I live in my own little world. Most of the time it is somewhat normal, but when my family is together, the craziest of shenanigans can occur. I have learned that life is an adventure. We try to map it out as best we can, but the map is often laden with detours and obstacles, that as a family, we must endure and overcome.
After giving up a dangerous and highly stressful job, I moved home to help my son take care of his two daughters. Little did I know, but after a few months of babysitting and taking care of the house, I was ready to apply for combat pay. My son's youngest is a 3 year old dynamo who only stops long enough for bathroom breaks and an occasional sleeping binge.
EJ has endless stores of energy and often is up before the rest of the house has a chance to even know its daylight. This can lead to immediate panic for two reasons. First, we don't know where the tiny terror is and second, we have no clue what she is doing or what she has gotten into.
This particular morning we were lucky. The only thing she had found a way to get into was the box of cereal my son had left on the counter the night before. With a quick study of the kitchen and the realization that all sharp objects were still high and out of reach, we decided to try an outside activity to burn off the excessive energy she would have from the cereal she had decided to enjoy for breakfast.
A day at the park is the best way to burn off extra energy. Within a few hours, we were back at home with a somewhat worn out child. I have learned to adapt, especially when EJ is still bouncing off the walls. She still had a better than average amount of energy, so I decided to allow her to help me clean the house. I gave her a dust cloth and enlisted in her in a race as to who could dust the most in a specific amount of time. I set her off in a direction and I took another. After about 10 minutes, I noticed how quiet the room had become. I looked at around at floor level just to find the little powerhouse was nowhere to be seen. I looked behind the couch, the chair and in the entertainment center. She was gone! I couldn't figure it out. I hadn't heard her leave the room.
All of a sudden, I hear her excited gasp. Somehow she had climbed atop the back of the couch, across a table and was standing in the big bay window watching a squirrel eat some nuts. After the initial shock had worn off, I asked her how she got up there. She proceeded to climb down using the same path she had taken going up.
Needless to say, now when she helps me clean house, she wears a safety harness!
