He Looks So Innocent...
Last week Owen figured out how to swing his legs all the way over the railing of his crib and climb out onto his brothers' dresser to escape his bed. He is the first of our kids to figure out such a feat. Not even Loyd figured out how to climb out of the crib. But, to be fair, none of the other kids have been in the crib as long as Owen at age 2 years and 2 months. I don't think anyone besides Xavier made it to their 2nd birthday before giving up the crib to a new baby sibling (Xavier was month shy of his third birthday when Maeve was born, but he moved out of the crib before he was two so he could move in with Loyd into the boys' bedroom and there would be room in Bekah's bedroom for the new baby to come). So, Owen got a toddler bed last week. Today, over one week later, was the first day he actually took a nap in it. He's been drunk with the power of getting out of bed all on his own all week and just plays and climbs around his room when he should be taking a much needed nap.
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| I couldn't even get Owen to sit in his bed without some help for a picture! Oh, my! |
On Sunday I'm pretty sure Owen fell off the top bunk during his "nap time," but was surrounded by angels and only ended up with a bit of a sore spot on his head. Yesterday he found all of the Legos and tinker toys and dumped them onto the floor of his room. There wasn't an inch of carpet to be seen under his swath of destruction. When I asked him if he was naughty he said, "No." When I asked him if he was good he said, "Yes." When I asked him if he made a mess in his room he said, "No, Bekah did." So, now we have his first lie to put down in his baby book this week too. I hear the younger a child is when they figure out how to lie the smarter they are. I'm holding onto that.
Yesterday was a particularly busy day for Mr. Owen. He just couldn't help himself from dumping everything in sight out, and even some things tucked "safely" out of sight and away in closets too. As soon as I was busy cleaning up one mess he was off to make me another. By the time Dustin made it home I was a heap in the chair in the front room listening to Owen crash through toys behind his bedroom door. Dustin naively let the offending toddler free and then spent the next 2 hours chasing him around the house picking up one unexpected and inexplicable mess after another while I helped the big kids with their homework and worked on dinner. After the first 15 minutes the surprise and frustration could be heard in Dustin's typically steady and unruffled voice as he turned around yet again to the silent but deadly revelation of chocolate rubbed into the couch cushions, or the dramatic crash of Legos spilling yet again all over the floor. Dustin kept his cool and I was very proud of him for it. If we don't drop at least 10 lbs in the next couple of weeks from chasing this kid around I don't know what will do it.
Around dinner time Loyd asked in a somewhat hopeful voice, "Mom, who was the naughtiest toddler?" Even though Owen is making a solid effort to earn the title, I had to tell Loyd that I think he still holds first place. Loyd crashed through toys, climbed out windows, drew on wall after wall after wall, was excused from attending Nursery at the request of the Primary President, and tried to "help" me wash the kitchen floors by dragging the outside hose inside, just to name a few of the busy things he got up to as a toddler. Without the patience and experience we gained with Loyd I think busy Mr. O would be duct taped to the wall by now.
Oh the joys of toddlers. It will be ok. I just have to hang in there
for 3 or 4 more years and then Owen should start to mellow out like his big
brothers, right?
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