The Art of Dislodging a Toddler

This post is going out quite late, but that's only because it's being written from the comfort of my beloved couch.  The movers finally came!  Many thanks to Grandma for coming over and watching Mimi as the movers brought in the remnants from our life in Manhattan.

With all the boxes in I can't help but feel we're missing a few things.  The house still feels rather empty.  The apartment in NYC had been bursting at the seams with boxes.  We could've been featured on that show "Hoarders."  I'm sure that I would've been the one to get the psychologist: "Steve, I recognize that you have a strong connection with these items, but look how full your life is now.  Is that broken and sun-stained remote control R2-D2 really necessary?"  "Yes.  Yes it is." 

Mimi has spent most of her time over the past week exploring our new home, particularly the cabinets.  She began by mapping out the kitchen, opening the cupboards one-by-one and then throwing the plastic shelf-liners on the floor.  Satisfied with her progress, she climbed under the sink to inspect the garbage disposal. 

Seeing that the undersink electrics were in good order, she decided to check out the corner cabinet.  This one was particularly fascinating.  That one small door in the corner held a massive crawl space.  Mimi wiggled her way through the opening, seeking out the space her mother and father will probably use to store fondue sets and impulse buys from Ron Popeil.  A full ten minutes went by before Mimi decided to come out of the dark.  This posed a problem.  Easy to enter, the ledge and small opening made the cabinet very difficult to exit, particularly for someone whose head accounts for 25% of her body mass.  The cabinet is only about 3 inches off the ground, but from the right perspective, even that can be quite daunting. 

Mimi has also been fascinated by the bathroom.  Yesterday afternoon she was squealing with delight as she tottered around the toilet. 

This love affair was short lived, however.  Later that night she decided that the back of the toilet was even more interesting than the front.  And it was, for a while.  Just when you think your child is the most brilliant little creature in the world, she goes off and gets her head stuck behind a toilet.  I reached around and grabbed her head with one hand, her body with the other, and twisted both until she finally slipped free.  It was a little like one of those Mensa block puzzles, only this one screamed.  That makes it harder, I think.  Yes, I did consider getting my camera and yes, I'm glad that I didn't. 

A little bit wiser thanks to her cabinet and toilet ordeals, Mimi has confined her spelunking to bookcases and boxes. 

I'm sure that Mimi will be a huge help over the next few days pulling paper out of boxes and "cluttering" the house to make it feel less empty.  With her help, this house is slowly becoming more and more our home.  To be honest, having a couch again hasn't hurt either!