The Magic Shoe

Lately it is becoming more and more difficult to change Kellan's diaper, wipe his nose, clean his teeth, change his clothes and wipe his face after meals.  He does not like all of the above.  He REALLY does not like having his face cleaned or his nose wiped and you would think I was executing all sorts of torture to the child if you could hear him screaming and see his arms flying and body and head twisting around.  I wish I had a camera handy one day this week when I was changing his diaper.  He was trying to sit up on the changing table and all I could see was his bare bottom sticking up in the air.  Putting his pajamas on before bed feels like a wrestling match on some nights.  Of course Michael tries to reason with him..."Now buddy this is something that we're going to have to do everyday for a long time so you just might as well get used to it."  Unfortunately this does nothing to stop the whining and wriggling.  

This week Kellan has had a little bit of a runny nose and has been waking up with crusties in and around his nose.  So first thing in the morning we have been suffering through a few meltdowns as I try to clean his nose.  Bringing out the nasal aspirator to suck his nose out is a whole new battle.  

Anytime he is on the changing table I am constantly grabbing up objects to hand to him to play with while I'm trying to get him changed and cleaned up as quickly as possible. We've given him books, a clean diaper, a toy...you name it we've tried it.  Most of the time the object will buy us just enough time to get the job done but yesterday we seemed to have found "The Magic Shoe."  

Kellan is obsessed with shoes.  His shoes, our shoes, anybody's shoes.  If there is a shoe lying around anywhere accessible to him, he will find it, scoot over to it as quickly as possible, pick it up and wave it around like it is the greatest treasure...and of course it makes it to his mouth pretty soon after.  It is so sad to take the shoes away from him when he works so hard to get over to it and then acts so excited when he has it! 

Anyway, before church this Sunday we were getting him dressed and we tried to put a pair of his shoes on but they no longer fit so we just had to abandon shoes completely.  When I was wiping his poor little nose yesterday morning I grabbed one of the "too little" shoes that was still nearby and handed it to him.  It truly was "The Magic Shoe!"  I cleaned his nose with a wet cloth AND the nasal aspirator, changed his clothes, and changed his diaper and he just happily played with the shoe!  He didn't make the first little whimper or try to get away.  When Michael came home I told him about our magic shoe.  When he changed him later in the day he said Wow!  It really is a magic shoe!  We can do anything to him!  We are taking this with us wherever we go!

Unfortunately all good things must come to and end.  The magic shoe must have exhausted all of its powers in one day because when I handed him the shoe this morning he immediately tossed it to the side (and down behind the changing table) and tried to sit up and panic ensued as I cleaned his nose.  So now I am on the look out for the next "magic" item...the tube of Desitin? a wash cloth? a toothbrush?  Whatever it may be, we have to appreciate it while we have it because its effect doesn't last long!