Making Messes

Riley is at the age where I don’t feel like I have to constantly watch him. This is nice because it lets me get some work done on the computer while he wanders from room to room, playing and babbling to himself.

However, this is sometimes not nice because, more than once, the slippery little sucker has scooted himself down the stairs before I can get to him. I’m glad we taught him well on how to navigate the stairs, but he hasn’t yet grasped the concept that he shouldn’t go up or down them by himself. Crazy kid.

Lately, if he chooses to ignore the stairs and part of my attention is otherwise occupied, Riley-bean has taken the liberty of getting into some things that aren’t his and making a few messes.

Those first two I was completely aware of, as they were happening practically right at my feet. He actually has gotten into my shoes and my purse a number of times, and I let him since it’s an easy thing to pick up and it occupies him for a decent stretch. However, he did not have my permission to empty out his wipes container onto the floor of his bedroom one afternoon.

All of the blame lies squarely on my shoulders, and I fully accept it. I was focused solely on editing a photo project on my computer (more on that soon!), and although I knew he was in his room, I only noticed the silence after he had been quiet for a couple of minutes. I walked in, found the mess, and immediately dashed back to my room to grab my camera.

As messes go, Riley really hasn’t created any big ones. Yet. I know they’re just around the corner. Another blogger mom says she makes sure to document every mess her son makes before cleaning it up, just so she’ll be able to look back at it one day and laugh.

I hope I retain the wherewithal to do just that when Riley has colored the walls with crayon or dumped flour out all over the kitchen floor or some other such nonsense.

Because I have a feeling he is going to be trouble with a capital T in no time.