The Uh-Oh Game

If you've ever had any contact with a toddler, you know about the classic game. It consists of picking something up (a ball say) dropping it, and saying "uh-oh!" as if you are taken completely by surprise. Then you repeat the steps dozens of times or until your mom gets so tired of hearing it that she distracts you with kitties. Delphinium learned to play this game a little while ago, and I try my best to be patient. Then, a few nights ago, I was trying to make dinner, and Delphinium was registering her displeasure at the lack of attention by crying and clinging to my pant legs. I was slicing rounds of squash, trying to focus on the knife and not the baby, when one of the squash rounds rolled off the cutting board and on to the floor. She stopped crying and bent to look. Then she grabbed the squash, turned her little teary face up to me, and said "uh-oh?" as if she was wondering if this were some new version of the game. I agreed "uh-oh" and the rest of dinner prep went off without any crying. All I had to do was throw vegetables on the floor every couple of minutes.