Tonight Bill asked if I was going to eat the leftover pasta with pesto tomorrow. I told him no. He accused me of being a never eats leftovers lady and I told him that I couldn't be sure of eating anything tomorrow while looking after a wily 14 month old who just figured out how to walk. He's got an appetite for destruction and even opening the fridge can be hazardous.
I have my nephew Benjamin (or "Ajamin" as he and I like to call him) for tomorrow afternoon, overnight, and well into the next day. I love him crazily but plan to be exhausted. My action strategy when he is at my house includes letting him: play with the refrigerator magnets (the ones not easily swallowed), raid the tupperware cabinet, laugh at the dog, and that old standby--bang on a pan with a wooden spoon. He is currently both amused and fascinated with anything that has movable parts like a lid or a zipper. I noticed a caribbeaner clip today I think he will love. The problem here is twofold. Firstly, anything that does hold his attention does so for about 10 to 15 seconds, leaving thousands of seconds to be filled. Divide those thousan
ds by 10-15 and one needs to have quite a bag of tricks. Secondly, said tricks must both be things that he likes as well as not destructible or dangerous. If you imagine a venn diagram with the overlapping part being the things that are both amusing to a 1 year old as well as allowable----well that overlapping part pretty much comes down to car keys and the old spoon and pan. 
ds by 10-15 and one needs to have quite a bag of tricks. Secondly, said tricks must both be things that he likes as well as not destructible or dangerous. If you imagine a venn diagram with the overlapping part being the things that are both amusing to a 1 year old as well as allowable----well that overlapping part pretty much comes down to car keys and the old spoon and pan. 
I'm also going to be feeding the little guy. I'm serious --you have never seen a messier eater in your life. I knew babies were messy but to experience the reality of the mess is a life experience. It takes me longer to clean up after a 5 minute snack of crackers than it does to clean up from a 5 course dinner for 8 (presuming that none of the 8 dinner guests has mushed food down their shirts and in their hair). Feeding him is also a bit playing Plinko on The Price is Right. The goal would be to get food not only into his mouth but also to get it to stay there long enough to get into his stomach. The chances of this are very small. There are just so many other places it could end up.
After the clean up we will begin the bedtime routine which sometimes involves a DVD called Baby Einstein Lullaby Time. This DVD contains soothing images as well as a story about a baby lamb who loves to--yes--sleep. This is supposed to entice the little ones into wanting to be just like the lamb and go to sleep. I find they want to stay up to find out what happens at the end of the story. The plotline is a little telegraphed for me but Benjamin always seems surprised when Baby Lamb falls asleep after the lights go out. Go figure.
I'll let you know how it goes.
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