Refrigerator Fascination

My electric bill went up last month. Oh, I knew it would. I have been working diligently the past several months to lower our bill and I have had some measure of success, but I knew that having a two-year-old move in would blow that all to smithereens. And it did! I don’t think her Mommy uses any more hot water for showers than her Uncle Charles did, so I am laying the blame solely on the two-year-old Miss Munchkin. Why, you ask? Here is a list of reasons:

• Leaving the balcony door open. Last winter, when it was cool outside, Miss Munchkin was determined that the balcony door needed to be slammed shut every time she went out on to the balcony. It was great fun to be “hiding” from everyone out there. Now that it is 96 degrees during the day, the balcony door must be left open, no matter which side of the door she is on. Which, of course, allows all our air conditioned inside air to escape outside into the hot, humid air. Or is it the hot, humid air flowing into our cool, air conditioned inside air? Whichever it is, I have had to take to locking the door and not allowing her out there during the heat of the day. Not a popular action in Miss Munchkin’s eyes, for sure!
• Increased laundry, both clothes and towels. This means more hot water, more washing machine usage, more electric dryer usage, especially for those towels. Have I mentioned before that I hate my electric dryer and miss my gas dryer?
• The big Living Room television running more in an attempt to entertain the child. Yes, Grandma is guilty of using Winnie The Pooh, Sesame Street and Little Einsteins as a means of garnering a few precious moments of peace and quiet!
• Increased dishes to wash. This means that the dishwasher is now running daily instead of every day and a half.
• And last, but by no means least, is Miss Munchkin’s unending fascination with the refrigerator. She discovered about three weeks ago that she could open the door. That led to figuring out where the light switch was on the side, which is great fun to play with. Shortly thereafter, she began to stand in front of the refrigerator, naming all of the foods inside. Next came opening the drawers and pulling food out in rapid succession. She doesn’t always want to eat the food; no, it’s just the novelty of being able to reach everything, to know what most of it is, and to be able to say what it is. That and it is a guaranteed way to get Grandma’s attention, and fast!

Does anyone have a good way of keeping the refrigerator door closed, short of a chain and padlock around the danged thing? Or tying Miss Munchkin to a chair with duct tape? Can anyone offer some words of wisdom as to how long the refrigerator fascination usually lasts with a two year old? I simply cannot remember that far back with my three!