Hi All, Thought all of the 'moms' on the board might appreciate the latest Andy episode(aka-the child raised by wolves) This morning while I was...ummm,utilizing the facilities,my 2 yr old Andy sprayed everything in the kitchen with 409...walls,floor,table,food,himself.While I was cleaning all of it up,he managed to get into the fridge without me noticing,and get the ketchup.He was caught painting my living room carpet with it.This resulted in a lovely fingerpainting"ala Andy",and I almost considered saving it for posterity.Who knows,he may be famous someday....not to mention I was really dreading scrubbing it all up.(I will never again buy the economy size ketchup.)But,I decided against saving it and set to work scrubbing,while Andy retreated to my room to watch a Disney movie. After I finished and went to check on him,I noticed a lovely(and new)red accent color covering my floor,walls,linoleum,and youngest son. Ketchup again??!!! Nah,couldn't be...I just 'bungee-corded'the fridge shut! No,this was a much better artistic medium....BARN RED ACRYLIC PAINT!! Gallons of it,or so it seemed.After cleaning "Hurricane Andy"in the tub,scrubbing the walls,carpet and linoleum,I discovered something spectacular.There is a particular shade of BARN PINK that almost(if you squint your eyes and hold your tongue just right)blends perfectly with the shades of tan and green in my bedroom!Thus,I have decided to leave it,since my hands were cramping up from all the scrubbing.

And so,our new Interior Decorating Business is now for hire.If you'd like a free sample of our new line"A Splash of Toddler",call us for an appointment.We will send you our top Interior Decorator free for a weekend trial. The Terrible Two's Toddler Decorating Service thanks you for your patronage!

That was my day!And how was all of ya'lls day? And the next time you feel angered by the antics of the goats,calves or chickens,just remember...you can always solve that problem by heading for the auction barn or the butcher block...but I'm stuck with my little maniac! LOL

Johna (frazzled mom of Andy the human wrecking ball)

-- Johna (marcnjohna@aol.com), February 25, 2002

Answers

Uh oh - something to look forward to! My daughter is 10 mos. old - Your story cracked me up - I think it's wonderful that you are still smiling! ;)

-- heather (h.m.metheny@att.net), February 25, 2002.

Oy vey!

I can sympathize. My daughter is two and a half now and if ever a more willful creature existed on the face of this Earth I hope I *never* meet it! There are times I have to wrestle myself to the ground and forcibly remind myself that "you are the adult, you are the adult!" Can you tell this is my first child?

She does wonderful drawings in yogurt too I might add. Her mama and I are building her an easel so she can finger paint on the back porch. Probably buy her some sidewalk chalk so she can draw on the floor of the workshop while I'm working. Anything but yogurt, ketchup or BARN RED ACRYLIC PAINT!

.........Alan : )

-- Alan (athagan@atlantic.net), February 25, 2002.

Just a little note. My son used to do impulsive stuff. Turned out he had food allergies. Whole personality change on a different diet.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), February 25, 2002.

I have a son who is borderline hyperactive - NOW, LOL! This runs in our family so I know that he will out grow it in the next year or so. About two years ago we promised him that we would paint the walls in his room. We were planning to rebuild (not remodel, rebuild. 98% of the room would be stripped out and replaced) in a while. After about six months, he got tired of waiting. I went into his room and found that he had taken the paint set that he got for christmas from a well meaning relative and proceded to paint. The walls, the clothes and sheets he had left on the floor, some of his toys, his bed, himself and his little sister. Now I can look back and laugh at the memory of coming in and seeing four little eyes looking out at me from faces COVERED in black poster paint! At least he had the bright idea of getting both of them undressed first! I still have sheets with splotches and his bed still has the marks, but we eventually did get the room rebuilt and painted. And no, he wasn't allowed to help the second time around, hehehe. annette

-- annette (j_a_henry@yahoo.com), February 26, 2002.

Oh my gosh, holding my sides, hurts from laughing, not at you but with you . . . I have a three year old boy who must be related to you. One of his escapades a year ago was a mural with Magic Marker on our kitchen cabinets, floor, walls and doors. Luckily, we were there while it was still fresh, and was able to take nearly all of it off.

His latest is burning my retinas with his flashlight, as he loves to go exploring the house after my wife and I have gone to bed (collapsed with exhaustion). I have been the recipient of hearing a slight noise, opening my eyes and receiving a flashlight beam at a range of 2 - 3 inches. I see purple spots before my eyes for quite a while.

Kids . . . gotta love 'em.

-- j.r. guerra in s. tx. (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), February 27, 2002.

Johna,

Been there done that. What is it about boys in particular (sometimes girls but not so much as boys)?

We learned the hard way not to put anything liquid or potentially permanently messy within reach. Dishes went into the lower cupboards, and cleaning stuff up above instead of under the sink as usual. Cupboard locks helped.

My son, at different times dumped the following items down the bathroom sink or tub (I don't know what all might have gone down the toilet): shampoo..a whole bottle, cologne....the whole bottle, and salt. At least he put it where it could be washed away.

I heard once about some quints that got into the wholesale sized containers of flour, oil, and honey all at the same time in the kitchen.

One question for you though...What in WORLD was Barn Paint doing where he could get it ????!!!!

-- LBD, Maryland (lavenderbluedilly@hotmail.com), February 27, 2002.

Johna,

I just realized that you had responded to my post about the chicken tractor. You wondered if I hired my kids out to paint.

HA! LOL! I think your own are more than willing!!!

:-)

-- LBD, Maryland (lavenderbluedilly@hotmail.com), March 03, 2002.