Baby Gates and Peach Yogurt are Essential!

I had the pleasure of watching my two youngest Grandsons last night and though they ran me ragged, I enjoyed every second of it, even if I had to sweep the kitchen floor twice and vacuum the living room twice. I understand now, the need for baby gates.

I cleaned the floors before they arrived so they could crawl and play on them. They love to lay on the floor and play with cars and trucks, Daddy is a Diesel Mechanic and for being 12 months and almost 3 years old, they make all the appropriate sound effects. Geffory the "almost" 3 year old, can lay on the floor in one spot and roll his truck back and forth making engine noise, for very extended periods of time..for his age.

Now, my house is tiny and one would think that it would be an easy task to watch two little rambunctious boys, both in diapers, in the tiny house. I have new found respect for Mom and her small three bedroom apartment with three baby gates "what would she need all those baby gates for?"

Before they tore up the tiny house, I thought I would take them to the park and wear them out. It was a good idea at the time. It was a short walk and I carried Joseph on my shoulders and Geffory followed beside me. When we arrived, I first tried the swings, that lasted all of two seconds before Geffory wanted out and to run. I took Joseph down the slide once (that was enough for me) and then we opted to discover all the life in the grass while Geffory practiced throwing sand and climbing up and down stairs.

I deliberately left my camera behind, not wanting the bulky thing hindering me and not wanting passerby's to see it as there have been a string of house robberies around the neighborhood recently. I regretted it immediately. Joseph sat in the grass playing with dandelions, grass, sticks, rocks..etc, all going into the mouth. I grabbed my camera phone and thought its better than nothing.

When Geffory was Joseph's age I managed to snap a few pictures of him playing in the grass at his older brother's baseball game and one of them ended up winning a "cutest baby" contest that was being held by our local Hy-Vee grocery store. I think I captured the next "cutest baby contest" photo of Joseph, holding out a dandelion to Grandma. For a camera phone, it wasn't half bad.

I had to bribe Geffory to go back to the house to eat dinner with the anticipation of a treat after wards. While I tried to cook dinner the two boys roamed the only two rooms they had access to, the kitchen and the living room, how much trouble could they get into? I brought out the laundry basket of toys and put it in the kitchen, thinking they would play in the kitchen while I cooked. What was I thinking?

Loud noises and screams kept me running back and forth from room to room. The cars they play with that are kept under the T.V. went untouched. Instead it was the dirt in the plants, the books on the bookshelves, everything on the coffee table (being banged against the coffee table), Joseph trying out his new teeth on his brother. I was grateful when I'd finished preparing their dinners, thinking I'd get a break...Not!

I gave Geffory his plate and put Joseph in the highchair with part of his dinner (the rest required I feed him) I thought this would give me time to prepare my own dinner..Ha! Joseph scarfed down everything I gave him before I was finished. Other than the occasional "eat over your plate" directed at Geffory, he was fine on his own. Joseph barely gave me a chance to eat my own dinner but when all was said and done they finished everything and I had to come up with a treat.

For Geffory, a bowl of watermelon chunks left over from our Mother's Day barbecue and I already knew Joseph loved peach yogurt. Geffory wasn't that thrilled with the watermelon and only ate a few pieces, by then Joseph was tired of the yogurt (the first time I gave it to him he acted like it was the bomb).

I don't like to waste food so I switched and gave Joseph the watermelon and gave Geffory the yogurt. One wouldn't think a small .44 cent, generic container of peach yogurt would get a child so excited. Geffory looks like he's having a seizure when he gets excited and the yogurt was seizure inducing. Joseph ate the rest of the watermelon and wanted more so I went back to the yogurt and between the two of them, they finished it off.

By now, I had already learned that cleanup from dinner would have to wait, the pile of dirt I found on the living room floor could not. I washed their hands and set them free, vacuumed up the dirt and chased them from room to room wishing I had at least one baby gate. Though my daughter is always on the run, feeding them McDonald's Fish sandwiches and fries frequently, I thought about the yogurt and how cheap and easily it pleased the boys and wondered why more parents didn't feed their kids healthier snacks, they love it, especially the fruit and to think, I almost gave them cookies.