the life and times of a coffee table - a coffee table blog (not terribly unlike a coffee table book)

This is what your coffee table looks like when you try to enjoy a breakfast of hashbrowns on the couch with your husband while the big kids are away, but your 9-month old is still around and on the prowl.

Who needs television when you can watch her endlessly circle the table and try in vain to reach any of the accoutrements (but especially the delicious glass of sweet tea) that you've so carefully placed in the exact center just beyond her short little arms' reach?  (Of course, this almost leaves you hoping that as she grows, her little arms take a little bit more time to lengthen than the rest of her.  You're not ready to completely give up the use of your coffee table.)

This is what your coffee table looks like, serving as both toy storage and an indoor playground, with your 9-month old happily playing underneath it.

 

This is what your coffee table looks like providing support to your 6-year old needs to blow off some of his Wii frustrations. 

This is what your coffee table looks like with your 3-year old underneath it playing peek-a-boo with her brand new baby sister.

And this is what the brand new baby sister thinks of peek-a-boo with her big sister.

This is what your coffee table looked like just a few short years ago, with that 3-year-old-big-sister-who-used-to-be-a-tiny-fearless-baby-herself diving through the bottom of it, a preview of baby sister yet to come.

This is what your coffee table looked like when you used to store magazines underneath it.  (And also, this is the reason your coffee table no longer stores magazines underneath it.)

This is your coffee table (actually, your marriage's second coffee table).  The center of your living room.  The holder of diapers, toys, and small children for nearly 4 years now. 

This is your coffee table that you never ever imagined would evoke a tear from your eye.  And this is why you never say never.