Tuesday, July 15, 2008

{ miniature disasters }

We have had to implement a emergency protocol around here this week. Also called the three second rule. It's definition and meaning vary depending who you talk to. In this household it means, you are not allowed longer than 3 seconds to take your eyes off your one and only rather tricky two year old daughter. 3 seconds. Exactly. Tonight as I told David that she was quietly laying on our gorgeous expensive, still very new couch looking at a book, he responds by going to take a look for himself, she was being awfully quiet...momentarily I hear, " uh, Chelle...come here." Great. Now what? He hands me a stick of butter. Annabelle looks up sheepishly. The evidence is clear by the little teeth marks, and several big chunks missing from said cube of butter. What do I do? Every time I turn my back she sneaks into the fridge to steal big bites of butter.

It's the far from malicious on her part, but I feel like we've crossed a line with her in the past several days...she is getting into so much mischief.


To start off with....as I pause for effect and to cringe again.... she dipped her head in the toilet. And yes you read that correctly. As I swapped the laundry from the washer to the dryer I hear her proudly announce to me " my dipped my head in the toilet, Mommy, " assuming I was going to applaud the venture. Sure enough the toilet seat behind me was up and her head was dripping wet. She looked a little shocked as I whisked her immediately to get the sink to was hair and rewash her hair and lecture her again how the toilet is icky and full of germs, those invisible bugs that can make you have a big tummy ache and how you should never ever, under any circumstances put any of your little girl body parts in the toilet. And I mean it. It only made me feel slightly better that there was nothing in the toilet at the time and that I had just cleaned it the day before.

Over the weekend she managed to break David's cell phone, my very cute and thankfully cheap sunglasses and this little orange wooden sign that I had bought to stick above our bed that said FLIRT. All of those things broken of course by means of a truly eager accident.

Then yesterday, as I sat on the back porch talking on the phone, and watching her play in the car, maybe four feet away from me...only to later uncover the damage later. She stuck 5 coins in the car CD player, which obviously no longer works and she wrote with a black pen that she must have found in the console, all over the drivers seat and inside of the do...all this while I thought she was blissfully pretending " to drive. " By the way, hairspray takes pen marks out of leather, beautifully. And the days of playing in the car, sad as it is to say, have come to an end.

Today while we were at the lake she would blitz for end of the dock, but only just after I would take her life jacket off. Give me a heart attack, the child is fast. And remember how I told you that she loves to be chased?

From tippy toes to finger tips she exudes this incredible wild energy for life. There is an air of passionate freedom, of pure joy for every waking hour of the day. A curiosity that isn't intimidated by anything. And it's my job to protect her, and set boundaries. Lots of them. And pray that all of that fire gets channeled in the coming years, into a love for Jesus and others that runs deep inside her heart.

So throw back your head and run free little one, Mommy's trying her hardest to keep up with you.

And please, no more dipping your hair in the toilet or snitching butter when my back is turned. How about taking a little break from the miniature disasters for a couple days?

13 comments:

Fairlightday said...

Oh Annabelle! We love you so!
Isn't they joy of living and the enthusiastic with which it is done amazing to see in little ones?
Hang in there Chelle and please don't have a heart attack. We would all miss you too much. :) Don't forget about the boundaries. They are good and I've been reading that children need to hear the word "no" like a million quadrillion times for there brain to develop properly. So don't feel bad and definitely give yourself a much needed break some time.

Anonymous said...

Oh I feel for you! My girls were WAY more adventurous at three than my boy is now. I learned with my first one that crayon comes off beautifully from walls with a little WD-40 hehehe...as for the toilet, well they make child locks for those things too...and fridge locks and oven locks LOL we had all those things. It wasn't because we weren't watching her but at three they're FAST like yous said! Good luck with her, it really is just a phase ;)

P.S. I used to eat butter when I was little...I wonder what the fascination with it was??

swell.life said...

I laugh...But you certainly have your hands full!!

Amy's Blah, Blah, Blogging said...

Ooooo...the toilet? I am so glad that you had just cleaned it. Ugh.

My brother was really big into eating butter when he was her age too. I have no idea why, but hey, I love butter too so I can see that. OK, maybe not in that form, but butter sure is yummo!

Anonymous said...

This reminds me of when we took Luke to the pool and he jumped in the deep part. After all the commotion was over he was still laughing and saying how he liked to sink! No fear.

The balance of holding that as precious and reality is so hard!

She sounds like she and my kids would play marvelously together. :)

~Misha

Dawna said...

Oh, dear. It sounds like you're in the same mode we are this week (I would hide the chocolate syrup), but it sounds like you're taking it all in stride. I would be extra watchful now that she's discovered that the toilet is a source of entertainment. My boy threw so many things in the toilet that we had to take the toilet clear out and have a plumber snake the line (from the roof, no less!). The plumber had a good belly laugh at our expense (literally) as he pulled out cars, balls, dinosaurs, and a full-sized brand new tube of moisturizer that I had been looking everywhere for. My boy wasn't being naughty... as you said they are just full of curiosity and love to try things out at that age. It's actually in their contract, I think.

One final comment. Why is it so much easier to laugh at other people's calamities than our own??! Give that busy little girl an extra hug for me, would you?

SuzyQ said...

word of advice: get locks for everything. it will save your sanity - and your sense of wonder! indeed, a friend put a lock on her fridge recently, and much to my shame, it defeated me! momentarily, at least...

and yes, my child is fearless around water too... i love it, but it keeps me in continual heart-attack mode! have you thought about swim classes? they can't really learn to "swim" 'til about age 4 supposedly, but they can learn to float, and water movement and comfort techniques. and most places have parent/tot so you can be in the water with her... such fun!

and yes, be reassured it's not your fault and it's not her being "naughty", she's just exploring her world. do the best you can, and then laugh! i'm sure you are, and i love you for it!

Wendi@EveryDayMiracles said...

*Laughing*
I know you must be exhausted from the constant watching, cleaning up after, and fixing of things. I certainly relate with those feelings - so I'm not laughing at you, but it is so cute to hear about all of the mischievous ways our children come up with to tire us out. :)
Very fun to read Chelle!

Connie said...

Oh, dear.....I am afraid I may have given her a taste for butter. Remember those crackers I gave her with butter on them when she was just little, and how she used to lick the butter off and leave the cracker?
Nanna

Leslie said...

oh my goodness Chelle, I can't help but CRACK UP... Im so sorry I know your pulling your hair out, but she looks so so sweet.

hang in there, lady, this is a season. I promise... and let me know how to get through it next year.

Anonymous said...

soooooo sorrrrrry.....but the toilet dipping was my favorite. this is why young women bear children. i think that so often now. my most charming funny entertaining child, was my most challenging. so worth it.

put the cutest, most heartwarming favorite of yours...photos on the frig.

Chelle said...

thanks for all the comment love ladies. and let me assure you that I find it hard not to be overly amused by all her pranks, and more often than not must remind myself to at least hide my snickers as I am after all, her mother.

Aminta said...

(Giggles) OH CHELLE!
And to think of ALL that you have been doing ontop of taking care of one of the MOST ADORABLE little disater monsters! You are trully AMAZING!
I love you both dearest ones!
YOURS ALWAYS,
Min