kitchen
Baby Unleashes Carnage in the Kitchen
If it doesn’t involve stairs, Maddie is now more than happy to prove that she can basically access any part of the house that we can. Her ability to motor from point A to point B increases with great efficiency just about every day.
Her new trick is to actually follow me into the kitchen to see what I’m up to and what she might be able accomplish in there. The childproofing has gone pretty well so far, but Maddie is intent on covering every inch of the house, grid-by-grid.
Before launching her latest assault on the kitchen, Maddie confronted a very large package of toilet tissue. With 18 rolls to work on, her hands were full. She thrashed the bag with criminal intent but was unable to punch through the plastic. After about five minutes, it became apparent that the plastic would not yield the paper treasures that were so close, yet so far away.
Now it was time for Maddie to begin her assault on her father who was rummaging around the kitchen. Maddie is by no means stealthy; you can hear those hands slapping the floors several moments before she makes her grand entrance. Yet once she rounds the corner, she is on you.
Her first order of business was to pull the kitchen trashcan down on top of her. With that task out of the way, her next assignment was to gain access to the dishwasher. Much to her disappointment, Maddie was turned away before she could unlock the mysteries hidden deep behind the dishwasher walls.
The baby then proceeded to yank on various cabinet doors to she if could yank them open. Each one held firm, but Maddie vowed that these doors would not be safe for long and she would be back. It was then that we whisked her to her high chair where she could enjoy some nice lasagna.
Maddie enjoyed the taste, but was locked into a moral dilemma. Should she enjoy her meal, spread it all over her face or redecorate the kitchen with it? The answer hit her like a ton of bricks, why not do all three?
Maddie started firing food off the tray and onto the floor. When her Mom tried to clean it up, she got popped as well. The little terrorista was on a roll and didn’t let up until her masterpiece was complete.
Baby Houdini Pulls Great Escape
Time to say goodbye to an old friend. The Bumbo Chair has been a trusted parental companion for several months now. It’s allowed my 7-month-old daughter Maddie to hang out with me in the kitchen for countless meals, cleanups and bottle cleanings.
This era came crashing down this afternoon when my little Houdini cracked the Bumbo code. We knew this day was drawing closer. I believe it was a packet of tic-tacs that finally sent Maddie over the edge (figuratively and literally). Even though the candy was out of reach, she threw her entire body in the direction of these refreshing little mints.
She whipped out one leg, leaned over and then whipped out the other. Hold on there tiger, where do you think you’re going? But there’s no stopping this one once she gets her attention fixed on something. Maddie is on a mission and your only options are to help or watch.
So of course we make sure she has a soft landing on the kitchen counter, but then what? She is awash in her amazing triumph over the constricting chair, but that’s where her plans kind of fizzle out.
That’s because our kitchen commando still has no idea how to crawl. So when she pulls one of these great escapes, she’s stuck on the counter like a bump on a log. It’s very cute to watch her ponder the next move, but for now, her options are rather limited.
Now we face the challenge of integrating Maddie into a whole new set of habits with a high chair. It will be interesting to see how she reacts to being banished from the kitchen counter. However, I’m sure that in a day or two, she will already be plotting her escape from the high chair. (Won’t that be fun?)
Maddie Ready to Storm Top Chef
“Padma, please pack your knives and go!” Maddie is ready to assume the role as the newest judge on Top Chef. After watching her father in the kitchen for nearly a week, Maddie feels she has gathered the necessary skills to take the Bravo Network by storm.
For some reason, the kitchen is the one room in the house that actually holds Maddie’s attention for large and much needed periods of time. As long as there is activity underway – Maddie finds herself completely engaged.
At the tender age of 15 weeks old, Maddie thinks she might be ready for next year’s season’s Top Chef Season premier. She also plans to be the first person in Top Chef history to be both a winning contestant and a permanent judge on the show.
A flexible little bouncy chair and the kitchen counter is exactly what the baby needed to get involved in our kitchen activities. She watches the prep, cooking, clean up and even enjoys watching people eat!
The real advantage is that Maddie’s interest in the kitchen has provided some much-needed relief from what has been a very serious bout of unbridled fussiness. Maddie has been very cranky all week and the kitchen is providing her parents with at least one safe haven in the house.
Now the question is, once Maddie goes back to being her happy-go-lucky self, will she still be ready for Top Chef or is her kitchen interest really just a Quickfire Challenge? Only time will tell.
Stay Home PaPa 