ROUND ONE:
Mum loads up a spoon with yogurt and places it on the high chair table. Noah returns with a big grab and sweep of the spoon. It reaches his eye, hair and shoulder spreading yogurt in just seconds of this first round. However, he still has not managed to consume enough yogurt to scare Mum away so she loads up another spoon. Bam, it's placed on the high chair tray. It's a calm and patient attack, how will Noah react? A big smile and then both his hands are around the spoon in a flash, one hand registers that there's something cold and gooey and Noah's attention is drawn to this for a moment as he squishes and smears the yogurt between his fingers. Mum takes this moment of distraction as an opportunity to take the spoon and hold it upright causing Noah to reach out and grab it right way up. Instincts kick in and Noah automatically takes the right end to his mouth. Wow Wee, there's yogurt in Noah's mouth! This is exciting folks... ... ... Just as I thought, Noah scrunches up his nose in surprise, swirls the yogurt around with his tongue and ... swallows. Good counter attack.
ROUND TWO:
We begin this round, both a little weary. Noah starts off with a squeal as he reaches for the yogurt bowl. Mum retaliates by helping him to load the spoon up with more yogurt. She prays that gravity is not against her in this round and has never been so thankful for thick, sticky yogurt that doesn't seem to slide off the spoon easily no matter how hard Noah bangs the spoon into the high chair tray. He doesn't manage to shake it loose and oh wait! He's taken it to his mouth again... What do we have here? A repeat move, he reacts just the same as he did in round one. Noah doesn't seem to be losing any of his original enthusiasm even after facing two spoonfuls of yogurt, what a trooper!
ROUND THREE:
It seems the tables have turned folks, Mum has just loaded up a spoon and Noah has taken it and is dangling it over the edge of the high chair. There's something in his eyes that tells me he may just have the power in this round. Mum is calmly encouraging him to bring it back from the edge... But, he drops it. Yogurt splashes all of the floor and Mum's feet. To add insult to injury, she's forced to bend down and pick up the spoon.
ROUND FOUR:
Noah has fresh yogurt on a new spoon, what will he do? Bam, he thrusts the spoon into his eye. It's rammed up his gums, slapped into the table, squished between his fingers. Then Noah screams as the spoon hits it tender gums. What's this? Now he's twsiting it around so that the spoon enters his mouth vertical. These may not be original moves but they are causing some damage, Mum is going to have quite a mess to clean up. Noah is definitely dominating this round, can Mum turn it around? She whispers sweetly to him "well done darling, that's the way, eat some yogurt... mmmm tastes good doens't it". Wow, what a turn around, Noah is completely caught off guard by this subtle technique and he pulls the spoon out of his mouth to smile, leaving some yogurt behind on his tongue. This time, he swallows with a familiar look as if to say 'been there, done that'.
ROUND FIVE:
The tides have turned in Noah's favour in this round, he's realised he can see the floor between his legs and he can secretly drop his spoon down there before Mum has a chance to reach out and catch it. SPLAT, yogurt sprays everywhere as the spoon hits the floor. Mum smiles as she bends down to pick it up (hiding thoughts of frustration about how long it's going to take to clean up). Never the less, she musters some positives thoughts of how she knows she'll look back on this with fond memories one day and it's moments like these, the simple moments in life that help you to know you're really living. These thoughts give her the strength to survive as Noah repeats this new move three more times. Finally, Mum decides he's won this round and it's time to pack up.
Let's look at the results folks...
Round one - Mum
Round two - Mum
Round three - Noah
Round four - tie
Round five - Noah
It seems both contenders are winners today - what a lovely balance between play, exploration, bonding and enjoying nutritious food.
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