Last Tuesday morning - I guess it's already been a week ago now - I was getting Benjamin and myself ready to go to church for Bible Study. I'm in a study with the Moms Connection, and Ben goes to the childcare, which he enjoys so much. He loves playing with the other babies, which makes me so glad but then also sad since he's alone at home! Mommy and Daddy can't be as much fun as other little people are!
Anyway, back to my story...
Anyway, back to my story...
I was putting on my make-up in the dining room so that I could keep an eye on Ben while he watched "Super Why" and played. I did not have my eyeglasses on, since I was putting on make-up - this will explain a large portion of why what happened - happened.
Ben was playing in front of the TV with one of his plastic noise balls, and it must have rolled over between the little table by the front door and the loveseat, because I looked over and saw his cute little bottom sticking out between the two. I thought nothing of it, and kept applying my "face" to my face.
Ben was playing in front of the TV with one of his plastic noise balls, and it must have rolled over between the little table by the front door and the loveseat, because I looked over and saw his cute little bottom sticking out between the two. I thought nothing of it, and kept applying my "face" to my face.
Then he was quiet. And I should have KNOWN that something was up! I should have, but for the moment I was glad that he wasn't whining at my elbow to see what was up on the table. Then Ben re-appeared, holding a white box-like item in his hand and happily waving it around. I squinted at it, trying to see what it was. I tried to think of what he could have found that he shouldn't have, but nothing came to mind. I thought it might be a lid from one of the rubbermaid containers; he loves to chew on those.
He was very happy with his new toy and kept waving it around joyfully. Then I realized that he was waving it around so vigorously that he should have dropped it by now.
And then it hit me what he had found...
He was very happy with his new toy and kept waving it around joyfully. Then I realized that he was waving it around so vigorously that he should have dropped it by now.
And then it hit me what he had found...
Bryan had put scorpion traps around the perimeter of the living room a few months ago; we'd found several tiny scorpions on our carpet, which alarmed us since they blended right in and Ben is all over the floor. He'd hid them behind the furniture, supposedly where Ben or Patsy (the kitty) could not reach them. They are just oblong rectangular boxes with lots of gooey sticky stuff inside of them.
But Benjamin has a way of finding things that he "shouldn't" be able to find - he is so curious, so very inquisitive, and he thinks that he must touch and taste EVERYTHING that he comes into contact with - it must all be thoroughly investigated.
And he'd gotten his little pudgy fist stuck inside the gooey, sticky scorpion trap. He was so excited! He was babbling and laughing to me as if to say, "Look Mom! Isn't this great?! I can shake it all around and it doesn't come off!"
Mommy was not laughing or excited. Mommy was terrified that there was poison in the trap and that it was seeping into her precious baby's skin. She did not know anything about those traps.
I put him in the high chair, which he promptly protested to (he hates confinement of any kind). I prayed "Dear God, please don't let there be a scorpion inside of this box!" And PRAISE HIM -- there was not. Whew. Then I checked the outside of the scorpion trap for instructions on what to do in case of one's baby putting his fist into the trap. It said to "apply mineral spirits" and then wash the skin immediately with warm water and soap.
Okay, I am not really all that stupid - I did study French though, NOT chemistry or science. So I called my intelligent mechanical-engineer-husband and prayed again that he would be at his desk. And he was! The poor guy, I worried him. All I said was "What are mineral spirits?!" He paused for a moment and said slowly, "Paint thinner is one...why?" Then I explained the situation and Bryan just started to laugh. He'd initially thought that Ben had somehow swallowed paint thinner. After reassuring me that there was indeed NO poison in the goo, that Ben was going to be okay, I calmed down and went into the garage to find the paint thinner.
After much protesting on Ben's part and much wiping of paint thinner, the box was removed from Ben's fist and the goo was gone.
To me, the funniest part was washing his hands. He was so excited about the water! Much like the poop incident a few weeks ago, he was oblivious to the chaos he had caused, he just wanted to splash in the water. Then he tried to stick his sock-covered foot under the faucet - anything to get wet somewhere on his body! Such a silly boy.
But Benjamin has a way of finding things that he "shouldn't" be able to find - he is so curious, so very inquisitive, and he thinks that he must touch and taste EVERYTHING that he comes into contact with - it must all be thoroughly investigated.
And he'd gotten his little pudgy fist stuck inside the gooey, sticky scorpion trap. He was so excited! He was babbling and laughing to me as if to say, "Look Mom! Isn't this great?! I can shake it all around and it doesn't come off!"
Mommy was not laughing or excited. Mommy was terrified that there was poison in the trap and that it was seeping into her precious baby's skin. She did not know anything about those traps.
I put him in the high chair, which he promptly protested to (he hates confinement of any kind). I prayed "Dear God, please don't let there be a scorpion inside of this box!" And PRAISE HIM -- there was not. Whew. Then I checked the outside of the scorpion trap for instructions on what to do in case of one's baby putting his fist into the trap. It said to "apply mineral spirits" and then wash the skin immediately with warm water and soap.
Okay, I am not really all that stupid - I did study French though, NOT chemistry or science. So I called my intelligent mechanical-engineer-husband and prayed again that he would be at his desk. And he was! The poor guy, I worried him. All I said was "What are mineral spirits?!" He paused for a moment and said slowly, "Paint thinner is one...why?" Then I explained the situation and Bryan just started to laugh. He'd initially thought that Ben had somehow swallowed paint thinner. After reassuring me that there was indeed NO poison in the goo, that Ben was going to be okay, I calmed down and went into the garage to find the paint thinner.
After much protesting on Ben's part and much wiping of paint thinner, the box was removed from Ben's fist and the goo was gone.
To me, the funniest part was washing his hands. He was so excited about the water! Much like the poop incident a few weeks ago, he was oblivious to the chaos he had caused, he just wanted to splash in the water. Then he tried to stick his sock-covered foot under the faucet - anything to get wet somewhere on his body! Such a silly boy.
Well I may have taken too much space and too many words to describe that incident, but it was a bit unnerving for this mommy. (I even didn't think to take a picture of Ben with the trap - that's how unnerved I was!) We did finally make it to church, Ben dry and sans goo, and Mommy with her make-up (and glasses) on.
Speaking of glasses, both Bryan and myself got new pairs a few weeks back! Mine are more noticeable, and Ben loves to reach up and pluck them off my face. Bryan's glasses don't curve around his ears like most do, so Ben can get his off even easier than mine. Like I said earlier, this child thinks he needs to investigate everything he encounters!
1 comment:
I tell you... living in Tucson is good training for moving to Africa;-)
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