tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37095225.post-9090082488167929522006-11-07T22:24:00.000-05:002007-12-17T15:56:05.570-05:002007-12-17T15:56:05.570-05:00We were at the house of a couple who are expecting their first child recently. I was talking to the wife about all the sweet things newborns do, offering my advice and vast wisdom. My husband, Dave, listened for awhile then piped in. "Do you want to know my advice," he asked. "Look around this nice house, your nice yard, your nice truck, this nice furniture. Enjoy it; it will soon no longer be so nice." It was funny, but unfortunately true.<br /><span id="fullpost"><br />Kids just have a way of destroying things. Dave calls our oldest Dr. Destructo. He is not a particularly hyper child. He is actually pretty conscientious and helpful. But he just wrecks things all the time. Add little sis and bro to the game, and there is just nothing untouched left in the house; torn books, broken toys, scribbled on walls, stickered windows, stained furniture and pitted floors. And that's just the house.<br /><br />Our Suburban looks like someone took their Goodwill donation bag and dumped it in the backseat. The last time I cleaned it out, I found 6 pairs of shoes, about 20 books, 4 weeks worth of Sunday School projects, 14 hair barrettes, 2 sippy cups (eeeww), various diapers/pullups/wipes, 2 clean undies and 1 dirty pair (number 1 only and wrapped in a bag , thank God), various fast food wrappers, a baseball bat, some plastic lizards, a baby-doll carseat, a stroller and a kite. Dave kept telling me there was a place for the baby and we really didn't have to strap him to the roof, but I just couldn't seem to find room. Now, ok, most of the truck mess is my fault, b/c when I have just returned from running 3 errands with the kids (which involves 18 buckle/unbuckles), I am just not in the mood to run back out to the car to pick up stuff. But if we didn't have the kids, the truck would be clean, so I am counting this as their destruction!<br /><br />In my opinion, there is nothing in more danger from little urchins than sunglasses. I bought precisely 16 pairs last year. The last pair I bought didn't even make it out of the bag, I kid you not. I didn't immediately open the bag that contained a few shirts and the sunglasses. When I did open it a few days later, the glasses were already broken. Now Dave kindly explained that they are not supposed to go in the bag, but be handed to me so that I can put them in my purse whereupon the children can sit on my purse and break them. But, either way, I am once again sunglassless.<br /><br />I have friends who try to keep their things in pre-kid condition. They don't allow eating in the car, and they don't allow toys in the living room/family room(s). I admit, these people's houses look better than mine. Their couches are crumbless and their coffee tables do not function as toyboxes. But these are usually the same people who alphabetize their canned goods and rear little psychopaths, so I don't compare us to them.<br /><br />We have just decided to stop buying nice things until our kids are at least out of the toddler age. We'll just keep buying new covers for the Ikea couch, and hope it lasts for another few years. Even if we can't both sit on it without our thighs touching, it'll have to do.<br /><br />So, Dr. Destructo and the Break-It Gang are free to roam our little world. I figure the energy, love and life they've brought into our world is worth a few torn library books and written on walls.<br /></span><div class="tag_list"><span class="tags"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Chicken+Feed" rel="tag" target="_blank" onmouseover="this.href='http://technorati.com/tag/Chicken+Feed?user=Chicken Feed'"><br /></a></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">© Just Chicken Feed 2008. All full copyright rights are reserved.</div>Jenninoreply@blogger.com1