Sometimes It's Mom Who's Oblivious

Lately my life is running a million miles an hour. Just go go go. But I do make an effort to extract 10, 20 30 minutes here and there for by two babies. And still, at 3 and 5 yo it can take so very little to make them smile. Donning high heels with freshly painted toe nails or peeling carrots for dinner or the extracting measure tape in my sewing box brings seconds, if not, minutes of awe and attraction. They are little adventurers, they are.

Tonight, as I popped them into the bath, the luxorious bubble bath I beckoned for myself, I said a little word of thanks. Having just coaxed them using piggy back rides and fair lady dances, I murmered, 'thank you. They are old enough to manage alone together in the bathroom. Maybe, I can go sew for a few minutes.' This desperate act of abandonment always makes me think of two possibilities.

1. Too much noise means the place is soon waterlogged and soggy everything.

or

2. Too little noise might very well lead you to this:



Tonight it was the wet variety. Oh, well. They can't always be angels.

Like, when Babydoll was barely 13 months old. She had been walking for four months already. Really. She resembled the AllyM*Beal dancing baby--for her frame and face was so infantile, yet her limbs moved her swiftly along upright.

On this night, she was spashing away in the tub while I sat across from her on the floor reading a book. Clearly this is a scene from a few years back since a) I had time to keep the floors clean enough to settle in and b) I had time enough to read a book for no reason other than it was a good read and and it featured neither Dora nor My Little Pony.

Sometime into the bath play, she rose to her feet. My head buried in the book, I sensed this movement and commanded her, "Babydoll, sit down. You don't stand in the bathtub, you'll fall." This happened several times until, it seemed Babydoll fully understood her mommy to be the smart and safe one. Right? Wrong.

As I was patting my proverbial back for my ability to teach my child to follow my commands, a strange silence filled the room. No water splashing. No toys swishing. This time I fully looked up head to head, face to face with Babydoll and the bathtub side blocking all other view. She had a simple face, no grin, no frown, just a simple stare for me.

As I leaned up and forward, my questioning fell short, when I immediately realized Babydoll and her toy pals were sitting in an empty bathtub! The water had emptied out much to my inattention. She was such a gem, that baby. A cold, but delightful and obiedient baby.

Tonight, browsing her 13month picture folder, I found more evidence of a life under less pressure. These pictures are from Hawaii, when I clearly had too much time on my hands and apparently spent it shopping for her bathing suits.

The next was my least favorite. Nothin' special, you know? Paris Hilton would be disappointed.


Now, we're talking. Hawt. Pretty in pink.

And, my favorite, the polka dot bikini. Makes you want to sing along.

Fortunately for Babydoll, there was an endless supply of water in both the ocean and our hotel pool.