The learning curve

I come from a long line of paranoid pessimists. As for myself, I'm pretty laid back, and a touch on the ADD/easily distracted side. I don't always see danger that is in front of me. But I have two toddlers now. This is not good. So in addition to things I am learning about my girls' personalities, I'm also learning a few things about child safety and behavior.

1. Even if you think the barrier of pillows you have built on the bed is an impenetrable fortress, it isn't.
2. Just when you think the baby moved out of the way so you could take a step, she moves again and is right under your feet. Someone's going down. Her, or you.
3. Anything picked up in the grass looks like food.
4. Pouring water over your face in the bathtub with a 32oz. cup isn't "cute". It's dangerous if you don't know to exhale.
5. Make sure you hear the "click" of the door you don't want opened.
6. While it is fun to blow spit bubbles, it is even MORE fun to blow snot bubbles.

Addie is slowly learning what the word "no" means, and that the pantry is off limits. But she now thinks it is off limits to everyone. If I go in for a box of cereal, or a loaf of bread, I have two seconds to turn around and slip out before she closes me up inside. She also loves perusing our video collection. She's been told no so many times about pulling movies out, that she now pulls them out and pushes them right back in. And she always picks out the same ones....the Matrix trilogy. Why? It's right there on the same shelf as Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, and Nacho Libre, whose cases are much more colorful and interesting. Well, two of the three do star Jack Black.

Anna has turned on the charm. She said DaDa for the first time on Thursday, and got such a freak out that Addie tried to say it, too. And she has said it a few times since then. On Friday, I went walking with my mother. Mom asked the girls, "Who can say DaDa?" And they both said it on cue. They know it means something, because we freak out every time they say it. They look at us when they say it, too, because they're waiting for the reaction. Anna also likes to mock me when I sneeze. It's too cute. Like, I could seriously die from cuteness.

My latest lesson that I am trying to learn is how to discipline this little snake-charmer. She gets a real charge out of swatting at my face when I'm holding her. Sometimes, it really hurts. It scratches. I clipped her nails today quite a bit, but I can still feel the little nails scraping by my skin leaving it more chaffed than anything. I don't spank her hand, because that's only retaliating, really. It's not teaching her to stop. So I have started catching her hand and saying, "NO!" She thinks it's hilarious!! She tosses her head back and laughs so hard I have to really fight busting out laughing myself. I asked Joe today, "How do you combat this? It's too precious!" Of course, I said it in a drill sergeant voice, because I didn't want her to know I approved. It was kind of funny in its paradoxicalness....and yes, that is a word, because my auto-correct didn't highlight it for me to change.

And now you know something new, too.