Monday, February 1, 2010

Phoebe, a.k.a Houdini

I am in the process of developing that all-important parental skill: eyes everywhere at all times. The phrase "I need eyes in the back of my head", which I distinctly remember my mother using on more than one occasion, does not quite cut the mustard with Phoebe. Oh no! Phoebe is turning into quite the little escape artist and I need eyes all over the place. And hands.

When she's loose and wandering around the house she doesn't seem to get into quite so much trouble but twice in the last few weeks I have found her in precarious situations that she has managed to get herself into with me standing right by her.

The first such incident occurred at tea time. I sat Phoebe in her high chair and gave her a snack whilst I prepared her tea. Whilst she was tucking in I stood at the bench and chopped vegetables. At this point, it is important that I explain that the kitchen table is right in front of the bench so Phoebe was in my direct line of sight, only obviously I was watching what I was doing so that I could ensure that I was chopping vegetables and not my fingers. The next time I looked up Phoebe had climbed out of her high chair and was in the process of crawling across the table. Seriously, I'd been looking away from her for a few seconds. She was that fast.

The second incident happened at an outdoor store. I was at the checkout chatting to the lady. Phoebe was alongside me in her stroller. Suddenly the lady said "oh watch" and pointed towards the pram, which Phoebe was climbing out of . On all fours and with her head at the foot end of the seat. Dear me. Once again, I'd taken my eyes of her for a few seconds. The scary thing here was that, although I hadn't fastened the bar across her stroller, she was strapped in, yet somehow she managed to remove her legs from the straps and climb over them.

Needless to say, I have tightened the straps and now always securely fasten her in her pram and her high chair. I realise now those things are there for a reason.

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