All it Takes is Toothpaste

As every parent knows, there are high times and low times in dealing with children. Our hope and prayer is that the high times far out weigh the low times, but the unfortunate thing is that those incidents that we would love to soon forget seem to stay with us for years. This post is here to record and capture one of those small moments of joy.

The loveliness of having an almost three year old in our home is that it does not take much to bring out the utter joy that lies within her. My wife calls it "Chocolate Milk Joy." As we age it gets harder and harder to impress us, but when we are young all it takes is toothpaste.

For the past year or two Addison has been using children's toothpaste that is safe to swallow. It recently ran out. Melissa and Addison headed off to Target today to pick up diapers for Emerson and some toothpaste for Addy. A little while later she came bounding in the door full of excitement ready to show me her new toothpaste and toothbrush. It was 'big girl' toothpaste that she picked out and an assortment of four toothbrushes. She had to immediately brush her teeth as Melissa prepared lunch.

A little while later, she asked to brush again. I was amused and thus obliged. She climbed up her steps to the sink and grabbed her toothbrush. I retrieved her 'big girl' toothpaste from the cabinet and set it on the sink but I needed to quickly attend to Emerson who was getting herself into a bit of 14 month old trouble. By the time I returned to the bathroom (15 seconds tops) Addison was already busy brushing her teeth with more toothpaste than I use in a week. I tried my best to displace some of excess toothpaste that was on her toothbrush and face, ignoring for the time the huge blob that was half way down the sink. Thinking that things were under control, I attended to Emerson for another moment. But in doing so it immediately ran through my mind what a normal almost three year old would do if a big blob of yummy toothpaste was staring up out of the sink. Sure enough, Addison was still busy brushing, but the blob was noticeably smaller.

Experiences such as these are common for parents of young children. They bring Melissa and I much joy and my only fear is forgetting them as the girls age.