Making the Most of the Sugar High

I swear that you can set a watch by the time it takes from when a toddler ingests a piece of birthday cake to the moment that he or she is propelled into an energetic frenzy. Based on my scientific research (conducted at a recent 3-year-old birthday party), it’s precisely 13 minutes, 45 seconds.     

Thirteen minutes and forty-five seconds in which you need to clear anything out of the way that may cause tripping, scarring, or could be used as a projectile.  In other words— unless you have 500 cubic feet of bubble wrap and a fairway in your back yard—you’re screwed. 

The gathering where I conducted my research was a fabulous one.  One of those rare occasions where we had just the right combination of adults that we enjoy being around and a diverse enough mix of kid personalities to keep our child entertained. Spicy Girl held her own with the boy-heavy gathering even when the post-cake piñata came out.  She actually swung and hit the thing so well that I pondered whether starting her in T-Ball the next day would be too soon.

But as I stood there snapping photos and dreaming of my little girl bringing home a full athletic scholarship to Stanford, the combination of refined sugar, a baseball bat and one inquisitive little girl came together with a loud WHACK! 

Yep. There it was. Her first bop to the face.  

There was no blood or bruising. Just a puzzled look that said,“What the heck was that?!”  followed by a number of adult’s reassuring “It’s ok … shake it off!”  Which she did.  In fact, other than a few brief moments spent clamped to my leg, she rebounded with grace and dignity—that is, she jumped on top of all the treats that eventually fell from the piñata and attempted to take any and all of them from the kid who connected with her chin. 

Revenge is a dish best served with an empty goody bag.  

Now, off to work on that sharing concept – oh and to level out her swing.