Five: Climbing
"He got out of his playpen *again*," complained Astrid. "I really
can't see how he does it. When I watch him he stays there. The second I
go - he's out and after me."
Kurti giggled and cooed. He squealed in delight as she put him back.
"In you stay, my lad," she ordered. "I *have* to get dinner cooked."
"...brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr..." said
Kurti. He pulled himself upright and sidled along to the corner of his
playpen. "...brbrbrbrbrbrbr*brbrbrbrbrbrbr*brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr..."
Astrid sighed. "Try to watch him without watching him, eh?" she asked.
"He knows when you're paying attention and just stays put. He only gets
out when we're not looking."
Kurti proceeded to beat the living tar out of one of his rattles.
Johannes apparently went back to his paper. "I'm keeping one eye open,
love."
"*Good*..."
Kurti blew raspberries to accompany himself on the rattle.
Astrid chopped carrots.
Kurti rattled his rattle.
"Good *God*..." muttered Johannes.
Astrid looked up.
Kurti was crawling across the floor, rattle held in his tail, and
heading straight towards her. He was squeaking in glee as he went.
"How did he *do* it?" she demanded.
"You're not going to *believe* this," said Johannes. "He just climbed
up the side of the playpen and climbed *down* the outside again. Kid's
got a grip and a half..."
"...brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr..." said
Kurti.
So they attached a retractable fence-thing to the top of his playpen
in order to keep him in.
Astrid went back to dinner preparations. Kurti went back to
terrorising his rattles. She'd just put the stew on when Johannes
started laughing.
"What?"
"Kurti," he said. "You should see him."
Astrid wiped her hands and had a look.
Kurti was dangling upside-down from the overhead bars by his feet and
tail, gripping not only by his front toes, but by the back ones as well.
He looked up at them and laughed before loosing his grip and plopping
down onto the soft surface below.
"SQUEEEE*EEEEEEEEEEE*EEEEAAALL!" Kurti climbed right back up the side
of the playpen and started again.
Astrid sighed. "We're going to have our hands very, *very* full."
"Mmm-hmm," said Johannes.
"He got out of his playpen *again*," complained Astrid. "I really
can't see how he does it. When I watch him he stays there. The second I
go - he's out and after me."
Kurti giggled and cooed. He squealed in delight as she put him back.
"In you stay, my lad," she ordered. "I *have* to get dinner cooked."
"...brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr..." said
Kurti. He pulled himself upright and sidled along to the corner of his
playpen. "...brbrbrbrbrbrbr*brbrbrbrbrbrbr*brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr..."
Astrid sighed. "Try to watch him without watching him, eh?" she asked.
"He knows when you're paying attention and just stays put. He only gets
out when we're not looking."
Kurti proceeded to beat the living tar out of one of his rattles.
Johannes apparently went back to his paper. "I'm keeping one eye open,
love."
"*Good*..."
Kurti blew raspberries to accompany himself on the rattle.
Astrid chopped carrots.
Kurti rattled his rattle.
"Good *God*..." muttered Johannes.
Astrid looked up.
Kurti was crawling across the floor, rattle held in his tail, and
heading straight towards her. He was squeaking in glee as he went.
"How did he *do* it?" she demanded.
"You're not going to *believe* this," said Johannes. "He just climbed
up the side of the playpen and climbed *down* the outside again. Kid's
got a grip and a half..."
"...brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr..." said
Kurti.
So they attached a retractable fence-thing to the top of his playpen
in order to keep him in.
Astrid went back to dinner preparations. Kurti went back to
terrorising his rattles. She'd just put the stew on when Johannes
started laughing.
"What?"
"Kurti," he said. "You should see him."
Astrid wiped her hands and had a look.
Kurti was dangling upside-down from the overhead bars by his feet and
tail, gripping not only by his front toes, but by the back ones as well.
He looked up at them and laughed before loosing his grip and plopping
down onto the soft surface below.
"SQUEEEE*EEEEEEEEEEE*EEEEAAALL!" Kurti climbed right back up the side
of the playpen and started again.
Astrid sighed. "We're going to have our hands very, *very* full."
"Mmm-hmm," said Johannes.