This began a long time ago when the 30-something crowd were young. We had a whole slew of kids in the clan at the time and coming up with Christmas gifts could be a bit challenging. One year, I decided to paint everybody a sweatshirt geared toward their particular interests or activities. This was back in the days of those shiny, rubbery fabric paints that stuck together when you folded a garment, chipped, cracked, peeled and were laundry nightmares.They must have liked them because by November the following year, they were putting in requests. Most I was able to fulfill. In fact, I only remember one that didn't fully satisfy the requester and I think it was set as a trap to begin with. I collect reindeer things and he knew it and played off of that. His dad is a hunter and they were raised looking forward to being old enough to go on those hunts. He requested a big deer's head, surrounded by a scope. (The telescopic sight on a rifle.) I painted him the deer without the scope. He still mentions that "disappointment" now and then!
The myth that I can do anything has been passed down through the entire clan so the Omaha 5-year-old is usually prepared with a special request for me when I get there. (I ALWAYS travel with paints.)
The request this time was for a "Crocodile With a Heart" on a sleep shirt. Once I found a satisfactory garment to paint, I had to come up with a crocodile off the top of my head. I was confident she would not be technical enough to think it was an alligator as opposed to a croc. Most adults don't know the difference, either.
This was what I came up with. Think she liked it?
Score "1" for the Paint Chump, again.
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