Lessons Learned

Autumn loves to be outside. Thankfully, we have a huge back porch for her to play in that is accessible through french doors off of our living room. When the weather is nice out, as it has been recently, we leave those doors open and let her come and go as she pleases. This she loves.

This is exactly what was taking place last Saturday as I was sitting on the couch catching up on some blog reading. Autumn was outside picking up acorns, chasing the dogs and flying down her slide. Every once in awhile she would poke her head in to check out if Elmo was making an appearance on the television, or if I happened to be eating something that she would like a taste of.

Then it got quiet and the following events happened too quick for me to prevent.

Our beagle came scurrying up to my feet in a panic, I looked up, confused, and that's when I saw her. Autumn was standing in the doorway, her fist balled up above her head in a throwing position. Before I could yell "NO!", she did it. Autumn threw, as hard as she could, a handful of potting soil at our dog, sitting at my feet.

Now, I know you are wondering where the potting soil came from. We have a potted orange tree in the far corner of our porch. It is out of the way of Autumn's usual play area and something that she has never paid attention to or touched. Until now.

As Autumn stood in the doorway laughing, I surveyed the damage. Potting soil all over the floor, rug, couch? Check. Potting soil UNDER the rug and couch? Check. Potting soil all over the dog? Check. Potting soil all over me? Check.

I was furious. Now, in hindsight I know that this entire incident is partly my fault. Who leaves a huge pot full of dark black dirt accessible to an almost two year old? I was asking for it. Also in hindsight I wish that I had taken a few pictures to accompany this post. Live and learn.

So hindsight aside, in the moment, I was not a happy camper.

I picked Autumn up, brushed off the dirt, scrubbed her black soil covered hands and promptly placed her in her crib where she proceeded to cry and cry and cry.

Then I got to work cleaning up the mess. It took about thirty minutes total to get the living room and porch (remember how quiet I said it had gotten? Apparently Autumn and the dog were having a dirt throwing contest outside) presentable again.

Lessons Learned: Never leave potting soil within reach of a two year old.
                                     Autumn has a pretty good throwing arm!

This post has been shared at Momma Made It Look Easy