Never a Dull Moment

If you've been following Lynda's blog you've read that as her mother my goal was never to stay ahead of her but my goal instead was to just be a few steps behind.  Some days I felt somewhat successful. Those were the times I would let my guard down thinking that just because I was taller I was in charge.

Lynda did nothing maliciously.  She simply explored her world without inhibition or fear.  And that's where the education of Kathy began and never ended.  I had little knowledge of typical development of a three year old (being an only child myself) so I have to admit it didn't really occur to me that a lot of Lynda's behaviors weren't typical and she didn't give me a lot of time to investigate.  There was no internet or google in 1975 and I had to research the old fashioned way by going to the libraries and digging through the stacks for information.  Besides, the kind of things we were dealing with didn't give us much time to collaborate or even sleep.

The first thing that we learned was that Lynda was like Houdini.  She could get in or out of anything. Of course we didn't know this at the beginning.  Big advantage for Lynda's team. LOL  For instance, Lynda had a small trampoline in her room.  It was basically an inter tube with a canvas cover stretched over it.  On the bottom side, there was a hole about the size of a saucer that allowed you to access the stem to put more air in the tire.

One day while Lynda was playing in her room, I peeped in and heard her sounds but couldn't see her.  I was standing at the door.  I was hearing her voice but she wasn't there.  I hadn't been Lynda's mother for very long and this child was freaking me out.  I began walking around her room.  Now you have to get the mental picture of this.  I am walking around a room with toys all over the floor. No furniture.  Just a playroom and I can hear her voice but she's not there.  I look at the trampoline and then I move on.  Then I walk back to the trampoline and turn it over and it giggles.  Somehow this tiny little Houdini has managed to squeeze her body through a hole about the size of a saucer tearing it just a few inches.  She's inside it and unafraid and rather enjoying the way her sounds echo inside the inter tube.

I honestly don't remember how I got her out.  I'm guessing I just cut the cover off instead of taking time to deflate the inter tube.  I don't know.  I just know she could get in or out of anything.  It was just a matter of time.