A Day in the Life
June 16th, 2010Today has been a rare day without TV. Not that Violet watches a TON of TV, but ideally, for us, she would watch none. It’s just that, sometimes I need to use the stove or something, and I need her distracted and to stay put. And then sometimes, she is just blue, and nothing seems to work, and then I say, “Do you want to watch Madeline?” and she grins and gets all happy. Madeline is a very effective mood-lifter here.
Anyway, no TV today, but let me tell you why sometimes if I need to do something besides watch her every move I have little choice but to put her in front of the TV for a bit. So just now I was trying to get some laundry done. First she played in her room. Then I had to take a break from laundry to clean up the broken light bulb in her room. Then she played downstairs. Then I had to take a break from laundry to vacuum flour off of Violet’s arms and legs and the entire—yes, the ENTIRE—first level floor. It smelled like a bakery in here for the second time this week (earlier in the week, she got into the spices and decided our living room needed a dash of cinnamon—in every square inch).
When I found her with the flour, she knew she had been caught. Immediately, she said, “I sorry!” She said it about four times, shrugging her shoulders, and the tone she used was one you might use if, say, you accidentally stepped on someone’s toe in line at the grocery store. Like, “Oops! Clumsy me! I got into the flour!”
June 16th, 2010 at 4:31 am
I really shouldn’t laugh so hard when I read these posts. It’s going to come back to haunt me!
June 16th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
I love these Violet vignettes, and I love that she seems to enjoy decorating your home with foodstuffs. A girl after my own heart.
June 17th, 2010 at 1:41 am
At least ALL of my Grandaughters like to cook (or pretend to). I think it is a self defense mechanisim, so that they know they can get a home cooked meal some times, even if they have to prepare it themselves.
A parents best laugh is when their grandaughters do something like their mothers used to do to us. I am reminded of a darling little Auburn haired cutey who decorated the entire bathroom in Johnson’s Baby Powder, while sitting on the potty. What an absolute genius and a marvelous physical feat.
It looked like Christmas in July. And was probably as hard to clean up as flour is.
Are’nt we having fun now?
June 17th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Before I had kids of my own, I can remember going into the houses of people that had them and thinking “These poor little kids! They have to live in this mess! Why doesn’t this woman keep her house clean?”
Watching kids is a full-time job and cleaning up after them is another full time job. There’s no way one person can do both. You just do the best that you can and take comfort in the knowledge that other people with children will understand why your house smells like dirty diapers and your beds aren’t made and you’re sitting on the floor playing puzzles with a two year old.
June 23rd, 2010 at 3:07 am
This child is absolutely the most adorable little girl. She makes me smile and laugh completely out of control when I read of her adventures. Steve and Pauline are so proud of her.