Straw Poll
Before we get to this posting, a quick note on why we’ve been silent for too long – primarily because of dad’s Thanksgiving ACL reconstruction surgery. The good news is that everything went well, and he’ll soon be able to carry Penny around again.Penny herself had some minor surgery on January 9, a tympanostomy, or for the layman, she had ear tubes put in. That’s one part of this bifurcated post – we thought of two topics that could use the same title, and figured we’d give the reader a twofer as consolation for our extended absence from the blogosphere.
So back to the surgery. It turns out that Penny has had at least nine ear infections in the past year. Apparently that’s a few too many, so the pediatrician referred us to see a specialist who recommended the tubes. Penny did a great job – was only grouchy after waking up from the anesthesia. And since then she’s slept great and been a generally cheerful girl. It turns out that having fluid constantly in your ears for a year and a half doesn’t feel that good.
On to the second part of the post (and the original namesake). What is it with toddlers and straws? They seem drawn to them like moths to a lamp. Take a toddler to any restaurant, and within seconds they’ve spotted the nearest straw and proceed to cry relentlessly until they are able to chew the end and discard it quickly on the floor.
Once you’ve secured a second straw, they want to drink from it. Nevermind that they haven’t quite figured out the whole “suction makes the liquid move through the straw” thing. Glance around any family-friendly restaurant, and you’re sure to see a batch of parents patiently feeding their tykes water, using the straw as a sort of pipette, gently dropping water into their progeny’s mouth.
At some point the kid figures out how the straw works and can actually use it to drink – the problem is that they still can’t be trusted with a genuine, bona fide, breakable glass, so the next step is for the parent to hold the glass just below the surface of the table so that junior can suck the precious liquid through the straw. (Note that at no point in this process is the parent actually enjoying their own, tasty beverage).
Which brings us back around to the title of this posting: a straw poll. Why is it that certain things, like straws, fascinate all kids, regardless of gender?
Write to us! What are/were your kids most fascinated with? Q-tips? The neighborhood cat? Dump trucks?
posted by New Parent @ 2:53 PM
5 Comments:
I just tried to post a comment and it got completely lost, so I feel so frustrated.
Okay so I'll try again. Yes, I remember a long list of things that my boys wanted to have that they were not ready for having. For the under age two things: paper, plates with things on them, glasses, scissors, pins, needles, vacuum cleaner, little legos, GI Joe figures, and everything else their brothers had. For Alex, we put a shelf all around and above his top bunk, but that only worked until Gary was 18 months old and climbed up there.
You can make those things especially for times when you can be one on one and practice using them. And then when she inevitably complains you can give her words like--you want the straw, we will practice with the straw at breakfast. Wish I could be with you more and help!! Love, Aunt Ann
Wow Tony just wrote me on facebook while I was writing here!
We must be communicating at some level....wish it could be more. I'm so happy you are all better now and Penny has had her ears fixed!!!
The thing Benson loves that I'm happiest about is ... socks. That's right, socks. Whenever I'm in a pinch and he's getting fussy, I can pull the socks off his feet (as long as it's not 25 degrees outside) and hand him to them and he's THRILLED. Better to hand them to him slowly so the anticipation builds as he first has one sock .... then TWO socks! So exciting!
Playing with my nephew over the holidays I remembered how much I enjoyed building things, particularly trying to create environments as cool and "awesome" as those in the JC Penny catalog, and GI Joe and Star Wars commercials. I think I spent a month one summer and (5 rolls of tape) recreating the Death Star out of a cardboard box.
Spark guns, things you press and stuff happens, puzzles, magnets....my life is becoming clearer now...
I am deeply disappointed that most of today's straws are encased in sleeves too tight to make straw worms. If you don't know what I mean - you take the sleeve from the straw, open the top, push it down the straw into a scrunch, then use the straw to put a drop of water on the end of the scrunch and watch it wiggle open. Ultimate entertainment at the restraurant table!
Just thinking about children and toys reminded me of one of the saddest sights I ever saw: a stuffed bear sitting in the middle of the drive around at LAX!
Mom Johnson
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