Curious George ain't got nothin' on my little monkey! Noah is at a very fun age. Fun... and scary. He is into and ON everything. He has mastered the very fine art of climbing. He climbs on the sofa. He climbs on the coffee table. He climbs on the office chair. He climbs on the recliner. Next up, I'm sure he'll figure out a way to climb out of his crib... oy. Lord, help me. I suppose this is one of the first of many lessons in letting go that I will be learning over the next 18 years or so. I really can't stop him from doing what is in his nature to do. He's going to do it no matter what I say or do- again, it's that whole nature thing. Nature versus Nurture, is that right? Eh. I don't know. I do know I have a junior Johnny Knoxville on my hands. And don't worry- I will not allow my precious baby boy to grow up to be like that. Those movies are banned from my home, but I digress. So, sure, I scold him and/or tell him "no". But by the same token, I don't want to completely hold him back from learning how to do something, either. How else is he going to learn that there are consequences to his actions? The only way for him to grow, mentally and physically, is for him to push the boundaries every once in a while. I can't shelter him. I sure as heck don't want to be obsessively overprotective either. I want him to be free to be his own person. I just have to figure out the healthiest way to let go, for both our sakes. I assure you, though, I am keeping an EXTRA watchful on him.
Moving on to more fun things. Have you ever heard the proverbial saying regarding children, the one that says, "If they are quiet, they are up to something?" Well, it's true. A proverb isn't a proverb to you until you've lived it. My first brush with this little quip was when my husband and I first moved into our apartment back in April. I was cleaning up the kitchen and after standing there for a few moments trying to figure out why it was so painfully quiet, my mommy heart jumped into my throat... AHHHH, NOAH!!!! So I called out to him and heard him joyfully babble back. I walked into my bedroom and there in the middle of the floor, so precious and sweet, was my son, sitting in a pile of laundry with his daddy's shirt on. He proceeded to get up and walk around the apartment with this XXL orange t-shirt hanging around his neck, a train of fruity color trailing behind him. I couldn't help but laugh. What an adorable kid I have. Today, well, was a more valuable lesson learned. After putting away the groceries I had just brought in from the car, I realized Noah was quiet, yet again. A little TOO quiet. I walked around the corner, and my jaw dropped. Sitting there, amongst a mountain of Huggies wipes, was my little man, looking up at me with the most innocent look on his face, almost as if to say, "It wasn't me mommy, maybe it was the cat..." Noah had successfully emptied the entire container of wipes by the time I walked into his room. I couldn't be angry. I was the one who left them out. My bad. What else was I to do but grab my handy, dandy camera to forever document the chaos?! And I couldn't punish him for my momentaty lapse in memory, either. Normally, I keep the wipes put away, but in my haste to get to the grocery store, I left them within his reach. Lesson learned. I have to admit, though, that pile of wasted wipes ended up being the best five dollars I have ever spent. Thank you, Noah.
Make absolutely NO mistake. I am an extremely vigilant mom when it comes to my son's safety. I have made his room toddler friendly and I've baby proofed the entire apartment, from ceiling to floor. Bubble wrapping everything has crossed my mind, like in that Chuck-E-Cheese ad, but I realize that this is real life and not a commercial. Even our bedroom, which he is never in, is safe for him- because as previously stated, you never know with a curious toddler around. I have the most important things covered because that little boy is my heart and soul. It's the little, non-detrimental things that I don't think about that tend to come back and bite me in the purse strings. And lest we not forget, the extra time spent cleaning up the aftermath of a toddler on a mission. I can't complain, though. My life is filled with so much joy and wonder and utter chaos. I've been entrusted to protect my little cub as only a fierce momma bear can. I can tell ya, there's never a dull moment to be had around here, not since Noah was born. I fully accept that he's just a little boy learning how to navigate in a big boy world. And at the end of the day, that's all that matters.
