Mud & Mischief

RJ has found his feet.

This is a metaphor as he’s been walking for a couple of months now. But the last few days he’s developed a streak of bloody-minded impishnes that is shortly going to become outright devilry and is driving me to distraction.

His favouritest game ever is to empty the cupboards. Not too bad, until you realise he’s emptying them into the bin. I just sat and watched him as he took, one by one, a large can of Pledge, a big squeezy tube of some car cleaning stuff, a bottle of Dettol, a new packet of dishclothes and dropped them into the bin. As fast as I was taking things out he was scampering back to the cupboard for something else.

I gave him his cup to distract him. He took a big glug - and threw it in the bin. I retrieved the cup, put it on the table and sellotaped the bin lid shut. He managed to reach the cup, took a drink then shook it all over himself and the floor. I removed the cup again, and he sat down in the puddle he’d just made and paddled in it.

Earlier, we were in the living room. He got behind the sofa and onto the windowsill (it’s low and wide). And fell off just missing braining himself on the table. Yesterday he strewed the contents of the pepper plants all over the floor. So they got repotted.

I wedged cushions in the gaps between the sofas to stop him. He somehow managed to get behind the armchair (about 6″ of space) and onto the window ledge again.

He’s destroying the place. He finds the most damaging things to play with. Right this second, he’s jousting with one of those stupid skipping bars, with a hoop at one end and a ball thing that flashes at the other. It’s nearly as tall as he is. Ok, scratch that, he’s decided to empty the plastic drawers I keep all the nappies, wipes, liners etc in. I’ve not been able to do a thing today. If he’s in the same room, he wants picking up. He’s discovered that if he toddles towards someone with a big grin and his arms in the air, everyone goes ‘ahhh’ and picks him up.

But once he’s up, it increases the range of his predations - he can reach counter tops now!

I’m absolutely knackered. Got back from the school run and walked them all up to the park at Kings Wood. The wind was phenomenal, and even the dog seemed to enjoy being blown around. RJ tear-arsed around the place like some kind of thing possessed, and didn’t object to getting blown over at intervals. He loves the swing. I had hoped it would tire him out, but as the last ten minutes have shown, it didn’t.

He’s contained for the minute, strapped into his highchair and munching on a nutritious selection of sultanas and bread and butter.

I’m going to have a cup of tea.