Today was one of those days. Every day this week has been one of those days. Kit is one of those kids that when she is not crawling all over me, she's probably doing something that she shouldn't. One would think that by now our family would have figured out how to toddler proof our home, but alas, no. We are determined to assist in quenching her thirst for novelty by continuing to leave things where she can reach them, spill them, eat them, open them with her teeth...
She then climbed on the couch, pulled off Grandpa's hat and smacked him on the head. Then she wrote on at least one library book with a pink pen. Threw fit when I took these away. Spilled a forgotten bowl of cereal all over table/chair/floor/self (2nd change of clothes but just the bottoms). Fit.
Skip a few minutes (we'll come back to this later, but 3rd change of clothes occurs here). She pulled most of the laundry out of the basket across the kitchen floor. Climbed up on the couch and smacked Grandpa on the head and pulled his hair! Almost fell asleep, but it was a no-go. Climbed on Zak's desk and took down his jar of rocks and tried to explore them with her mouth. Fit. Changed the channel several times with the remote that she snuck into a corner of the couch after she smacked Grandpa on the head again. Fit.
Pulled Grace's hair. Pulled my hair. Insisted, as usual to accompany me to the bathroom where she pries open shampoo bottles with her teeth, dumps the hair accessories all over the floor after opening the box with her teeth, and throws a fit when I refuse to let her play with the toilet brush. Finally collapses for a short nap (on my lap of course, and on the recliner, not in the bathroom).
While I am trying to cook dinner she manages to dump Daddy's 32oz cup full of soda all over the table/chairs/floor remarkably staying dry herself. That was between trips to the couch to torture Grandpa. After dinner she had to push all the library books and movies that the big kids had so kindly stacked for tomorrow off onto the floor. Torture everybody on the couch the whole time we were watching Grandpa's favorite show. Many fits. And, not last, and certainly not least, wrote on the screen of my phone with a black permanent marker.
Thankfully I don't have to freak out about this. I have "hanitizer"!
This is now where we revisit the minutes we skipped earlier. I noticed while sitting down for a couple minutes after cleaning up the cereal that things were much too quiet and Kit was nowhere in my vicinity. I quickly found her in the school nook/library, on her belly, coloring.
With orange permanent marker.
On the floor.
Sigh...
Keeping up with Kit
Just today she managed to: Squeeze in squishing grapes all over the kitchen table/chair/floor/herself (1st change of clothes). Then proceeded to spread as many parts of several games as she could throughout the school nook/library which included at least two decks of cards, some poker chips, and the Cootie game with all 24 limbs and other accessories happily creating a mine field.She then climbed on the couch, pulled off Grandpa's hat and smacked him on the head. Then she wrote on at least one library book with a pink pen. Threw fit when I took these away. Spilled a forgotten bowl of cereal all over table/chair/floor/self (2nd change of clothes but just the bottoms). Fit.
Skip a few minutes (we'll come back to this later, but 3rd change of clothes occurs here). She pulled most of the laundry out of the basket across the kitchen floor. Climbed up on the couch and smacked Grandpa on the head and pulled his hair! Almost fell asleep, but it was a no-go. Climbed on Zak's desk and took down his jar of rocks and tried to explore them with her mouth. Fit. Changed the channel several times with the remote that she snuck into a corner of the couch after she smacked Grandpa on the head again. Fit.
Pulled Grace's hair. Pulled my hair. Insisted, as usual to accompany me to the bathroom where she pries open shampoo bottles with her teeth, dumps the hair accessories all over the floor after opening the box with her teeth, and throws a fit when I refuse to let her play with the toilet brush. Finally collapses for a short nap (on my lap of course, and on the recliner, not in the bathroom).
While I am trying to cook dinner she manages to dump Daddy's 32oz cup full of soda all over the table/chairs/floor remarkably staying dry herself. That was between trips to the couch to torture Grandpa. After dinner she had to push all the library books and movies that the big kids had so kindly stacked for tomorrow off onto the floor. Torture everybody on the couch the whole time we were watching Grandpa's favorite show. Many fits. And, not last, and certainly not least, wrote on the screen of my phone with a black permanent marker.
Thankfully I don't have to freak out about this. I have "hanitizer"!
This is now where we revisit the minutes we skipped earlier. I noticed while sitting down for a couple minutes after cleaning up the cereal that things were much too quiet and Kit was nowhere in my vicinity. I quickly found her in the school nook/library, on her belly, coloring.
With orange permanent marker.
On the floor.
Sigh...
And on herself.
Regrettably, this is not the first time. Not even close! But since it's not, I knew precisely how to proceed.
Hanitizer saves the day, and floor.
First, secure the weapon, which in this case was the marker. When I asked out loud "now, where is the lid?" she pointed under the door. Sure enough.
Second, gather a washcloth and a container of hand sanitizer, or as Grace calls it, "hanitizer".
Third, squirt some hanitizer on a corner of the cloth. I clean the baby first because I'm not sure how long after the marker sets on the skin that this technique works as well.
Rub firmly over the marks. Not scrubbing, but firm pressure. I do not use this around or on the eyes or eyelids, or too close to the mouth either for obvious reasons. Today Kit's body art was displayed on just her arm and her feet. Continue to reapply more liquid and use a clean spot on the cloth until the marks are gone. Then promptly wash all areas where the sanitizer was applied with soap and warm water to help wash off excess alcohol so that it doesn't get absorbed into babies sensitive skin and busy little body.
After baby is clean, apply same method to the floor or other affected surface, which today also included a mirror. And then later this evening, my phone screen.
I have not had to try this on wood furniture with a thin or soft varnish, I don't know if it would damage the varnish. I have done this to our furniture with a thicker lacquer layer and it has worked beautifully.
I've also used it on counter tops, vinyl, and on imitation leather (but very lightly, and washed off with mild soap and water after). I have had success using it on my microfiber couch cushions when I catch it immediately and don't give it time to set.
I haven't yet tried it on painted walls (miraculously), but I imagine it would clean those too.
Now, if only I could find as easy a way to get it out of one of our favorite dresses. ='(
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