The Little Boy CURSE...

Okay, so Jay’s “little boy” curse is coming to pass! I’ll explain…my wonderful Father-in-law, Jay, has always thought we’ve had it too easy with our little Brinly and Cade, thus far---they have been too easy, so he says! Well, he has expressed that to us a few times, and now it is becoming evident that his curse is coming to pass. Yesterday, Jay called to say hello. After our conversation, I hung up the phone, went about my business…soon to hear a big THUD in the kitchen. I come running down to see what was going on. No blood, no crying…just Cade saying “Uh-oh” in is very cute little toddler way, while standing in front of the open dishwasher that is full of water and an UN-potted plant! Not just any plant, one of Shane’s bonsai trees---which has gravel for dirt!! Apparently, Cade had had the dishwasher on and running prior to opening it and placing the contents of the plant into it! AHHHH!!! I literally screamed. Here my---not even mine, my landlord’s---dishwasher is full of gravel, down into the filter and who-knows-how deep- with a good three inches of now murky, muddy water. I start scooping out the rocks and begin to salvage the remnants of the plant (which actually survived the experience). I have never known a dishwasher so intimately. After about 45 minutes of de-rocking the bottom of the dishwasher and taking apart the filter, I realize Cade is now emptying the garbage across the kitchen floor. Oh man, I was really loosing it at that point…I mean, no patience was left in me. Then I hear Brinly crying upstairs…so I decide I probably should check on her and surrender my handy-woman attempts for the moment. I go upstairs to learn she locked herself in the bathroom—not with the lock on the door, but the bathroom rug was so bunched up that she nor I could open the door (it was stuck under the door, acting as a door stopper). After a few moments of coaxing, she finally got it out and obtained her freedom…and then I saw that my almost 4 year old daughter had unraveled the roll of toilet paper across the bathroom, and decorated it in a crepe paper fashion. LOVELY.
Anyway, Shane later came home and worked on cleaning the remainder of the dishwasher for several hours. CRAZY day. I went and bought a child-proof lock for the dishwasher. It worked well the remainder of yesterday and most of today, until Cade BROKE IT. Yeah…his invincibility is shining through. If anyone has any suggestions for a garbage that is childproof and a dishwasher lock, I’d be more than thrilled to be let in on the secrets!
So, Jay, I have to say THANK YOU! Your dream of my understanding of what little boys are like has been fulfilled. And, now I will plead---PLEASE UNDO YOUR CURSE! Ha, I’m sure I’ll look back on these days and laugh…but I haven’t quite reached that point yet. But I thought I would share.

And yes, our dishwasher is working just fine, thank Heavens!