Fun things to do when its dark near five #2: Play with containers in a sink with running water

I have a baby that hates life after a nap. Her nap ends at four and after the 45 minutes of obligatory crying and clinginess, she still wants to be held. Only I know she needs to transition so the evening can move on. About that time is when dinner also calls, and the table still isn't set (in fact, it very well might still have parts of lunch on it). Anyway, theres lots to do, and I have a little Cling-on. There is only one activity that bridges the gap everytime, and its semi unsafe, all you people with locks on your toilet seats can stop reading right here.

This baby wants to stand on a chair and play with running water in the sink. Of course she gets wet. So does the chair, and so does the floor. The upside is that I can serve dinner. I really need that. Somehow my happiness as a person is tied to setting down a nice, warm, nutritious meal in the evening, with four little people sitting with forks in hand around our old round table. (Daddy is never home in time). And the sink allows me this. I'm super fast. I only need a few mintues. Usually most of the prep is done by the time this first waker ends her nap (she is always first).

So, Item two on my what to do on boring, dark nights, is let your (surefooted) child play with measuring cups and spoons in the sink. You dont have to turn the water on very high to make it fun. If youre a conservationalist, it could be a large mixing bowl of water that you'll later use to water your organic crops ;), I have to slip that in just to make fun of our location, a little.