand and figuring out which way to hold it for maximum effect. (Here you can see her adjusting it with her left hand to get it in the right position) She now also pays attention to which end is the "business end" of the marker.
I just love the intentness and pleasure on her face.


This is how she shows when she's especially fond of a particular posession: either she kisses it, or she presses it to her cheek. She still does this with my hand sometimes, and it always makes me melt into a little puddle of butter on the floor.
Even though she's started favoring her right hand the majority of the time, she's still very capable of ambidexterity.
Readjusting her pen again. Look how she's concentrating.

Here I think she's actually just practicing her nunchuck moves. I'm not sure.