what noah's kids must have done

If you haven't checked the news lately, Cambridge has had the kind of rain that makes mayor's declare disaster areas and some to suggest we should be building arks. I would complain more about our brand new basement flooding, but it seems a little petty that we got a little wet concrete when several local towns had to be evacuated.

The rain also meant Kaden spent a week cooped up inside, which drove him absolutely batty. The only help was his extensive time with the most annoying toy ever. It is a mass of loudness, plastic, buttons, and primary colors. His grandmother (my mother) bought it for him. It's infested with Disney branding, I don't even think there is an off button, and even comes with repetitive Disney music that bores a hole into your Cerebellum only to creep back out five years later and bring you to your knees.

But of course, Kaden loves it. Grandparents everywhere take note, kids absolutely love the Mickey Fire Engine Team Activity Ride On (even the lengthy title gives you a hint at how over the top this thing is). Your kids will resent you for buying it, but who cares, you weren't buying it for them anyway. You were buying it for their no TV watching, Jack Johnson listening, sensory deprived grandkids.

Without it during the rainstorms I think we would have seen a re-occurance of cujo. So thanks mom.

But still, one ADHD inducing toy cannot sustain an entire week. So once we got so sick of the Mickey March I was ready to burn plastic, we packed in the car and headed to the one surefire place to entertain everyone. The grocery store.

Yup, I highly recommend in a situation like this packing up and heading to the local Whole Foods. First, there are tons of people for him to try to get the attention of, and all those colored items to pick up, mess up, and hope someone else cleans up. It's like a little activity center, only with massive heavy squeaky metal death-trap grocery carts rolling towards your son's head as he bends over to pick up a box of Rice'a'Roni. I like to think that adds the little bit of risk that keeps it interesting.

I would also highly recommend a toy store (no need to buy, they always have stuff out to play with), and when all else fails just go to a gym with child care. The cost of the child care at a gym is typically less than a babysitter, and you get a precious hour or two getting fit and ready for the wailing that ensues once he realizes that he is headed back to the your shiny new home/his worst nightmare.

The good news is that the rain has now stopped, the basement is dry, and Kaden finally got outside.

As life tends to be one adventure after another, he immediately found his very first rain puddle and rather quickly and set about cavorting in it. Click below for a little peak into the best thing about rain.