Ozzie's Gifts

We recently child proofed all of our cabinets and drawers. Originally we did not want to drill holes into our cabinets but our ever curious toddler forced us to do it.

Before putting our house on lock down, Ozzie loved to take something from one drawer and replace it with something else; typically one of his toys or something that did not belong there. I would often open a kitchen drawer to find the item I needed missing and in its place a gift from Ozzie. See exhibit A below, plastic bags askew, sandwich bags missing and Felipe & Turner (Disney's Handy Manny tools) in their place.

Everyday I would follow Ozzie around the house while he happily rearranged our drawers and put everything back where it belonged only to have him change it all around the next day. Oscar and I started to call the little surprises "Ozzie's gifts" and eventually just left it as it was. Somehow his toys always found their way home and I would eventually find what I needed.

It's only when things got a little dangerous that we decided to lock down the cabinets and drawers. He got tall enough to reach the knife and utensil drawer. See exhibit B, yes he is playing with skewers and yes I stopped to take a picture before taking the sharp skewers away from him.

Isn't that always how it goes? As a parent you have your idea of how you will do something. No I don't need to drill unnecessary holes into my cabinets. I'll teach my son to stay out of them. He'll listen, he's such a good boy. Only to learn the lesson the hard way because your "good boy" is actually an energetic, rule breaking (and might I add tenacious) toddler that will not listen because he is dead set on getting those sharp skewers! Parents, when will we ever learn?

Happily (at least for me- Ozzie's not too thrilled) our cabinets and drawers are now securely locked. But if I am being honest, I do kind of miss his little gifts.