More on that later: Part I

Several weeks before Christmas my brother sent out a link to the top 15 toys to NOT buy your child this holiday season. Most were super ridiculous, rather amusing and a tad insulting. I glanced at them, quietly snickered and deleted the email.

And then I was told that one of those horrid little toys had been bought for Addie. Actually, it turned out both my mother and brother (yes, the same brother who sent the dang email!)thought it was appropriate - and with their tastes, I was wor-ri-ed.


I couldn't figure out which toy it could be.

• Would it be the fish de-boning kit, since she likes sushi so much?
• It could be the homicidal Elmo. She LOOOOOVES Elmo. Please, not a speaking homicidal Elmo.
• No one would buy her the pole dancer doll...would they? Seriously, a pole dancing doll?? SERIOUSLY?
• Oh my god, is it the breast feeding baby doll? Would they really buy her a baby doll to "nurse" knowing how much I struggled?
• They would NOT dare send me, I mean, us the Lil Monkey doll set...I do love African-American babies more than anyone truly knows, but one that is paired with a monkey that can wear the baby's diaper? That is scandalous. Uh, and super offensive.

I fretted. I worried. And thought about how I could return the gift.

All, apparently, very needlessly.
Grammy Kathy got Addie a Cleaning Trolley Set. It comes replete with a vacuum, broom, dust mop, hand broom, dust pan, sponge, spray bottle, bucket and cleaning bowl. It was assembled in minutes, provided some Christmas Eve laughter, and, most importantly, was a HUGE hit on Christmas morning.

Addie, as we well know, is quite the little cleaner. Yes, she is a tornado of a mess too, but she enjoys cleaning up her messes (sometimes). She'll wash walls, vacuum floors, scrub tubs.

She thinks that cleaning is cool (Please, god, let her hang on to this trait. Her parents lack it.)

Since the Cleaning Trolley Set has entered our lives my hall has been vacuumed plenty of times. The kitchen table bench as been sprayed down and scrubbed. The Ikea Poang Chair has been buffed to a high shine. The cat has been dusted. I've been swept.

We are in tip top shape.
Luckily for us, the Cleaning Trolley Set did NOT say (as in my brother's email) "Girls Only".


Hey, who knows, maybe her fastidiousness will rub off on Daddy.



Or, maybe, even Mommy.

The Helper becomes Helpful

This month in Parents magazine I read that kids Addison's age like to start helping around the house.
Yes, I read Parents magazine.
I have to find out how not to break her. How else would I know not to ever leave her alone in the tub, at the edge of a pool or by a bucket of water? How else would I know all the tricks to getting an anal temperature (and know when to no longer take an anal temperature?)? How would I know when Addison could have strawberries and that yogurt makes everything better? How would I know that having wine nightly is considered a problem by some, and a god given right by others? Okay, I made that up, but who cares about those people who think it's a problem? They probably not only read Parents, but also Self and Women's Health. Losers.

Anyway, back to the point: How right Parents is.

Addison will help match socks while I fold laundry. She loves helping me get her undressed (she's particularly proud of her ability to remove her socks). When we are done playing, Addison will often help me or Andy pick up her toys (they are usually thrown with great emphasis in her toy bins). But last week she really proved her usefulness by helping me clean the kitchen floor....god I can't wait for her to be able to empty the dishwasher, take out the trash and scoop the cat litter!