Over the past year-plus, Bethany and I have found ourselves
totally hooked on the iPad game, Trivia Crack. We've set the goal for ourselves
of trying to unlock every special power-up in the game. And yes, I realize that
it's kind of ludicrous to be talking about power-ups in a game created to
showcase your own knowledge. Bethany and I have found that the game becomes
much easier when we work as a team. I handle the meaningless stuff like sports
and entertainment. We somehow struggle together through history, art, and
geography. Meanwhile, Bethany is an absolute mastermind at science. Well, as a
result of 351 games of Trivia Crack to date, I find myself noticing more and
more of the principles of science in everyday life. Ok, that might be a slight
fabrication, but stay with me for the sake of the blog. I implore you!
Today actually started out really funny. Due to a sleepless
night for little Miss Ellie, I found myself taking up residence in our spare
bedroom sometime during the 2:00 am hour. At least I think it was the 2:00 am
hour (it's hard to remember sometimes). Around 6:00 am, I was startled out of a
deep slumber by the sudden slamming of the bedroom door. I jolted up with a
start and through sleepy eyes looked around confused.
Finally, through the small amount of light sneaking around
the edge of the curtains, I saw the culprit. There was Ellie standing up
against the door pawing at it in an attempt to get it open. In her boundless
curiosity, she had silently crept into the spare bedroom and began playing with
the door. Unfortunately, Ellie's understanding of basic physics sometimes eludes
her. Her mass versus the relative lack of mass the door has when on hinges
allowed her to easily shut it when putting the smallest amount of weight on it,
thereby trapping her (How's that for a science explanation, Bill Nye?). Before
I could pry myself out of bed, Bethany opened the door, standing in the doorway
as Ellie's heroine, there to save her from her predicament.
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| This is probably how Bethany looked to Ellie in that moment. (P.S. Check that face carefully) |
Sadly, that would not be Ellie's only science lesson of the
day. After awaking from her morning nap and getting her bottle around 10:30, I
took Ellie upstairs for a diaper and wardrobe change before engaging in
playtime. Now, one of Ellie's favorite games has become hide-and-seek. To tell
the truth, it's not so much "hide and I'll find you" as it is "I'm
going to go around this corner and poke my head back around within five
seconds." So generally, for the sake of the game, I don't really follow
her when she's playing it as she always returns shortly.
After several rounds, Ellie exited her bedroom with me
waiting just within the door frame for her inevitable return. As I waited, it
didn't take long before I heard a loud boom followed by Ellie's unmistakable
screams. I scurried down the hall to see Ellie sitting at the bottom of our
stairs, looking around and crying. I quickly scooped up my daughter and calmed
her screams, checking each of her limbs and her head for bumps and bruises.
Once I was satisfied that she was fine, I embraced my inner Sherlock Holmes in an attempt to deduce what happened.
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| You're not my Sherlock... |
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| That's my Sherlock!!! |
Best as I can tell, Ellie had wandered near the edge of the
six-steps and dropped her pacifier. As it rolled down the stairs, I believe she
was overcome with a desire to retrieve it even though we've trained her not to
attempt going down the stairs. Seriously. She normally sits at the top of the
staircase and whines if she wants to go down a level. I'm guessing Ellie
gingerly stuck one hand over the ledge before gravity took over with her
rolling down the stairs and landing at the bottom in shock.
Honestly, I felt absolutely terrible about what had
transpired. In fact, I was convinced that if there was an award for world's
worst father, I'd be a shoe-in. Or at least second place to Michael Jackson
during that time that he held Blanket over a balcony. There is good in every bad though. For me, I learned to
never take my eyes off the baby for a second even if I believe I can trust her.
For Ellie? She further built upon her burgeoning science knowledge in an
attempt to gain her very own television show. The title? "Science Jolt
with Ellie Holt" of course. #DaddyWrite
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