The Dinner Table

Here's a picture from a couple weeks ago when we went down to Los Angeles to visit relatives. Pictured here with Daniel are Uncle Larry and Auntie Irene (who are expecting their first child in a few months). Aside from the fact that it's a nice photo of Daniel with relatives, I find it a somewhat humorous because I can tell exactly what Daniel's thinking right now.

Placed dangerously close to him are all sorts of implements of destruction. 17 month olds have an uncanny, kung-fu-master-like, ability to grab anything near them and use them to poke, stab, or fling food or drink great distances. In this photo, Daniel is contemplating the tactical advantages of using a forearm swipe to clear the table versus the "grab the fork, stab Uncle Larry in the thigh while spilling full cup of ice water with other hand" technique.

Our LA relatives who sat around the table during this meal kept telling us what fine little gentlemen we had because they were so well behaved. Yvonne and I just laughed and shook our heads. Those who have shared a meal with us at our house know that throwing food and making messes seem to be some sort of competition between the boys. Why, just the other day we were eating dinner when I bent over to pick up some food under the table only to be greeted by an entire glass of water which came cascading down in front of me (followed by giggles of course). Fortunately, our dog Kilo is more than happy to make sure the floor remains spotless during these Olympic throwing events.