Mud pies. Mmmm....

Back to my list of things I miss about being a kid.

#2 is....(drumroll, please)...

BEING MESSY!

I miss being able to be silly and splash in mud puddles, roll around and get soaked in the snow, finger paint with chocolate pudding, dig in the sand until it was caked in my ears, and not get looked at like I was crazy...because I was five. Wasn't that the best though? Going outside (or inside...) and making a gigantor mess, and then getting plunked in the bathtub (where I would spend at least a half hour playing with bubbles and toys) and being so exhausted from my mess-making that I'd sleep for 10 hours.

I can't wait for those days with Sprout. It's funny, she has already realized that it's kind of fun to make a mess. This past week, her normally relaxed bath time rituals turned into a spastic splashing session that made her look like she was having a seizure. Not contented, happy splashing...more like...epileptic fit splashing, with a look of the deepest concentration painted across her brows. I laughed so hard the first time, I think I scared the pants off her (not literally, I realize she didn't have pants on in the tub). She turned and looked at me with a quizzical one-brow lift - one of her many talents - and then proceeded to get back to the task at hand. So now I end up soaking wet after bathing her, which I have to admit...is a bundle of fun! I used to love bath time too, so I understand. And to see her finally realize that the splashing in the tub can be created by her own movements was incredible. They learn so much, so fast.

The other mess-making trick she has caught onto is blowing spit bubbles when she's got a mouth full of cereal. Not as fun as bath time splashing. With the cereal, I end up with little flecks of mush speckling my face, clothes, hair, and chair. And Sprout? Thinks it is the most hilarious thing. I made the mistake of laughing the first time, and now she does it purely for the reaction, even though I have tried to change it to a negative "No, don't do that," kind of tone. What can you do? Kids and babies are supposed to make messes. It's a fact of life. They'll play with their food, colour on their faces, roll around in the mud, get grass stains on their knees, and have such fun doing it all. I can't wait to see what Sprout figures out next!

Prepare for a wet facecloth attack, Sprout...

xoxoxo

Mommy