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23/02/2011

Terrible twos (and ones, and threes)

Mama's Losin' It

For this week's writer's workshop at Mama Kat's fantastic blog, I chose prompt #2: 'What did they get into now? Describe a time your toddler got into something they shouldn't have.'

I have two children. The eldest, Alexandre, barely did anything forbidden or exotic during his toddler years. Granted, he did swallow one of my rings while jumping on the bed with the ring in his mouth, but it didn't hurt him, he just got it out the natural way - and boy was I glad that it was my husband who digged for it, I'll spare you the details. Alex is not that kind of boy. However, he will make others do crazy stuff, he'll enjoy the planning more than the doing.

My youngest, on the other hand, seems to have a special gift for doing crazy things. She's a little monster. Sweet, funny, smart but the girl has no limit. I think she's already done everything that could be done. Of course there's the usual drawings on the wall, the applying my very expensive make-up to her dolls and herself, carrying the new kitten by its tail to show it around the house, showing me, very proudly, one of its whiskers pulled off with her fingers, pouring my shampoo and conditioner into the cat's bowl, putting all the toilet paper down the toilets because after all, that's what it's for, isn't it? - amongst other things. All between the age of one and three.

A few weeks ago, I heard her cry in her room. I ran -O.K., three steps, but still, I managed to run into the wall and hurt myself - stupid, stupid small Parisians flats - and I found her choking. I did what any mother would do: I panicked. I tried to make her swallow whatever it was, or spit it out, but it was obviously stuck in her throat. Her life was in no danger, she was breathing by then, but it obviously hurt. I called the firemen and there they came, two and a half minutes later, all three of them. My boy was all excited, needless to say.

Roxane had swallowed a coin. A small one. She had totally swallowed it by the time the firemen were here but they still wanted to take her to the hospital to check her out, make sure it went down the right tube. Alex was excited about being in the truck, so was I (oh come on, three firemen, a truck and a child out of danger, you gotta enjoy things a little) and it was then that my adorable son chose to tell them about the time he had swallowed the ring. One of the guys asked me if I made a habit out of having kids who swallowed the wrong things. Hem.

Roxane turned out to be fine and it was at her daddy's place that she got the coin out, the same way her brother had. I am pretty sure she'll keep on doing crazy things. One day, she and Alex will team up and then, the serious stuff will begin.

I do wonder why she does all that. I also wonder why my whole family keeps calling her Marianne instead of Roxane. Beats me.

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think it's something about those younger, girl children. My Baby is much the same way. And, as my Mama would point out, "It all comes out in the end!"

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