From hip attachment to helper

3 years ago....  my little hip attachment.  He often accompanied us to social gatherings with paint dashed across his forehead, hands, knees....

2 years ago....  insisting on painting mommy's things.  With real paint.  Apparently crayola washable paint is not "real".

Present day....  Still insisting.  It's much easier if he doesn't help.  I mean, I'm constantly cleaning up the drip marks, reminding him how deep to dip the brush, and freaking out as he wipes up the drips on the dirty ground with his paint brush.  But how can I not let him "help" when he says things like "Mommy, we're really working together as a team, aren't we?",  as he did while we worked on this chair together, and in his most serious voice "If someone calls for me, you just tell them I'm busy, okay?".

Now this is a good job for the little guy, and he takes it quite seriously.  Scrape away, Honey. 

Thankfully, this little disaster waiting to happen isn't too interested in helping me paint yet, and doesn't know the difference between Valspar and Crayola when he is.