Big sister - little helper

I had the kids to myself a while the other day and RUS was refusing to nap. He was also very fussy, so I moved his lunchtime up a little bit. I'd been keeping R entertained with play-dough for a while, but she'd packed that up as I got RUS's lunch put together. As soon as he was in his high chair and his bowl of baby food and spoon were out, R went over to the chair in front of him, climbed up, and proceeded to feed him.

As soon as she headed in his direction, my first instinct was to say, "No, R, I don't want you to make a mess blah blah blah." But I managed to stop myself. I continued cleaning a few things off the table as she picked up the spoon. I watched carefully and silently as she loaded it up with cereal. I smiled to myself when she held his hand out of the way and brought the spoon right to his mouth. Only after the second successful bite, did I start to breathe again and continue my little picking up and chores. I even began preparing my and R's lunches for a little while as she fed him.

I did offer some advice from time to time. First, after dropping quite a bit of food on his bib, I gently suggested not getting so much food on the spoon. R began tapping off some food each time she took a scoop. I also swooped in occasionally with a napkin to clean off his face a bit. I considered myself especially brave when I suggested she give him some water to drink. She was a natural. I'd almost say RUS responds better to R feeding him than to me. He definitely smiles and laughs more for her than anyone else. At several times he forgot to eat the food, he was so busy giggling at her.

I felt a bit like an anthropologist or a naturalist, observing, but not interfering with the proceedings. But like all things wild, the serenity was only temporary. As R brought the cup to R's mouth one last time, RUS got a hand on it, yanking it and spilling water all over the tray and himself. I was a blur, getting to the towel and helping to mop it up, but I encouraged R the whole time to keep feeding him, which she did. However, a few mouthfuls after I'd gotten the spill cleaned, I noticed R squirming, and saw a puddle under where she crouched on the chair. I grabbed another towel to mop up this water too and then noticed that this was quite warm water.

That was the end of that. R was brought to the potty to get stripped and cleaned off while RUS yelled at us for leaving him while there was still food to be had. He had eaten most of what I'd poured out for him, but he's usually reluctant to end a meal - and has gotten used to seconds at least. When I returned to spoon out what was left in the bowl for him and scatter some rice puffs on his tray, R decided to prance around the living room - quite undressed. The usual chaos had returned. The magical moment was over. But not before I'd gotten some of it on video ;)



R: too far, he will choke.
J: yeah, don't do that.
RUS: grunts
R: mmm. yum
RUS: grunts
R: mmmm. . . yummy yummy yummy
RUS: laughs. grunts
R: He love this food
R: (gibberish?)
R: Daddy. Daddy. . . daddy give you that food.

Happy Fourth of July!

I prompt R to say Happy Fourth of July and then start recording.
R: Happy July! Happy fourth of Julyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!
S: Can you tell everybody what we're gonna have today?
S: What did Daddy make for the Fourth of July?
R: (looking down and not at camera) pie pie pie pie pie pie pie
R: puts grass in RUS's mouth.
S: Did daddy make a cherry...? (laughing) cherry.... Did Daddy make cherry cupcakes?
RUS: smiles and sticks his thumb in his mouth.
S stops recording video.
R: (as soon as camera stops recording) cherry pie!

(To my credit, R has been making up a lot of words lately, and she spends a lot of time talking like this "La la lu fa fi fefefefe FE!" so I thought she was just making up random words, not saying anything in particular, when she was actually saying pie in response to my question. Sigh.)