It's too early to start the dinner routine and too late to try to run errands without ending up in the middle horrendous traffic so we're stuck trying to kill 90 minutes. Sometimes I think if I try to get the Squirrel to play with a toy for the 7th time that day, not only will she lose it but so will I. I've gone on about those songs before and one can only take the singing kitchen so many times a day.
I blame a very large part of this resentment towards the minute hand on my clock on the gawd-awful, summer, Texas heat. This hour and a half is also the peak of the heat for the day and, when the daily temperatures are soaring up to 105, it's too dang hot to do anything! Normally, I'd load the girl up in the stroller and head out for a walk. Even better, we'd take a trip down to the park to burn off some energy. But it's literally so hot that I start to sweat when I look out the window so taking an already cranky one year old out in the fiery pits of hell doesn't sound like great parenting to me.
She's also about 6 months shy of planning an actual activity during this time. I can see that next summer, this will be perfect for "art time" or whatever time-burning activity I come across on someone else's blog. But at one year old, my child has the attention spam of a monkey on speed so if anything last more than about 8 minutes, you've lost her.
Maybe I'm just longing for fall, when the weather is ideal in the afternoons, the leaves are changing colors, football is in full swing and the pumpkin spice lattes are flowing. Or maybe this is just a small window of time in my child's life that I'll one day look back on and be filled with tears that I don't have an uninterrupted hour and a half with my baby. But for now, I choose to complain, despise the heat and count the seconds until I can start making dinner.
The Squirrel, clearly not entertained
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
2 comments:
I highly recommend a sink of soapy water or a "play" bath. My witching hours are between 3 and 5 and I've found water somehow soothes the nerves and makes time start ticking again. Best thing for the "toddler" stage is the kitchen sink and a few cups and spoons. Just make sure you lay a bath towel on the floor to catch the spillage.
I'm right there with you sister. I hate this time of day!! Days help when they are older but doesn't matter what activity they are doing still a tough time of day!!
Post a Comment