Bath Time!!!

She loves to splash. We are usually just as wet as she is by the end.

Bath time.

Utter this phrase in our household and you are bound to see a furry black blur tuck tail and seek refuge under the table. You also will see the eyes of a certain 17 month old part toddler part fish light up at the mere mention of tub time fun. While Elvis loathes the act, Aveline is a much different story. Even when she was a tiny baby, a time when most dislike the cold and wet, she has relished the nightly scrub. Her love for water became more evident this past summer as she romped in many an inflatable pool. She loves her baths. Watching the water disappear down the drain.

Dan is usually in charge of this nightly ritual. (Side note: I think he volunteered for this duty to get out of dishes.) After dinner, he whisks her upstairs amidst delightful chirps of "Baaht! Baaht!" from Aveline. As I clean up, or feed Scarlett, I listen to the sheer joy elicited by water and soap. She squeals. She splashes. She cheers the water down the drain at the end. From start to finish she enjoys her bath. I wouldn't want to look at the soap scum on the walls either.

Already having one mermaid in the family, caused us to wonder how Scarlett would react to her bathtime. Would she giggle and revel in suds? Or would she scream and fuss at first dip? After Aveline was down for the night, Dan and I gave Scarlett her first real bath.

She hated it. These photos were taken before the fuss began.

She shook and screamed and fussed. She writhed as if the mere sensation of wetness felt more like tiny pinpricks. She was not impressed with the whole cleansing experience. She seemed relieved once we retrieved her from the torture vat with a warm dry towel. She snuggled and whimpered, seemingly pleading not to be subject to such nonsense again. Sorry, Scarlett. It was just the first of thousands to come.

Comforting herself

Maybe, in time, she will grow to love the bubbles and water like Aveline does. I guess we will just have to wait and see. And in the meantime, wear earplugs during bathtime.