Imps

R is coming into his own, and I am concerned. He is now 15 months, is fairly sure on his feet, communicates through a few words, many grunts, and some pointing, and he knows what he wants.

He was a fairly easygoing, pleasant baby, but I fear his toddlerhood will not be the same. He is known to giggle and run away from us, straight up the stairs or for the corner of a steep wall. He looks right at us as he throws to the floor pieces of cereal or his full sippy cup. When we say, "No, no!" He laughs and does it again.

This is not good. I thought R was my chance for well-behaved child! He now also cries when something is taken away from him, so our house is a constant zoo of crying, fussing, and fighting as Q pries things out of R's hands.

I have to laugh at myself sometimes as I chase the two of them around taking away toilet paper, rocks, handfuls of dirt, the cat's tail....the list goes on. And what one does the other must copy.

At a play date today, Q was playing the top of a sand pile on the volleyball court. R toddled over as quickly as his chubby legs would allow, climbed as high as he could, then fell over in a face plant, filling his mouth with sand.

Later, I lost sight of R momentarily, and frantically rushed around the jungle gym only to find him careening down the tall, twisty slide, laughing delightedly. He is fearless and that makes me fearful.

I guess I can be glad I have spirited children, if that's what you want to call them, but I would be lying if I said they didn't exhaust, frustrate, and worry me.

They are my little imps!

--MM