What's Behind Door Number One?

It's finally happened. After 14 months of blissful ignorance, the snot queen has finally learned to open cupboards and drawers. In our old apartment, mama was master of the this domain and there was hell to pay everytime I dared to close one of her precious doors, especially the fridge. As far as she was concerned, that was it. Once the door was closed, the magic was over and the pots, pans and other miscellaneous bits and pieces lost to her forever, or at least until it was time for me to prepare another meal and open them up again.

Since moving to the new house, all this has changed. Maybe it's the confidence she's gained from running around the big airy rooms pushing her little trolley? Maybe it's the fact that all of the cupboards are painted a cheerful turquoise blue? Maybe it's the fact that she's been spending more time with a little friend for whom every door needs closing (and opening and closing and opening...) and every drawer requires serious investigation? Who knows?

Whatever the case may be, the snot queen has discovered that the key to the kingdom lies in her very own chubby little hands and that happiness (as well as various REALLY FUN toys! Think pots and pans, measuring cups, boxes of cereal, bags of flour....) is just a handle pull away.

For the most part, this is grand as playing with the above mentioned items gives her no end of amusement and me a little extra time to "get stuff done" (i.e write this blog, eat biscuits and procrastinate writing letters of inquiry to literary agents.) I am more then willing to pay the price of a few potatoes thrown around the kitchen or that of listening to the beautiful music she composes using only the lid of the pot and the floor if it means that I do not have to be her one woman entertainment complex for a few minutes (bad mommy, I know, I should be honoured to sing the eensy weensy spider for hours on end complete with insane smile and hand actions.)

The only problem is that we are now entering a whole new world of childproofing and discovering a host of new items which while harmless to most adults, in the hands of an inquisitive 14 month old quickly become instruments of mass destruction with the capability to maim, choke or otherwise injure my curious little magpie.

Our stationary drawer in particular is taking a bit of a hit. In the last hour alone I have wrestled from her clutches (or her mouth) the following items: Two staplers, several rolls of cellotape with the sharp cutting edge that I couldn't find for the LIFE of me when wrapping Christmas presents but which all came flying out of the woodwork at moving time, a bottle of black ink and an oldfashioned fountain pen complete with razor sharp tip.

Between that and the fact that her new wooden friends all seem determined to shut or slam tight onto her tiny fingers has us thinking that it may be time for yet another trip to the babyproofing aisles...

Now for your viewing pleasure, a short clip of little miss walking towards her new favourite toy (the trolley, not the cupboards...) It's the first time she's properly walked to an object and not a person. Very exciting:)

Okay. That's the wrong video. Will try again.