At Target a while ago were a bunch of board games on clearance. I picked up several to have on hand on rainy days just as something to chase away boredom. Well, one of those boring, rainy days struck last week, so I grabbed one of the games. The game itself is not that hard, but it has a fair number of chokable alphabet chips that need to be kept away from the under-three crowd. I had all of the game out of the box and spread across the kids’ table, trying to figure out how to play it while keeping little hands from stealing the alphabet chips. Liam was patient at first but eventually lost it:
Liam: “Mommy?”
Me : “Hang on sweetie, I almost have this figured out……wait! Kiri! Bring the chip to Mommy!”
Liam: “Mommy?”
Me: “Not right now honey, I’m trying to…Kiri - chips are not for babies!”
Liam (jumping up and down waving the instruction sheet): “Mommy! You need these! Then we can play.”
Me: “No, I can figure this out, I just need a minute of peace and…Kiri! Please give me back that chip!”
Liam (forcing the instruction sheet down in front of me): “Mommy! Please take these!”
Me: “No, I don’t need them. Maybe you could distract Kiri for a minute or two?
Liam: “Yes! That’s what I’m talking about. You give this sheet of destructions to Kiri. He loves to shred things. He’ll be so busy tearing apart the destructions that he won’t even think about the chips! It’s my best idea since yesternight!”
Me (handing the sheet over to an eager baby): “Yes, honey, I think it is. And to think that all these years I thought instructions had only one use!”
The sheet of destructions… I love it!
And, I owe you an email. Coming shortly…
Junk mail serves the same purpose in our house! LOL
“Yesternight” really needs to be an official word. I LOVE it.
Really he has instructions figures out all ready!?! That is exactly what I do with them, except normally it is an act of frustration after I try and figure them out
What a brilliant idea! I also love the word “yesternight”!
“Yesternight” is too, too precious.
Hey, I found you!
Liam is brilliant, obviously. Gosh, it’s so fun to read your blog. Your kids’ antics always make me smile.
oh liesl, no jokes, our word for any instruction sheet is “destructions”… i think it was a family word growing up.
so when anything new is purchased, and the new owner is trying to put it together using good ole kiwi know how (brains and brute strength, while completely disregarding the instruction booklet) the sentence, “when in doubt, read the destructions!” is muttered under the new owner’s (or the hangers-on’s) breath.
that’s a long-winded explanation.
and a weird flashback.
mwah X