A family portrait

Take a look at this photo. See anyone familiar? In fact, this seemingly random configuration of blocks is actually a well-thought-out portrait of our family. Matt and I can't sign our name to this artwork, nor can Kalina, although I bet she was your first thought. No--little Elise is the one who has figured out how to design representations of real objects using materials at hand. She's the one behind this, and, fortunately, she explained her picture to me as she went.

While Kalina was playing in the yard with the neighbor girl (a feat astounding in itself!), Elise and I pulled out these blocks to entertain ourselves. We possibly would've conquered something more productive, such as the putting away of the laundry, had we not both been awake for two hours last night, nor napped very well (if at all). Magnetic picture blocks for us.

Elise swiftly and decidedly grabbed the large purple circle first, and plunked it onto the board. Next came another purple block, then the two small yellow circles.

"Elise!" she told me, pointing to her work. Wow--a self-portrait! I was already impressed, but it got better.

The girl added a blue arc, calling it a rainbow. Next, she put a medium-sized blue circle into place. "What's that?" I wondered. Elise, not offended that I couldn't interpret her masterpiece, told me it was her tongue, then demonstrated. After that, another blue piece for "hair," a green piece that she labeled a "shh!" (likely something having to do with sleeping), and a small orange square, which she since grabbed and held in her hand because, as she told me, it's Bear. All of these matched up quite anatomically--even the little orange square Bear, when originally placed, was where Elise's hand would be, as if it were being held.

After this, she slowed down, so I made her pose for a picture, which she obligingly did. Then it was on to Kalina.

We made a mini leaf pile for
Lamby and Pink Bear, and then
I convinced the girls to pose in it
for me.

Elise plunked down a couple pieces for Kalina (yellow square for her head, orange trapezoid thing for hair, yellow arc for, I'm assuming, arms or a body). Then she gave Kalina a purple "rainbow," and immediately realized her mistake. Fortunately, magnetic Kalina was happy to trade Elise for the blue one (pictured). Magnetic Elise was then granted three other purple rainbows, earning herself quite a collection.

Kalina received an orange rectangle that Elise was careful to point out represented shoes--one on each short end. The green thing is a "shh" and the orange square I can only assume is Lamby, or whichever stuffed animal Kalina happens to be carrying at the time.

I then convinced Elise to make Daddy. She began with a green circle (the girls have assigned Daddy green as his favorite color--it is not) and added seemingly random shapes until she was finished. To me, he looks like a hummingbird; to Matt, like a handgun.

"What about Mommy?" I hoped for something cute. Elise reluctantly, yet full of good will, handed me a yellow zigzag--no more, no less. There were, by the way, plenty of blocks left.

"Can we put it on the board and I'l. get a picture?" My request was not granted until about the fourth time, and even then I was shoved into a corner (I'd originally placed myself in the wide open space next to Daddy). I took my picture before she could change her mind.

Then we made an elephant, which Elise added the trunk to, demonstrating to me with her arm how it was used.

Am I right to be astonished?