Chalk it up as one of the dumbest things I’ve done in a while.
You parents out there know that before your child is able to walk, they need things to keep them occupied. Things such as chew toys, rattle toys, shake toys and unnumbered rainbow-colored toys that you can buy at the store. You also know that these kinds of toys don’t really work – at least not very long. Babies are surprising in their abilities to develop familiarity with their possessions. Once a toy has been chewed on for several days, they begin to ignore it. This is why a toy handed over the bench from a neighboring small family at church to your 9 month old is about 10 times more valuable than the 15 toys you’ve painstakingly remembered to pack and bring along. This is also why forbidden objects are a source of fascination – objects such as keys, pens, coins, etc.
So as a parent of a 9 month old, you’re used to grabbing moments when you can, moments when your child is occupied with a thing for several seconds at a time – a moment long enough to take a few bites of your cold meal, or clear the table, or fold some clothes or whatever it is that you were trying to do. You’re used to finding new and interesting objects that will keep their attention – a tube of cream while you change a diaper, a plastic cup while you prepare their cereal, a washcloth while you give them a bath.
So one day I’m trying to grab a few minutes and I swipe a small plastic bottle of red paint from Lyric’s craft table and hand it off to Maggie in her high chair. I don’t think twice about it and whisk myself off to the kitchen. (Maggie grins with devilish glee) I return in a few seconds to find the obvious – Maggie and the high chair drenched in red paint. I nimbly try to “clean up” the mess before Mommy comes downstairs to discover the latest hair-brained situation Daddy got himself in. But cleaning up a puddle of red paint in the shape of a baby is no easy task. By the time it’s said and done, Maggie and I are wearing new clothes, our olds ones will never be the same, and the high chair still has a faint red tint. Somehow Maggie learned how to open bottles, and it was the perfect time to show off her new skill. Daddy also learned a lesson that day – don’t give bottles of paint to babies.
You parents out there know that before your child is able to walk, they need things to keep them occupied. Things such as chew toys, rattle toys, shake toys and unnumbered rainbow-colored toys that you can buy at the store. You also know that these kinds of toys don’t really work – at least not very long. Babies are surprising in their abilities to develop familiarity with their possessions. Once a toy has been chewed on for several days, they begin to ignore it. This is why a toy handed over the bench from a neighboring small family at church to your 9 month old is about 10 times more valuable than the 15 toys you’ve painstakingly remembered to pack and bring along. This is also why forbidden objects are a source of fascination – objects such as keys, pens, coins, etc.
So as a parent of a 9 month old, you’re used to grabbing moments when you can, moments when your child is occupied with a thing for several seconds at a time – a moment long enough to take a few bites of your cold meal, or clear the table, or fold some clothes or whatever it is that you were trying to do. You’re used to finding new and interesting objects that will keep their attention – a tube of cream while you change a diaper, a plastic cup while you prepare their cereal, a washcloth while you give them a bath.
So one day I’m trying to grab a few minutes and I swipe a small plastic bottle of red paint from Lyric’s craft table and hand it off to Maggie in her high chair. I don’t think twice about it and whisk myself off to the kitchen. (Maggie grins with devilish glee) I return in a few seconds to find the obvious – Maggie and the high chair drenched in red paint. I nimbly try to “clean up” the mess before Mommy comes downstairs to discover the latest hair-brained situation Daddy got himself in. But cleaning up a puddle of red paint in the shape of a baby is no easy task. By the time it’s said and done, Maggie and I are wearing new clothes, our olds ones will never be the same, and the high chair still has a faint red tint. Somehow Maggie learned how to open bottles, and it was the perfect time to show off her new skill. Daddy also learned a lesson that day – don’t give bottles of paint to babies.
MAGGIE PLOTS HER NEXT STRIKE . . .
3 comments:
Sorry but I'm laughing at your dilemma. I'm sure it wasn't fun cleaning up though. I don't envy you on that one. The Maggie pics are AWESOME!!! She is soooooooooo cute. Even if she does put red paint all over the high chair. :)
For the Maggie stories, guess they are not just stories, real life experiences. She is worth all the messes, believe it or not. She is so very cute. Wish I could see her in person.
She was cuter when she wasn't mischievous.
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