Friday, December 28, 2012

Poop In The Tub

One fine day before Christmas, Son #2 was enjoying a warm and refreshing bath.  He played with his duckies and choo choo trains.  He tossed the wash cloths out onto the floor.  Son #2 was having a grand old time.

Sometimes, I laughed and talked to him as he played.  Other times, I would browse through a magazine.  While flipping through the magazine pages, I happened to look up and noticed Son #2 had stopped playing.

There he stood, hands gripping the edge of the tub.  His face was tense and slightly red.  He made little grunting noises.  For a second, I wondered what was happening.  Then, I realized he was about to poop in the tub. 

NOOOOOO!!!!!!  NOT POOP IN THE TUB!!!!!!

I scrambled to grab Son #2 before the poo splashed into the water.  As I lifted him into the air, I glanced at his rear below and beheld a turd about to fall.  Quickly, I rushed him to the potty chair. 

______!!!!!!  THE LID WAS DOWN!!!!!!

My foot fumbled with the lid of the potty chair as I held Son #2 in outstretched arms.  The lid finally lifted and I swooped him toward the seat.  Just before he landed, the turd fell in an arc to the floor.

I hung my head in defeat. 

Son #2 laughed and clapped on the potty. 

I reached for toilet paper and cleaning supplies.

I guess I should be grateful that the poop had a near miss with the tub and not a direct hit.

Skills

A few weeks ago, we went downtown to check out the water gardens.  The weather was perfect with its cool, light breeze and gentle sun shining down upon us.  The kids were amazed by the waterfalls, pools, fountains, and structures. 

One particular structure caught Son #1's attention.  This structure is named The Mountain.  The Mountain juts into the air with its narrow ledges that are tempting for anyone to climb.  My husband, Son #1, Son #1's Tio, and I gave in quickly to the temptation and scaled the ledges to the top.

At the top, Son #1 raced across the peaks with joy.  His Tia, who had climbed up a gentler slope, warned him to be careful.  My husband chased Son #1 up and down one of the slopes as he laughed and screamed. 

Soon, it was time to explore more of the garden.  Most of the group slowly made their way down The Mountain ledges.  Son #1 was not so cautious.  He hopped from ledge to ledge without a care in the world. 

Tia chided.  "Be careful.  You don't want to fall and hurt yourself."

Son #1 confidently responded.  "It's OK.  I'VE GOT SKILLS."

Then with the grace of Dall Sheep on Alaskan mountains, Son #1 danced down the rest of The Mountain.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Chasing Moths

One evening, Son #2 was up late resisting sleep.  My mom stopped by to pick up my brother and we all sat down to talk for a while.  Son #2 toddled around the room fully aware that he had won the "night night" battle.

Suddenly, Son #2 spotted a moth flitting around the living room.  He stopped to gaze at this tiny creature.  A smile formed on his little mouth.  He giggled and began to chase the moth. 

The moth lilted from the sofa to the coffee table completely unaware of the danger that lay behind it.  The moth lingered on the corner.  Son #2 crept up to the moth and patted it lightly.  The moth sailed away in fright.  Fortunately, the frail moth was not damaged.  Son #2 followed the moth's path with his eyes and watched it settle onto the piano.  Then, he ran to catch the intriguing little creature with glee.

This game continued on for a while until I felt pity for the poor little moth.  Gently, I scooped my avid moth chaser into my arms and cuddled him close to me.  He sighed and gave me a kiss on the cheek.  Then, Son #2 rested his head against my shoulder as he gave in to sleep.

Night night and sleep tight.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Silly Humans

Son #2 has learned to clap and wave. 

One Saturday afternoon while spending time with our extended family, Son #2 decided he would show off his new skills.  His eyes sparkled as he stood to clap.  Instantaneously, everyone in the room joined him in clapping and cheered for his new found skill.  Son #2 beamed with pride and babbled about his accomplishment. 

A few moments later, Son #2 began to clap again.  Once again, we joined him clapping and cheering.  Son #2 chattered and laughed. 

Seconds after his big clapping bonanza, Son #2 began to wave and say.  "Bye bye."  We oohed and ahhed.  Then, we began to wave as well. 

Realizing his awesome power over us, Son #2 immediately started clapping again.  We all began to imitate his clapping at once until his Tio (Uncle) commented.  "You know...Son #2 is probably thinking. 'Look at these guys.  They do everything I want them to do.  Silly humans.'"

The Stairs

One lovely and crisp fall day, we went to Abuelita's (Grandma's) to have lunch.  Son #1 was thrilled to be there and immediately raced up the stairs to play with the toys in the playroom.  My husband, Son #2, and I joined the rest of the family downstairs as my mom and sister put the finishing touches on the meal.  From downstairs, we could hear Son #1's little voice talking away in his imaginative play.

Finally, the food was done and Abuelita called out to Son #1 and my brother.  "Hey guys!  The food is ready!  Come down and eat!"

Son #1 shouted.  "I'm coming!"

My brother appeared at the top of the stairs and made his way down to the kitchen.  However, Son #1 was lingering upstairs.  I called out to him.  "Hurry Baby!  We're hungry!"

We waited for a few minutes and then noticed Son #1 creeping to the top of the stairs.  My sister said.  "What are you doing?"

Son #1 replied.  "Nothing."

My husband retorted impatiently.  "Hurry and get down here.  What are you waiting for?  New Years?"

Son #1 giggled and stood up.  To our surprise, he had stripped down to his shirt and underwear.  We blinked a bit as Son #1 proceeded to slide on his stomach down the stairs.  With our eyebrows arched, we watched him cruise toward the kitchen.  Son #1 nonchalantly joined us at the table. 

Apparently, Son #1 had decided to make himself VERY comfortable at Abuelita's house.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Climbing, Climbing, Climbing

Son #2 is learning to climb...everything.  Nothing in our house is safe.  We can not leave him alone in any room for a second before he begins his ascent of whatever is in front of him.  Maybe for Christmas, I will buy him a climbing rope, shoes, chalk, and carabiners.  An ice axe may also help my adventurous toddler in his quest to the top of anything in our house.  He is definitely my husband's son.  Somewhere out there, my mother-in-law is laughing with delight and a tiny dose of revenge.

Yesterday, Son #2 learned to climb onto the couch.  He struggled with the task as he persistently swung his left leg up to the top of the seat cushion.  Little screams of frustration erupted over and over again.  I watched with mild amusement.  However, I was not going to help him. 

I know that climbing is just another step in child development but it is also destructive to my knick knacks and lamps.  All I want for Christmas is for my breakable items to survive this climbing phase.