There are some things I have yet to understand in my adventures as parent here in Anna-land. I do not understand why after being told not to do something ten times, threats of time-out given and carried out, does an unappealing and frankly not entertaining activity seem fun? The other day, I had Anna home and was watching a friend's two year old as a favor. Having recently been to the farmer's market, I had a small watermelon on the floor of my dining room. I was too exhausted to move it, and frankly thought the floor was the best place for it, as I pictured Anna pushing it off the table and me finding it smashed to pieces.

So, Anna and her friend decided to play with it. I asked them not to. Then I told them not to play with it. In cahoots, they emptied a package of baby wipes, covered the watermelon and declared it a birthday cake. Then they were singing 'Happy Birthday' and trying to get me to join in the celebration. I declared it a total and utter waste of baby wipes, informed the girls that the watermelon didn't want to be a birthday cake, and implored them to find a toy. They started rolling the watermelon around, and after ignored request to cease such behavior, I put them both in time-out.

After a while, Anna's friend went home and Anna took up coloring or playing with something else for a good amount of time. Me, exhausted, I went to go lie down and catch up on some reading - something I so rarely do these days. I think I must have been dozing for a few minutes when Anna came into my room. "Mommy, I'm very sorry, but I broke the tomato." Confused, I asked her to repeat herself, as I was quite sure we were out of tomatos. "I broke the tomato. I'm sorry." I gave her my hand and asked her to show me the tomato. And there, in the middle of my dining room floor, was an oozing and broken watermelon.

Looking back on this episode, I realize that kids - for all their faults - have something we adults are lacking in the same quantity or quality. We still have it, but it's harder for us to see the birthday cake inside the watermelon. And as much as I hated to clean up that mess, I'm a little envious of Anna for being able to envision the icing and candles that I couldn't see.