Booster seat

Simeon got tired of his high chair, and it was timed just about right, since it coincided with the work starting on our house and 4 rooms’ things being put into 2.  SO…the high chair went to the basement, and we started trying to figure out whether Sim was ready for a regular kids’ chair or needed a booster. 

Turns out, he needs a booster.  If he’s not strapped in, he uses his time at the table to see if he can leap to the ground without injury (the answer to that one:  not every time), climb from chair to chair while Mom is up getting something (yes, at great peril to himself), or push his chair over backwards (yes, although it was caught in time).  So Michael resurrected the booster seat, and now he’s at the table with us, but safely in a booster.

The booster doesn’t stop him from exploring other freedoms that his seat at the table affords him, though.  I had forgotten just how few manners kids his age know or follow.  Tonight, I put chips on everyone’s plates, then went to get something out of the kitchen.  When I returned, all of my chips had somehow migrated to Simeon’s plate.  Gee…how did that happen? 

Later in the meal, he decided to dip his chip into Michael’s water.  He thought it was great and went for another dip.  Happily, we’d seen the first one (or had we?  I guess he could have been dipping before that…) and Michael had moved his water.

He also decided that chips weren’t the only things he could help himself to.  I was right in the middle of eating my dinner when a small hand reached out and tried to take one of my grapes.  I explained to Simeon about asking, “Please pass the grapes,” and getting the serving dish passed, not taking it from someone else’s plate. 

I’m sure he got the message…