Over My Head

Yesterday was a frustrating day. The rubble that Jackson had thrown off his high chair tray that the broom had missed was starting to get ground into the floor, but I could hardly manage to keep it swept, let alone think about mopping.... Jackson woke up at 6:00 am (this is after it took 1 1/2 hours to get him to bed the night before) and started the day full-blast with his usual amount of energy. Then he wouldn't go down for his nap after lunch.

Jackson is obsessed with climbing: he gets the kitchen step-stool or chairs and goes for the counters, the kitchen table, light switches, pretty much anything he can get to. He thinks the kitchen table is for standing on and walking around. If we go outside he makes a beeline for the street or starts walking off as fast as he can go. He was climbing from a chair onto the kitchen table yesterday and fell backwards, landing on his head. (How I wish an 18-month-old could understand: "How many times have I told you not to climb on the table? Why do you think that every single time you try to do it I pick you up and take you away? Maybe your mom was trying to keep you from falling on your head! Do you think maybe it would help if you didn't go straight back to climbing it? Aaaargh!)

He tells me he is done with his food by hurling a piece of it at the back of my head and then grinning at me as I take away his tray, just like he wanted. He has a knack for finding dangerous things (like scissors or knives) that are left on the edge of counters- or just getting to them with the step-stool. He recently discovered the kitchen sink and this has opened up a whole new realm for him: a new source of stuff to dig through and a new place to throw stuff that he finds. This is in addition to his penchant for "emptying" the dishwasher. I have to be careful never to open the dishwasher when he is around because he will immediately start taking dishes out or climb inside it.

But the real clincher was that yesterday Jackson figured out how to unlock the back door.... which wouldn't be such a big deal except that our back door opens up to a deck that is two stories above our backyard and he has figured out how to open the gate that leads to the stairs down to the yard. Is there any way to contain this child?

Today I finally figured out a mature and responsible way to deal with this issue: I read a random book all morning and didn't get dressed until 12:30 pm. Way to deal with life head-on!