Just hold this please

Our stairs between the living room and the first floor are very steep, quite narrow and have no handrail (waiting to be put up). The stairs down from the living room to the kitchen are even steeper and also have no handrail. The stairs from the first floor to the top rooms are very steep and have nasty cut outs and twists.

Little bear has now reached the stage where he walks down the stairs between his room and the living room by himself. Of course it is the rule that mum or dad go first, but then he stumps down the stairs in his boots. Going up he is frequently faster than me and I only catch up half way through the Benny Hill chase around the spare room.

Now little bear is developing more of an imagination and more interaction with his toys, he wants particular toys around more of the time. So now when we are getting geared to go upstairs I am finding him collecting a toy rat or two, a teddy or three, a book and a truck. Then he happily hands them to me with a 'just hold this please' look and waits expectantly for me to lug the dratted stuff all the way downstairs. Or upstairs.

It is very hard for me to stand there, my arms full of what little bear seems to think is necessary and say, 'No, I am not taking weirdy pandy downstairs'. (panda from Japan donated by darling uncle). Or, 'If you want the rat downstairs you will have to carry it yourself'. Or, 'That book (electronic, noisy, Bob the Builder book) is a downstairs toy, you cannot have it upstairs'. I have been woken up at very silly hours because little bear has rolled onto an interactive book which has started playing theme tunes. I did not appreciate it and neither did little bear.

Then off we will go, me laden with all the necessary, soon to be ignored toys and little bear stumping up or down the stairs with a grin.