Owee

Gee, it's great to be home from work for several weeks, but I have to say - I've never picked up and put down another human being so many times in my life as I  have recently.  In to the car seat. Out of the car seat. Into the high chair. Out of the high chair.  On to the bed.  Off of the bed.  Now, multiply that by two and throw in the car seat for good measure.

So today, at the mall food court, my back drew it's line in the sand.  In that awkward posture one is forced to assume when depositing a child in a high chair, a tiny cry was heard from the base of my back.  It became progressively worse over the course of the afternoon, and by the time we wanted to leave Barnes & Noble, my wife and I were both lumbering paper lions trying in vain to heard the two year old out of the store.  I, because of my back, and she, because she was so still incredibly sore from the explosive natural childbirth.

Ever try to reason  a two year old out of a place where they want to stay?  Without the threat of overpowering them in a public, humiliating way through brute physical force, attempts at verbal persuasion amount to nothing more  than silly white noise.  The best I could do was to pursue her the best I could and make pendulous, totally benign arm motions in her direction.  Bending over and scooping her up would have landed me in the ER.

Eventually we limped home, we with our hat in our hand and our daughter's pockets bulging with bribe booty.  I'm considering abandoning everyone for the movies tonight if I don't go under entirely via self pity beforehand.

Pictured is Abigail's older sister Ava - the diabolic little tyke that so mercilessly manipulated me today.