Monday, December 12, 2011

Curiosity


     They say curiosity killed the cat. I don’t know if curiosity ever killed anyone, but it can sure get you in a world of trouble. Unless you happen to be a curious little monkey like Curious George, I have found that a person eventually grows out of the need to be overly curious. People who don’t grow out of this curious stage become scientists.

     Of my own children my oldest was always the more curious of the two. She certainly was the most sneaky and between the ages of 1 or 2 tended to get herself into a world of $hit every time my back was turned. I can think of three separate occurrences that come to mind. Most things usually happened while I was either on the phone or in the bathroom. Even a trip to the laundry room to transfer the wash from the washer to the dryer could reap disastrous results! She would sneak away and the next thing I knew…all hell had broke loose.


     One time I left her happily playing with her toys and watching Sesame Street. Sometimes you simply have got to pee! She was quiet, and I never suspected any foul play. I came back to the living room to discover her gone. My heart began to beat a little faster as the panic set in. I called her name and began to search. She was a baby who could only crawl. How far could she get? As I rounded the corner and entered the kitchen I discovered my daughter had managed to get the Fry Daddy out of the bottom cupboard and dump the oil all over her and the floor and was happily waving her hands in the greasy goop. What a mess!! It hadn’t mattered that we had installed the Safety First locks on the cupboard doors, she had figured out not only how to get them open but managed to haul out the Fry Daddy and dump the contents.




     Another time the telephone rang. I don’t remember who was on the phone. It really doesn’t matter, the resulting disaster would have happened regardless. One minute my precious girl was happily entertained with her toys and the next she was gone. By the time I took up the search, I found her in the bathroom in the process of stuffing every single roll of toilet paper into the toilet. It wasn’t just one of those 4 packs either. I had bought an economy size package with multiple rolls. She had taken out every single roll and shoved them into the toilet. As for the roll that was beside the toilet, she had unwound it down until all that remained was the cardboard tube and it pooled around her on the floor. As I gasped in horror and shouted her name, she smiled and said “Mama”!

     There was also the day that my little scientist decided to shove a bar of soap into the VCR where unknown to anyone it melted and effectively screwed up the works. Every time I tried to put in a movie, the VCR would groan and spit it right back out. I peered inside and was horrified to discover a melted mass that smelled amazingly like Dial soap. Of course, my little darling was all innocence. It didn’t take much to figure out who had put the soap into the VCR.

     Curiosity does have its upsides. With every mistake, learning comes. She learned what goes in the Fry Daddy should stay in the Fry Daddy, toilets were not meant to accommodate that much toilet paper, and VCRs are for videocassettes not soap. The memories that are created from such incidents are delegated to family legend making up the fabric of our lives. Even without an owners manual on parenting  your kid, somehow you both survive.  That is all I have to say until the next time when I give you another glimpse into the life of a trucker’s wife.


24 comments:

  1. Loved this post, the creativity of children is amazing, but your daughter was something :) just to get these ideas, wow!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Loved this...curious/sneaky, for a kid kinda the same thing, but they do learn their lessons!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sounds so much like the kinds of things my kids did, except that VCRs didn't exist yet. The one that caused us the most trouble was when my older wondered if a pencil would go down the toilet.

    Gave me a good chuckle and a warm glow.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Um, the contents of a large can of ben-gay rubbed into a sectional couch. I'm not saying I'm guilty. I'm just saying.

    ReplyDelete
  5. There has to be one in every family! Love the story. :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. You sure did have your hands full!! But then again many of us Mom's did!! Great post... Jenn

    ReplyDelete
  7. The joys of being a Mommy! I have stories, too, maybe one day! But today let me just say you made me laugh right out loud because that could have been my son! I love real kid stories! They are always funnier down the road...sometimes far down the road. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. She has an inquisitive mind and takes full advantage of the moments afforded her... ;-) Nice read!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Loved the visuals, brought back LOTS of memories, always so refreshing reading your thoughts

    ReplyDelete
  10. Claudia, she was something and still is!! Thanks you for stopping in to read and for your kind comments!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Lipstick, yes they sure do and sometimes the hard way! Thanks for stopping by to read and comment!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Angela, I am so happy you enjoyed my post! That gives me a warm glow. Thanks for stopping by to read and comment!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Gene Pool, LOL I would never tell either!! Thanks for stopping in to read, comment, and share!

    ReplyDelete
  14. KAT, there sure does!! Thanks for stopping by to read and comment!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Jenn, any mom with a toddler has there hands full. It is part of the job! LOL Thanks for stopping by to read and to comment!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Jo, at the time I was horrified. Now I find it a little funny and look back with a smile. Memories like these are what I treasure most! Thank you for stopping by to read and comment!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Artful, she still has that inquisitive mind and is proving to be quite intelligent. Thanks for stopping in to read and for your kind comments!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Danneromero, I am so pleased you enjoyed my post! Thanks for stopping by to read and comment!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Brenda, I am so pleased you enjoyed my post!! Thank you for stopping by to read and comment!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Curiosity is a sign of intelligence...and it sounds like your daughter is a true genius! :O)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Oh my goodness. I bet she kept you entertained. Think about the bright side: you got fresh oil for the pot; you found out how absorbent the toilet paper was; and your VCR was clean! I enjoyed your post.

    Joyce
    http://joycelansky.blogspot.com/2011/12/gbe2-curiositywonder-and-after-life.html

    ReplyDelete
  22. Word Nerd, if that is the case than my kids are really intelligent!! LOL Thank you for stopping by to read and to comment!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Joyce, She has kept me entertained her whole life, in a good way. The VCR was clean and smelled great but unfortunately never played movies again. :P I am so pleased you enjoyed my post! Thank you for stopping by and for your kind comments!

    ReplyDelete