It has been almost thirty days since my last entry and again, much has transpired in the tribal household. The natives are developing in leaps and bounds in language, motor skills and social interaction. Though Tuesday has witnessed some difficult learning experiences, such as her recent physics exploration (See Day 308 for the full story), she still lacks the cautiousness and the knowledge require to prevent those same experiences from occurring again. Wednesday has acquired the ability to stand upright, however, only by pulling up on an object. Soon, I surmise, she will stand without the aid of a stationary structure.
Wednesday’s new-found mobility has been both a blessing and a curse. Because Wednesday uses objects, particularly those within the tribal living area, to aid her efforts to stand upright, she has developed an affinity towards clearing surfaces of all the objects that reside on top of them. This behavior is a daily occurrence which prompts a massive cleanup effort each time she creates her swath of destruction. In addition, Wednesday has discovered the disposable wipe container and in kind, has developed an affinity for emptying the disposable wipe container, one disposable wipe by another.
Given that most of the activity that the natives produce is filled with screams, squeals, lamentations or crying, this particular activity is silent. Like a ninja. A sneaky, stealthy, disposable wipe container emptying ninja.
On most occasions, I investigate Wednesday’s whereabouts in time to find her pulling the last disposable wipe out of its container, as fortune would have it. One would think that after the first one, two or three occasions when this behavior has occurred that I, as the guardian and watchman over these natives, I would have placed the container out of the native’s reach. One would think.
Alas, I would not be composing this entry if that were so. Wednesday has indeed become an habitual offender. Perhaps there’s something magical about pulling wipes out of their container, like pulling a long-eared rabbit out of a hat. Perhaps it’s a soothing activity like the song that soothes the savage beast. Or, perhaps still, it is an activity prompted by boredom, and the activity is simply what it is. Whatever the case, I must remember to not avail the container to the native, as the inevitable disposable wipe ninja in her will surely surface.
The two natives have demonstrated extensive interaction, which at times has been contentious. I have observed this interaction, though from a distance. Their interaction often consists of squealing, screeches, and other joyous sounds. However, this is not always the case. As often as giggling and laughter are present in their interaction, there are also the sounds of lamentation and contention at play as well. Sharing among the natives, particularly of toys and playthings, is apparently not an activity that Tuesday is prepared to embrace – yet.
Recently, Tuesday has taken her possessive behavior to a whole new level. Tuesday has always been a rather – shall we say – high energy, full throttle kind of native. Tuesday is quite strong and is quite in tune with her strength and abilities. This becomes a problem whence her younger sibling is playing with a toy that has, in years prior, been solely Tuesdays. Upon Tuesday observing Wednesday’s interaction with said toy, Tuesday launches an effort to remove the toy from her sister’s grasp. And I do mean launch.
Tuesday will launch herself on top of her younger sibling, tackling her to the ground, wrestling the toy out of her much smaller hands in much the same manner as predator would take down its prey. Simultaneously, Tuesday exclaims her battle cry, “NO, MINE!!!”, which is not much warning for the unsuspecting Wednesday. I liken Tuesday, in this situation, to professional football linebacker, attacking a quarterback before he can release the ball. As can be imagined, Wednesday becomes rather disagreeable when this behavior occurs and as soon as I can get to the situation, I sternly reprimand Tuesday, and examine Wednesday to determine if she has suffered any injury. Unfortunately this behavior occurs more often than I would like to witness and each time it does, the same reprimand is issued and examination of the youngest native is conducted.
So, the tribe now has two natives with entirely different skill sets: one, a stealthy ninja, with the ability to conduct a secret disposable wipe container emptying mission without being detected and the other, a linebacker with brutish and heathen tendencies that applies force when necessary. Together, I fear they may be an unstoppable force.
The Life and Surprising Adventures of Fatherhood 