Sofie and the Daddy-Shower-Time Follies
Sometimes Sofie's independence can be, well, inconvenient.
First, I get up with Sofie so Anna can sleep till about the time I leave for work (sometimes as much as another two and a half hours). But I also need to take a shower in the morning. So today I turn on the shower a little before I'm ready so that by the time I'm ready, the water will be warm. (We live on the third floor, so the warm water has something like a mile to travel before it gets to us.) While I'm getting ready today, Sofie opens the drawers containing her play toys and washcloths. She likes bathtime, so any time water is running in the tub, she wants to get her playtoys in the tub and ready. This morning, she throws in a yellow bag to see it get wet. Then she decides she wants to get the bag. She leans way over the edge of the tub, then tumbles in. A too-surprised-to-cry Sofie looks up at me, getting drenched. I chuckle and pick her up. We change her pajamas so she's dry.
I'm about to climb in the shower, when I hear something hit the floor in the nursery and Sofie starts crying. I head back to the nursery. Sofie has grabbed her "Baby's First Bible," a board book we read at bedtime. It has a plastic latch which keeps it closed. She couldn't get it open and tripped and fell with the book in her hands. No harm done, and the tears were mostly from frustration. I open the latch, leave the book in her hands, and head back to the bathroom to jump in the shower.
By the way, we don't have a shower door, we have a shower curtain. This will will be important when I describe the next phase of the Daddy-Shower-Time Follies.
So, Sofie, as I expected, wanders into the bathroom while I'm in the shower. I can see her through the curtain, so I talk to her and encourage her to read her book. She does. So far, so good. I lather up the shampoo and the soap.
You shouldn't try to open your eyes after having scrubbed your face with Irish Spring.
I hear Sofie approach the shower and I open my eyes to see what she's doing.
"No, Sofie! Don't put the book in the tub! No!" Then: "Ow!"
The water from the showerhead has expertly placed the maximum amount of soap in my eyes to achieve the precise amount of stinging blindness.
"Arrrgh! Sofie! No! No book in tub!"
I blink through the tears and soap. Sofie is pushing back the shower curtain with baby Bible in hand. "No, Sofie!"
I blindly reach forward, eyes stinging, and grab Sofie's arm. "Sit down, sweetie! And read your book." I gently push her to a sitting position and open the book in her lap. She dutifully complies.
I have just bought myself a few minutes. I rinse off and finish. Breathing a sigh of relief, I turn off the water.
Next time I'll put the gate in front of the bathroom door. Sofie might fuss at not being able to get in. But who knows how many books will be saved.
Posted by Clifton at October 4, 2004 11:20 AM | TrackBackLOL...
Posted by: Jim N. at October 4, 2004 09:33 PM