Why did I think it was a good idea to...

Hindsight is 20/20.  Often times, I, my husband, or both of us, do things that we later come to regret, even if momentarily.  I literally begin several thoughts a day with the phrase "Why did I think it was a good idea to..."  Below are some of the more memorable moments I've voiced this thought:

1. Have two children in two years.  Especially in the middle of the night as both children are crying.  Or during the morning when both children are crying.  Or during the afternoon when both children are crying.  See the theme?

2. Work on my master's while still maintaining a full time job on shore duty.  Nothing like coming home on a Wednesday just long enough to nurse Anduin and then give Owen a teaser before running out again.  My half hour between work and class manages to set them both off.  Which then leads us to Situation 1.

3. To leave only two and a half days to write a 20 page paper for a class for the above master's.  Sad but true.  You'd think after the first paper I'd learn not to procrasinate.  Unfortunately, I've repeated the rushed scenario of flinging my children on the good graces of my husband, mother, and mother-in-law while I frantically research and write a paper numerous times.

4. Feed Owen chocolate twenty minutes before his bed time.  I don't think this requires any explanation.  And yet, Niles and I do this often.  Or if not chocolate, maybe cupcakes or gummy worms or something else we probably shouldn't be feeding a baby, and definitely not feeding him so closely to his bedtime.

5. Feed Owen cheese curls immediately after changing him into a clean white shirt.  That cheese powder gets everywhere.  Yet, his excited face when he sees and eats cheese curls almost makes it worth it.

6. To purchase white shirts for Owen.  And speaking of which, own a white couch.  For a parent who feeds their toddler cheese curls in the living room, you'd think I would at least have child friendly furniture.  My version of child friendly furniture is a white couch that has removable covers and a wonderful mother-in-law who takes the time to remove them and wash them for me.

7. To leave the cutting board with the extra large chef's knife within reach of the high chair.  This actually happened.  Turned around and saw a scene out of a horror movie: toddler in high chair holding a large carving knife.  Fortunately, it didn't actually turn into any more of a horror movie.  Knife was secured and toddler thought it was a game.

8. To not baby-proof anything.  Sad confession: Niles and I have not babyproofed a single item in our house.  Our children have managed to survive on sheer parental vigilance alone.  We don't have baby gates, cabinet locks, oven locks, corner paddings...  The one time I tried to install cabinet locks, Owen ripped through them.  We do occasionally find Owen playing with the container of bleach or our entire set of pots and pans on the floor.  Owen also has taken his share of tumbles down the stairs, but it just toughens him up.

9. To teach Owen how to use the step stool so he could wash his hands.  It was cute to see him wash his own hands in the bathroom sink: turn on the water, dispense some soap, rinse them off under the water...  But what I completely failed to take into account was the fact that Owen loves water.  He could wash his hands for hours, completely drenching the sink.  I also didn't account for him to quickly figure out he could move the step stool and now reach just about everything everywhere.  This leads to repeats of Situation 7.

10. To let Owen lick anything he wanted to at the play area at the mall.  Since Owen doesn't go to daycare, I had to figure out a way to strengthen his immune system by exposing it to all sorts of germs.  So far nothing's killed him, but we have had to deal with a lot of colds this winter and spring.  At some point in the foreseeable future, we'll reap the benefits of a strengthened immune system.  Until then, I've stocked up on tissues.