Lesson of the Day: Trust No One

More precisely, trust not a toddler alone with her baby sister. I learned this lesson not once, but twice in one day this past weekend (hey, just because I'm a teacher doesn't mean I learn quickly).

Ellie was sleeping in her swing the other day, and I was in the bedroom getting dressed, when I heard Keira shouting, "You'll NEVER be a baby nowwww!" This is an adaptation of Swiper's "You'll NEVER find it nowww!" line when he swipes stuff from Dora, and Keira says things like this a lot--but never before involving a baby. I peeked out into the playroom to find my dear firstborn child wielding an empty wrapping paper roll as a magic wand, and trying to bop her baby sister on the head with it! I never saw her actually make contact, but when Bear got home from work, Keira did tell him, "She bopped Ellie on the head with this," so who knows? Okay. No harm, no foul. I gave her a "No bopping babies on the head" lecture and let it go.

A little while later, with Ellie still sleeping in the swing, I was making dinner and letting Keira "help" me when she announced she was going to check on the baby. A second later, she shouted, "She's awake, Moms!" (She calls me "Moms" lately. Like she's the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air or something.) I called back, "Okay!" and took maybe 10 seconds to finish what I was doing before I walked into the playroom and saw...

...dun dun DUNNNNNN!...

Keira standing next to the swing, holding the baby.

Not wanting to scare her into dropping Ellie, I just walkedreallyreallyreallyfast and took her from Keira's arms, which had been wrapped around under Ellie's armpits--and, in retrospect, I guess I should be grateful/impressed that she was actually holding her upright and pretty securely, though how she got her out of the swing in the first place is beyond me. I never imagined she'd even attempt such a thing, but...lesson learned.

Now, to some pics:

Ellie fancies herself a prizefighter and is seen here punching Bittle in the face:

Is this a Zoolander pose?


Sporting one of the cloth diapers she now fits into...sort of. Again, she is ready to punch me in the face if the mood should strike her:

And here's a "judge for yourself" video--I swear that Ellie smiles for real when I'm talking to her sometimes, although I don't know at what age you can officially say smiles are "real" and not "just a reflex" or whatever. You'll have to endure my goofy baby-talk voice if you want to see it, though: