I tried something new today

I tried something new today with the ankle screamer in my kitchen.

Normally, when the ankle screamer comes to visit, I say, "Hang on honey, I'm almost done with this and then I'll pick you up."  He has just grown past the age when he can sit happily on my counter and watch me work. He is now an EXPLORER of the busiest sort, and would explore the impact of the hard floor with his face if I let him sit up there with me.  So, I calmly explain to him that I will be with him in a minute, when my work is done.

As you may expect, he does not exactly understand concepts like "in a minute" or "later"or "just let me get this done first please."  He clings to my ankle or pinches my leg and screams, loud, louder.  

Then, my firm voice, "Honey, I cannot help you right now.  Go play."  

He screams.

Diversion: "Here honey look at all the cool magnets on the fridge."  

He looks, he whines, he returns to my ankle.

I yell for backup, "Lorraine, could you come get your brother please?"  

I have something new in my kitchen now: a rug.  My hard and dirty floors are now covered with a soft rug that appears to be a little less dirty.  

This week I was grating zucchini in the kitchen when the ankle screamer came to visit.  I tried something new. I allowed him to pull me to the floor, and I did my work there.

Wow. Zucchini.

"See honey, this is zucchini.  It grew in our garden.  Mommy is grating it so I can use it for yummy bread."

He sat with me.  He licked a piece of zucchini.  Then, he crawled away.  

Could it be?  Did he really learn?  Dare I hope that he will remember?  Oh may the boring pile of zucchini and the bland taste of the vegetable burn truth deep into his heart!  May he learn and forever understand that the mysterious work that mama does on the kitchen counter out of his little reach is really not that interesting!