FLOORED

One morning, while on hands and knees scraping three day old banana from the hardwood beneath our high chair, I wondered if there was some way to make this situation less disastrous.  Pieces of food were ending up wedged in the small cracks in our floor, and a substantial amount were heading down the heating vent.  I'd purged all thoughts of putting a nice rug under the dining room table because, though tempting, a unique pattern out of butternut squash and avocado is not the look I'm going for.  Friends of mine with dogs did not have this problem, as all food was instantly inhaled before it hit the ground.  But other than canines, what could I do?  Another mom suggested I try one of those large plastic floor covers that you'd usually put in a carpeted office to allow your chair to roll smoothly.  Really, I thought?  A giant piece of plastic, perfectly sized to fit underneath a chair?  One that will catch every morsel that he launches from his tiny fists in fits of excitement or rage?  Um, YES PLEASE!  

The best price I found was this one at IKEA, but most office supply stores will also carry them.  Cleanup is so much easier now.  The food still collects in staggering quantities, but a quick sweep or swipe with a cloth and everything comes off smoothly.  You know, I might even consider getting that dining room rug after all.