I Didn't Think That Was Dangerous

See that drawer over there? And that toy laptop? And that door? And that cabinet? And that toilet seat? All of those things can be classified as "finger traps."

I've done a good job of childproofing most of the house. There's a gate around the whole TV area, and locks on the cabinets with hazardous materials in them. Most of the doors stay closed, and the trash and recycling are both in lidded containers. There are outlet covers on every plug that isn't in use (and most of the ones that are live behind gates or under desks or out of baby reach). Notice how often I use "most"? It becomes necessary to qualify after your child shuts his finger in the one drawer he can still reach, and then just screams because he can't figure out that he's the one who did it. Or when you're trying to load or unload the dishwasher, and because you've made your life easier by removing the gate into the kitchen and locking the cabinets, your child comes crawling in, pulls up on the open dishwasher, and grabs A KNIFE. Of all the things in the dishwasher that he could have grabbed, he goes for a knife. Does this bode well for our future?

We're watching They Might Be Giants: Here Comes Science, and the song that's on right now is "Davy Crockett in Outer Space." Calvin seems to appreciate it (he actually sits still for the Elements song) but more than that, I appreciate it. These CD/DVD combos are actually his birthday present--which is why I haven't opened the ABCs and 123s yet--but it's nice to have the DVD to play at home and the CDs for the car. Combine this with the Nerdy Baby flashcards, the planets on the wall, and...oh dear God, the fact that my child just raised his hand and inadvertently did the "Live long and prosper" gesture from Star Trek...and I think we're going to end up with either a super-nerdy kid or one who rebels violently against it. There's no possibility for middle ground. I'm hoping for a two-year-old who says he wants to be a paleontologist. Especially because then I have an excuse to hit up the Museum of Natural History as often as possible.

A few weeks ago when I was home, a friend of mine took photos of Calvin that I'm considering his first birthday photos (even though there was nothing birthday related in them and he was only 11 months old). They're absolutely beautiful and the above is one of the shots. I can't wait to get the high-res images--she includes a CD with all her sessions, which alone makes it worth it. Anyone in the NC/SC area who has any need for photography services, please check out her website: Caroline Jackson Photography.