Carnival Games

Carnival Games; we all love to play them. We always think we can beat the odds. These games are fun to play. We always feel so close to winning, but in the end, we are defeated. The games are rigged so you have very slim odds of winning or none at all.

Feeding Mathew is like trying to win a game at a carnival. My goal is to contain the mess to a manageable disaster. Its a whole process; before, during, and after. When playing carnival games, we first start off with a mental image of our victory. So I start with a mental picture of me cleaning up just a small area of mess. Then I start by physically warming up; I sit him in his high chair. Set him up with a bib and a play spoon. I bring the prepared food and the tub of wipes (a must!). The games are always a tease; you start off great like you are going to win. The first few bites are clean and neat. No mess. He opens his mouth, I enter the spoon, and he eats. But then, Boom! the odds of the game shift to his corner. Game on!

He stirs to the left just as I attempt to plant the spoon in his mouth. I inevitably miss and get it all over his right cheek. Boom! OR he decides he wants to babble right after I place the teaspoon of pureed green beans in his mouth. The spit is minor but lengthy; it reaches my shirt. Boom! OR he locates his fingers in his mouth full of squash. The fingers ever so slightly move to his legs, shirt sleeve, and/or even sometimes his ears. Yes, the back of his ears. Boom! OR Mathew opts to look down with the spoon in his mouth, which leaves bananas up his nose. Boom! Half of the food going in is coming right back out. You can only wait to see which way or form its coming back out. But you know it is. You cant stop it. The carnival games and the infant feeding are so much fun. No matter how many times you play, the result is always the same; you lose! The loser gets to clean up Mathews face, ears, hands, legs, high chair, floor, and clothing items (for both mommy and Mathew). I will eventually win, but until then, I will have fun losing! I will get this on videotape, it is hilarious.

Before I go, let me leave you with this question:
When was the last time you laughed so hard you almost peed in your pants?