Out With the Wash

Gabe has two new favorite activities: standing on the open dishwasher door, and standing on the door of our front-loading washing machine and watching the clothes go around and around.

He is particularly fond of the washing machine. He will watch, his compact body tense with anticipation as the machine fills with water, and then burst into applause when it begins to spin the clothes. Best of all, once the spinning is really going strong, he will dance to the washing machine's rhythm like it is some sort of ultra-cool percussive instrument.

When the machine moves on to the rinse cycle, he will look up at me with sad eyes and demand more. So our clothes go through a lot of spin cycles these days, is what I'm telling you.

I cannot find my favorite picture of him watching the washing, because I am seriously that level of disorganized these days, but here is a quick example of how the dishwasher is super fun:

Why do we even buy toys for toddlers? I mean, we had major home appliances in place long before Gabe was born! And it's not just the appliances that amuse him. He also likes emptying out my dresser drawers, reorganizing Matt's shoes, and crumpling up empty granola bar wrappers. No trip to the Juvenile Shop or the Target toy department necessary!

I never, ever realized a washing machine could be so fascinating. And never has my baby seemed more delicious and full of wonder than this afternoon when we sat and watched the clothes go around and around and applauded for the spin cycle.