<\/p>\nSo far in Lucy’s life, we’ve been able to provide her with a generally sanitary environment. Sure, she licks the floor occasionally, but I do wash it regularly and we usually don’t wear shoes in the house (much). But I’m a bit puzzled about how to relax my standards now that The Outdoors is a possible playground. <\/p>\n
I’ll be the first to admit, I’m a bit hyper about germs. For example, I bring along a box of sanitizing wipes in the car so that I can disinfect the shopping cart before I put Lucy in it (because I *know* she is going to suck on the bars every time). Also, I sterilize my kitchen sponges every night in the microwave (wet them and cook for two minutes on high). It wasn’t until Lucy was about eight months old that it dawned on me that I didn’t need to sterilize her occasional bottle — washing it was just fine, and much cleaner than a lot of the other things she sucked on. As Lucy gets more mobile and more curious, I’m trying to find that sweet spot of being attentive but not obsessive. Slowly but surely I’m getting the hang of it.<\/p>\n
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However, Chicago’s lusciously warm weather this past weekend made me realize that we are going to have a whole world of dirt to deal with this summer that I can’t just bleach away. I’m proud that I’ve stopped myself from disinfecting the playground swings before Lucy sits in them, but am I truly just going to let her crawl around in the dirt eating bugs and leaves? What about her tender little knees — aren’t they going to get all roughed up? Especially on the concrete? But aren’t knee-pads a little over-the-top for a one-year-old?<\/p>\n
p{color:gray}. Photo: Lucy, ready to dine _al fresco_ earlier this week. (No birds pooped on her Cheerios during lunch, fortunately.)<\/p>\n
It seems like things will get a bit more manageable in this area once Lucy can walk. Sure, she’ll be faster, but she’ll be standing upright most of the time, at least two feet away from the temptation to pop carpenter ants into her mouth. And we have a little time to think about this yet, as our unseasonably warm spell seems to have passed on for the time being.<\/p>\n
If all else fails this summer, at least Lucy enjoys taking her bath every night!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
So far in Lucy’s life, we’ve been able to provide her with a generally sanitary environment. Sure, she licks the floor occasionally, but I do wash it regularly and we usually don’t wear shoes in the house (much). But I’m a bit puzzled about how to relax my standards now that The Outdoors is a … <\/p>\n