Little Kids are Scary Fast
Kids are scary fast. And when I say kids I mean toddlers ages 1 to 2 ½. Babies can crawl quickly but once the coordination kicks in and they’re motoring around on two legs you’ve got to be on your guard.
And the truth is, even being on your guard is not enough. I was at home with the 7, 3, and 1-year-old. The 1-year-old is in that stage where the kitchen trash can is his favorite “toy.” If you’ve had kids you know the stage.
The older boys know the stage too, and will yell, “he’s playing with his stinky friend again!” when the toddler is pulling things out of the garbage. I have to applaud their creativity on coming up with an accurate and attention getting phrase.
Anyway, I was literally looking at the 1-year-old in the play room and had just sat down when he turned and bolted for the kitchen. I can't overstate how fast this kid, who was only two days past his first birthday, is. I jumped up but not before he tore into the kitchen like Usain Bolt, flung off the trash can lid, and slam dunked a toy car into the trash.
The 7-year-old nearly fell over he was laughing so hard at this act of sheer defiance on the part of his youngest brother. And he’s not even the fastest 1-year-old I’ve seen.
One of my nephews may set a world record for fastest moving toddler. He’s also kind of a thief. We spent a few nights with the cousins this summer and sharing a house with this kid is like sharing a house with the fastest and cutest pick-pocket ever. He’d swipe something (usually a cell phone) and be halfway across the house before his aunt, uncle, or mom realized he’d pilfered their phone.
Apparently at home he not only takes things but he hides them too. My sister nearly gave up on finding her phone after he swiped it and hid it in the middle of a book -- which he put back on the shelf. We’re talking magician-like quick hands people.
It’s good to know it’s not just my family though. We were at Lake Pflugerville recently trying to gather sand to bring home for the sandbox. (Wait, you mean that 15lbs of sand left in the van was unintentional?!). While sitting on the beach a commotion to my left caught my attention.
The dad was just stepping into the water when the mom shouted something and tried to get up quickly but she was too late and his cell phone hit him square in the back and fell into the water. How, you ask?
A kid, probably 2-years-old, had grabbed his dad’s cell phone, run up behind him, chucked his phone at him as he was getting in the water, and gleefully watched it fall into the lake. All this, in less than two seconds. I’m telling you these kids are fast. And our cell phones don’t stand a chance.