Knocks, no scratches

As weekends go it was not the best. I have obviously realized that having a child means your time is not your own, but my darling wife does not always help the situation. I was busy for my birthday so we were going to do something on the weekend. Last weekend was virtually non-existent so it did not need to be anything special, just something more than the ordinary. Last weekend Kelly was in China until late Saturday night and I had to be at school on Sunday. So first thing Friday night Kelly called and said we were going to her mum's house. I had enough time to take Joshua and the dogs for a walk. He is getting more used to his grandma, at first he cried whenever she came near. I think she tries to hard and wants too much. Joshua had a great time. I didn't have time to feed him before we went, but grandma had apples and melon for him. Up until now we have puréed most things for him, but now he wants finger food. Like Maxine said, it's a double whammy. Not only does he get to touch the food and play with it, but he also gets to put it in his mouth, and it taste good. I, on the other hand, was tired, hungry and thirsty, and didn't have nearly as good a time. Getting food and drink at Kelly's mum's is not always easy. I can't just go and get what I want. Kelly and her mum think that I should have what's in the house rather than go get something, and if I do want to get something, her mum can go get it. It's a battle. Saturday night we had to go and help Monica pick out her wedding dresses. Monica lives with us and is our unpaid babysitter. Before you start thinking I have no morals, she wants to look after Joshua and calls herself his aunty. Kelly has great interpersonal skills, which is why she is in sales, and gets people what they want in situations like this. So it was a long night looking at a gazzillion dresses. Joshua was happy and playful as every and spent a lot of time crawling around. He is not interested in his toys and wants to play with things around him. Invariably they end up in his mouth. We went to one room that had a glass wall. Joshua was fascinated by this glass wall and spent a long time checking it out. I was with him the whole time, not surprising when the alternative was looking at dresses. He was checking out the wall by kneeling by the wall and touching it. Every now and again he would check it out using his mouth and his tongue, I guess he just wonders if it tastes as good as it looks. At one point I could tell he wasn't as energetic in his exploration as before and I could tell that he was unsteady. I put my hand on the corner of the wall, but he move his leg and his head hit the wall much lower, and picked up a little bruise on his forehead. Well, he let out a cry and everyone, all five of them looked at him and me with horror on their faces as if his injuries were far worse. That doesn't make me a bad dad. It's a statement, not a question. I think that all that he learned by playing with the glass and bumping his head was worth a little bruise. I have your best interests at heart Joshua.