New Big Ball

So today I learned that if I want to purchase my 15 and almost a half month old son a big ball ever again, I should wait to get it on the final trip through the store. For the past few months, we'd passed by the bin of balls while in the store, usually never stopping to get one. After all the fun he'd had recently playing with other kids' larger balls, I figured it would be fun to finally get him one.

At first, he was really excited and held onto it. This lasted a minute. By the time we turned the corner, Andrew started throwing the ball to the ground and found it amusing if I bounced it once before picking it back up and giving it to him. Eventually I started putting it in the cart.

Then he'd whine... and cry... and shriek.

I tried giving him other things to hold on to, but he wanted to throw them out of the cart, too. I gave up and unbuckled the strap, which was only partly keeping him in the shopping cart. I had him sit facing the cart, away from me. He was good for a few minutes longer as we continued shopping, and then I turned him toward me to distract his attention from the ball on the not so far end of the cart.

Finally we made it out of the store, where he once again got excited about the ball as I put it into the trunk.

He was pretty good when we went to Safeway afterwards, because one of the things the new Target fresh foods section doesn't have is herbs and I needed parsley for my attempt at manicotti.

After we got home and I started cooking, Andrew did enjoy playing with his new ball by rolling it over the kitchen chairs and under his high chair. Someday, it will need to be relegated to an outside toy. Though for now, he hasn't discovered how to do much harm with it.