Because there are some lessons you can never learn enough
There are some lessons, when you become a parent, that should never be forgotten, or else the Universe will make sure that you remember them. Lessons like:
- no matter how well you secure a drawer, your child will manage to open it and jam their fingers between the top and the box of tea that’s in there;
- toddlers have a right to change their mind about that yogurt they wanted – after you’ve opened the container
- If you try to force the yogurt on them, they will throw it and it will go everywhere;
- if your child is not potty trained, never leave the house without at least one extra diaper and some wipes;
I have relearned these lessons a few times over the last few days.
Last night, she was playing with our kitchen trolley and suddenly started yelling “Stuck! Mama! Stuuuuuuuuck!”
So I went and unjammed her fingers from between the box of tea and the top of the little drawer it was in.
Today, I struck out for Superstore because we needed groceries and the Poptart needed new shoes. Darren had to work for a few hours, so when he got back, we both headed out. I grabbed her snack bag, containing raisins, crackers, juice and water, tucked her in the car and off we went.
We got there, I got her in the buggy, gave her some raisins and we meandered in, through the baby section and into the dairy section. I was making pretty good time, the Poptart was doing well, when all of a sudden she said “Up ‘n down!” stood up and lunged for me.
When I grabbed her to prevent her from going butt over teakettle I found out she was soaking wet.
And I’d dared to go out without an extra diaper and a change of clothes for her.
The great thing about Superstore is that it is the perfect place for this sort of thing. I trucked back to the baby section, grabbed a box of pullups ($21.97) since they don’t carry the brand of diapers we use, a travel pack of wipes ($2.19) then went over to kids clothing and got her a new pair of pants ($10).
Then I went to the cashier and explained and she let me through with just paying for those 3 items so long as I left the rest of the buggy outside the bathroom.
10 minutes later I had a clean, dry, toddler who was hungry. So we went and got a cookie from the bakery (they give one cookie per visit per child under 10) and she munched on that while I went and got the rest of the stuff we needed.
After dinner, she asked for yogurt. When I tried to give it to her, she threw it across the dining room table.
So what lessons have you had to learn (and re-learn) as a parent? Any others I should be aware of as we approach 2?
What I learned today while cleaning my carpets
1. If you want to rent a carpet cleaner at the grocery store, you need a credit card. If you don’ t have one on you, you will have to go home and get one because no amount of begging, pleading or flashing of boobs well-reasoned arguments will make the store manager change his mind.
2. Babies do not like the sound of the carpet cleaner.
3. Husbands/Partners, given the choice between entertaining the baby elsewhere and manning the carpet cleaner, will choose the former. Especially if it means watching The Cat in the Hat with the baby.
4. If you are wearing newish jeans, and they get damp because you are using the hand attachment on the cleaner to get at some exceedingly stubborn spots, the dye will stain the carpet and you’ll have to scrub it out with the aforementioned hand attachment.
5. If it takes you awhile to realize what’s going on with your jeans, you will have many blue spots to clean out of the carpet. At which point, you will merely take off your jeans and finish the job in your underwear.
6. This will provide much humour for your husband/partner.
7. It’s better not to think about the colour of the water that comes out of your carpet.
8. You shouldn’t leave the cleaner on the carpet while you go get a bucket to refill it because it will leak dirty water onto your now-clean carpet. The laminate is a much better place for it.
9. Puddles on the laminate are slippery.
10. A clean carpet makes me happy.
You can still enter my A&D Diaper Rash Products giveaway here
Things I learned this week
1. Grandmas are invaluable resources when you have a lot to do.
2. Group projects by distance education suck. Especially when people don’t adhere to deadlines or wordcounts.
3. That when you’re hiring from overseas, don’t completely delegate and ALWAYS, ALWAYS get copies of your paperwork in case the people/organization suddenly disappear. Or you’ll be an idiot like me and find out that…
4. Facebook is really good for finding people/organizations who suddenly disappear.
5. Don’t be scared to use political clout to get the answers you need to put your mind at rest.
6. If you have information that is protected by the Privacy Act, don’t assume it’s completely protected. Information that the common person can’t have, uncommon people (all 308 of them) can get, quickly.
7. Rattling political chains can get really fast results both here and overseas when you need it.
