The Toddler Workout (Jan 28th 2012)

The tittle might suggest one of those trendy DVD programs for toddlers that will make them more intelligent, better motor coordinated….Nope, I am not referring to any of that. The truth is my toddler daughter who is almost 22 months old gives me a work out. Any time that she is free of her playpen or crib she is a force of nature that never stands stills and never stays out of trouble. She is curious, devious and mischievous. Amazing how little people learn so quick to watch out before they do what they know is a no-no to see if you are looking, how they turn on the “cute” face as soon as they are discovered.
I still think of her as a baby, she still has the baby roundness, the baby thin hair and she still wants the bobbies. But don’t let her looks deceive you, her intellectual capacity and ability to turn my world upside down merits recognition. But today I got justice as one of her infamous deeds backfired on her. She knows better than to mess with the dog’s dish and water bowl. Maybe after today she will remember better…
It was actually very funny. I heard the sound of the bowl (which is stainless steel) hitting something, I turned around and there she is holding it, trying to put it on the dinning room table. As I am staring to rush over saying “Coral put it down” she tries to hurry and do it and then it went into slow motion. Her face was priceless as she tilted the bowl and spilled the whole thing over herself! Her eyes went as round as saucers and she just stood there with her arms up looking at the bowl in amazement at this development. She was totally soaked and the floor became a huge puddle of water all around her.
This are the times it becomes so hard for me not to laugh even if I am feeling angry at their actions, because I have to bring the point across that, THAT is unacceptable behavior. But at the same time the whole picture, specially her facial expression is so comical. The shock of the event caused a good 5 second delay on her putting on the cute act. Of course this was a little difficult to accomplish looking like a wet rat, trying to move out of the crime scene and realizing its slippery. I saw the indecision in her face as she contemplated what to do knowing I am about to grab her and tell her a thing or two. She opted for tilting her head sideways and throwing that smile of hers hoping for the best. Inside I smiled, outside I tried to look stern as I grabbed her and said “the cute act is not going to work, mami us upset with you because you know not to grab the dog’s bowls “. And do not think for one second that she is too young to understand this. I am blessed with very smart children (I believe all kids are actually) and her being the baby has gotten an education already from watching her oldest siblings.
Things like this, well, maybe less wet, are the daily incidents I have multiple times during her waking hours. No matter how much I tried to keep conditions in a way she will not cause trouble (or so I think, but we all know better) , she always manages to find a way. Even from her playpen, siblings beware, “if you sit near I will pull your hair or casually throw a toy at your head. If you leave the Wii controller within my reach I will exit your game without saving, I might hide your favorite toy in some black hole only I know about, leave your coloring picture around and I will tear it up or crumble it and throw it in the trash, leave your snack within reach and I will eat it”.
So yeah, instead of going for a jog, I just ran after her, exercise my biceps by constantly picking her up and removing her from the top of a table, the edge of the couch, her sister’s room, etc., etc. And for all this efforts I get rewarded with sweet giggles, the pitty pat of little running feet, kisses and the best hugs ever : )