Planet Plops

The other day when I was at the store I came across this "paint and build your own 3d model of the solar system". Given Nikolai's recent facination with flight and planets I figured I could paint it for him and he could play with it gently (i.e. tear it to bits). I got the thing last Friday, thinking I could paint it over the weekend. Unfortunately I had to work all weekend, and so the painting would just have to wait. The little Solar System model box sat on my night table until just last night (Sunday), when Nikolai noticed it was there and started chirping excitedly about planets and before I could dissuade him, he had the box in his hand, and while tearing it open so fast I couldn't interject was asking me politely "Could we open it, Mama?"
I had already assembled the "model" part by putting the planet hemispheres together and poking the little metal sticks to them and then attaching them to their little posts. All that was left to do was paint the spheres with the inadequate paint colors in the box. He tore it out and started plucking planets off. I guess this is why I bought the thing, but for some reason I was feeling really attached to the idea of the planets being colorful before he played with them.

it's a good thing that's not how it went.

Last night's bath was only made possible by the presence of the planets. The planets splashed, the planets rolled, the planets almost went down the drain. They're all little white boring balls of varying sizes, but it was more exciting to him than anything he's had in a long time.

I was able to confiscate the planets secretly and they're sitting on my desk with me now. I need to get these things painted somehow. Perhaps Sergio will help me.