C's gonna need a wipe

Tonight I did one of the dumbest things I think I have ever done as a parent. We had a very spontaneous, relaxed day out on the town today and ended with a quick trip to Home Depot. We had promised A a special dessert, so we grabbed candy bars at the check-out. She was thrilled when we handed it to her in the car. Of course, C is cognizant now of things like this and wanted her rightful share. So, I obliged. I handed a big chunk of sticky, stringy, warm Twix bar to my toddler in her car seat.

J kept an eye on her in the rearview mirror to make sure she could handle it and it didn't seem to be a problem. When A had finished her portion, she dutifully cleaned her hands and mouth with a wipe. Shortly thereafter as we approached our street, A announced, "O-o-oh, yeah, C's gonna need a wipe!" Her tone was so incredulous that J and I just busted out laughing.

Sure enough, when we got home and I surveyed the damage, I realized that a trip to the kitchen sink was in order. And at least one baby doll will need a run through the washing machine. Since tomorrow is church, I don't really have time to wash the car seat cover, so I did the best I could with wipes. I realized it was a dumb move on my part as I was picking caramel out of the canvas buckle strap.

One day, hopefully soon, I will come to terms with the fact that I have two very different little girls. One would almost prefer to dispose of the chocolate bar if it presents too high of a messy risk. The other will go looking for tactile experiences and submerse herself fully in any mess so as to absorb all possible sensory information. I know this somewhere in my head, but sometimes it just doesn't translate to my actions. And when that happens, C's gonna need a wipe!