G has learned how to avoid mortal peril for at least 8 seconds. She understands danger, she understands her locations, she just is extremely easiiy ADD distracted.

Today we made it safely from the car door to the front door of the Vet’s office, without a leash. Then we made it safely approximately 45 yards to the Ace Hardware, using up approximately 85% of the sidewalk space en route. Then we walked to a single aisle for a single item and did not impale\puncture\poison\slice\chip\rake\lop\paint or superglue ourselves. We needed to be restrained back to the counter.

The baby can understand reason. Its an amazingly exciting possibility. The optimisim it generates goes far beyond its actual time-savings; it speaks of the future and the not-always-mortally-imperilled tinyHuman she may become. But she is still a lot of work to keep jamming reason down her throat. Worth it, but a lot of work, it would be easier to carry her if she hadn’t become such a load. Perhaps the body becoming hard to carry goes hand-in-hand with the mind ready for responsibility.

We hopped on the merry-go-round at the park today, and she wanted me to spin her faster faster faster. And as i told her to hold on she held on, but this of course did not last, and in the course of being distracted she eventually toppled off at low speeds. I let it happen. She toppled off at higher speeds on Saturday and I watched the whole thing go down and plucked her safely out of the air. This makes me supremely qualified to manage babies going horizontal.

Why allow this?!?! you may ask.

Because this was an opportunity for maximum parenting.

She understood the whole idea of letting forces get beyond her ability to stay in control. It was written all over her face, and in her not crying when she hit the ground.   She knew she’d gotten too ambitious. So I said “falling is bad” right after she said “Again!” And she hesitated after asking me to go faster, and i said “falling is bad” and she said “falling is bad.” We repeated this at least half a dozen times throughout the evening, maybe she remembers what it means, maybe she doesn’t. I have learned her well enough to recognize this toehold into her cognition.