Beware! Quiet Toddler in the House!

I can't believe he pulled one over on me. I'm supposed to be experienced, and ready for all the old tricks kids have up their sleeves. But, I missed this one.

Dana took the three older children to sing at the nursing home this morning and I was home alone for a few hours with Gabe. He was occupied with his cars, lining them all up and driving them along a seam of the couch cushion.

I decided to use the quiet time to get Shane's English assignments written up for the next five weeks (although he's in the public high school he is doing some of the work independently). To ease his bookload I decided to just photocopy the pages he would need from his huge textbook.

I got up to check on Gabe who was still quietly playing with his cars. He was fine. A few minutes later he walked into the kitchen with a tissue, blew his nose, and tossed it into the trash can. I love watching him do that, he looks so grown up, even though half the snot ends up on his face! I checked his face, it was fine, and went back to the lesson plans.

A minute later Gabe was back at the trash can with another tissue and I absently-mindedly made a note of how I'd need to teach him to use a tissue for a couple of blows before pitching it. It took another minute for my mind to kick into Mom-gear and realize how quiet it had become and how stealthily Mr. Gabe was moving in and out of the kitchen. How did I miss it? Something was surely going on.

And, something surely was. I really should have been clued into the fact that Gabe does NOT have a cold of any sort right now and therefore has no need of blowing his nose! He got me. And doesn't he look so proud of himself!