Can’t sleep. Must update blog.
As my idea for this blog entry seems to be deterring sleep, I figured I’d deal with it like I did with morning sickness–just get it out, and move on with life.
This afternoon, as I emptied the dishwasher, I noticed something slightly out of place on the top rack (and yes, I do have a certain way of loading the dishwasher). Nestled among sippy cups and spatulas was–none other than–the DVD remote control. Of course. James must have spilled something on it and realized that it needed a bath.
WHAT?!
Turns out that Eden, who loves getting into the dishwasher, somehow slipped the remote control onto the top rack. Apparently, James was loading the dishwasher and set Eden on a stool next to him so she could “help.” So, either Eden has the ability to see the flu virus on the remote control and was trying to save our lives, or she thinks we watch too many DVDs.
I would imagine it’s the latter. Probably.
I’m not sure if the remove control will still work, but it doesn’t really matter. This little incident gave me a few chuckles. It also made me think about the relationship James and I have with Eden, and who really has the control, so to speak. Just like we fight over the remove control, we often fight over the controlling position within a relationship. And Eden is definitely learning how to push buttons–both literally and figuratively.
Consider these everyday occurrences, and who possesses the control:
- In addition to climbing into the dishwasher, Eden enjoys licking the nozzles of cleaning products located in the cupboard beneath the sink. While this is only slightly toxic for her (“One sip can’t hurt”), we couldn’t bear to drill a hole into our precious knotty alder to install a cupboard child lock, and thus decrease the property of our house even more. Who has the control?
- Eden has a habit of waking up in the middle of the night, which, consequently, I have adopted. I wish I could let her cry and teach her how to fall back asleep on her own (heaven forbid), but her crying keeps me awake and may even wake James (who hardly sleeps, himself). So, I am compelled to give aid to a deprived child, who is without binky, without swaddling blankets, without two types of lullaby music. And even when she falls back asleep, I lay awake in bed, thinking about dumb things like blog posts. Who has the control?
- I think Eden may be some sort of hypnotist. The other day, out of nowhere, James concluded that Eden did not have enough toys. Therefore, we rushed to Walmart and strolled down the toy aisles, selecting several things. We came to the bike aisle and found it necessary to place Eden in the PowerWheels Dodge Viper (how could we not?). Is there any doubt that Eden will get a car for her sixteenth birthday? Or maybe her second? Who has the control?
Being a parent isn't about control. Nor is being a spouse for what it's worth. What does matter is that your child knows that you love them and that they are safe. Jordan, please pick up something at the store for us to seal the cupboard with the chemicals.