Wonder Twin Powers - Activate!

Have I mentioned previously that I have super powers?  Yes, it’s true.  Somehow, since becoming a mother, all of my senses have become heightened in a manner previously unknown to me.  Not a day has gone by without some kiddo-related situation setting off my mommy radar.

Initially, my powers included exciting discoveries like being able to smell a dirty diaper from three rooms away.  (I think hubby played on this skill of mine intentionally, because he couldn’t seem to smell it when it was right under his nose!)  I also knew when kiddo was napping or awake, and could always tell what each cry meant as soon as I heard it.

As kiddo grew, my powers progressed to knowing when he was headed into mischief in time to scoop him up out of harm’s way, fixing broken book spines and toys with a little tape and a lot of love, and knowing when “nap time” had turned into a play free-for-all.

And, as he has gotten older, my super powers seem keen on sensing when he is doing something he shouldn’t be doing, when he knows he shouldn’t be doing it – again, usually from three rooms away.  On more occasions than I can count, I’ve said (from another room), “Don’t even think about it!” only to hear a surprised kiddo reply, “Geez, Mom – how did you know what I was going to do?!”  The first time we had this exchange, I responded with “Because I have super powers.  All mommies do.”  Why those words tumbled out of my mouth is still a mystery to me (it was probably related to sleep-deprivation), but they stuck.

(Side note:  Lest you think I’m sexist, I want to recognize that dads have super powers, too.  One of the next questions out of kiddo’s mouth was, “Do daddies have them, too?”  I replied with something like, “Of course they do.  They just have different ones than mommies.”  Gotta keep us on an even playing field, you know?)

On occasion, kiddo has turned the tables on me with this phrase.  The other day, he had a math worksheet sent home from school that included some new tasks he’d accomplished.  I asked him how he worked through it without help.  He replied, with a wink and his signature giggle, “Super powers!”  Gosh, I love it when he’s brilliant like that!

Lately, however, my super powers have been lacking.  The whole family has been clearing whatever cold/sinus thing is going around, so my bloodhound-esque nose and bat-like radar have been on the fritz.  There have been a number of occasions lately where kiddo hasn’t felt well and I’ve misread his discomfort for belligerence.  Another time, a favorite toy got jammed inside another toy (don’t ask – kiddo has always had the ability to fit a square peg in a round hole!) and it took grandma’s help to get them separated again.  Nothing major, mind you – but enough of a blip in my abilities that kiddo was starting to doubt them.  Me, too…until today.

When he got home from school, kiddo told me that one of his favorite CDs is scratched and that’s causing it to skip in the player.  (He’s very sensitive to unusual noises, so something like this becomes a major annoyance to his sensitive system.)  He wondered if I knew how to fix it.  Ah, geez – nothing like hitting a gal when she’s down!

Thank God for Google!  (It’s saved my ass on more than one occasion.)  According to one of the “geek” sites I found, CD scratches can be minimized by rubbing a little toothpaste on the CD.  I figured we had nothing to lose, so I gave it a shot.

After rinsing and gently drying the disc, I put a little Tom’s of Maine on a Q-tip and rubbed the scratch gently, in a circular motion.  (Just so you know, the site said gel toothpaste won’t work; it needs to have a mild abrasive in it.)  I rinsed it off and dried it again, thinking the scratch didn’t look all that different.  But when we put the disc in the player, the skipping was totally gone!  Score!

As kiddo and I were listening to the CD, his smile just grew and grew.  I told him it was a pretty cool trick to remember and I’d put it on my list of super powers.  He gave me a high-five and proclaimed, “Yeah, Mom – you’re a rock star!”