Sunday, July 13, 2008

How to (quietly) occupy a 16 month old boy


A little bag full of choking hazards is the key.
I got a few of these little coin purses a few weeks ago. I knew I had something to keep in this one but it wasn't until Friday when Tiny Boy found a spare thimble and carried it around on his thumb for nearly an hour that I figured it out.
Tiny has been crazily unruly in church the past few weeks. He screams and tantrums and the only thing that will stop him is to be let pull my earrings from my head as he so wishes to do. Given this state of things I've been dreading our upcoming flight to Utah. "At least," I've been telling myself "he dosen't have to be reverent on a plane, just reasonably quiet and contained within 2 airline seats."
This purse of choking hazards though, I think it will save me. We tested it out today at church. Both children huddled around and took turns playing with each choking hazard as it was pulled from the purse. We did have to make one rule, only one hand in the purse at a time, but they played and played.
Tiny got distracted when his sister moved on to a different activity and then he let out a really good scream before the Mr hauled him out of the chapel, but I am satisfied, none the less, with my little bag of tricks.
The other highlight of my church attendance today? Baby Girl was feeling particularly snugly as the meeting opened. She was not satisfied unless her legs were wrapped 'round my waist, her head firmly pressed against my shoulder and her arms about my neck in as tight a hold as she could manage while still being fairly relaxed herself. Also, if a little shoulder could be jammed against my esophagus she was much more comfortable. I should have thought to count the number if times my breath was externally forced from my lungs leaving me gasping, rather than singing the opening hymn.
Then there was the time she rubbed her head against my perfect, shiny, newly glossed lips and held me in a choke hold such that I was unable to either move my head out of range of her hair, or reach my hand to my mouth to remove the hair that way. That was nice, really really nice.

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