Playing Defence...

      Lately, I have become increasingly aware of how my life is changing as my little man, who is 11 months old, is more and more mobile and figuring “things” out. Watching the world at an arm’s length is no longer enough, he wants to taste, touch and try everything and he gets ‘there’ fast. While it can be exasperating at times, I’m choosing to see the humour in what my routines have become.

    For anyone who may read this and has not yet embarked on the roller coaster otherwise known as parenting, this is not meant to deter you. My little bundle of joy, Jett, has definitely brought much more blessing than strife to my life. Children can make you want to pull your hair out (and I only have one!) but I have yet to experience anything more rewarding in life.

    Ever since the moment when Jett started crawling, even some of the most simple acts became difficult. He, all of a sudden, “out-grew” any of those wonderful toys that kept him confined, like the Jolly Jumper, Exer-saucer, and the swing was long gone. Going to the bathroom became a balancing act. Jett goes for the plunger, the toilet brush, the garbage can, daddy’s razor (it has since been moved), and of course, the ever so tempting roll of toilet paper. He recently even discovered that he could open the shower doors by himself. I’m sure there are others who can visualize this scene all too well, but trying to play defence while sitting on the toilet is no easy task! (the image is not meant to be crude, just funny). You may be thinking, “Why don’t you just close the door? Don’t let him in there!” Well, that’s an easy enough solution, but if you could see the damage that my little angel can do to a room during the short time I’m around the corner, you may change your mind.

    I try to be strategic about when I “get ready” (hair and make-up, etc.), and of course naps provide an ideal period of uninterrupted time, but as many of you other moms can appreciate, that’s not always possible. Under regular circumstances, I find it relaxing to flat iron my hair and put on a little make-up, but when you have one foot positioned on the top of the toilet lid and the other pivoting around to block the garbage, then the toilet paper roll, then the garbage, then the toilet paper roll… it loses its calming effect. I have burnt myself a few times now. What IS it with kids and the toilet??? I’m proud to say that, so far, there has only been one moment that my son has ‘beat’ me and blissfully got his hands into the magical bowl that is the toilet. Gross. I’ll admit that I have actually allowed my son to un-roll the toilet paper on occasion just because it keeps him occupied. I can ‘save it’ and roll it back up afterwards, but when he starts eating it, I draw the line.

     Diaper changes have become much more tense and stressful as of late. I think Jett has decided he has no time for such things. The boy can flip and turn and wiggle much faster than you can grab for the wipes. Giving him something to hold while changing him helps, but doesn’t eliminate the problem. He generally only wants an item that is a privilege for him to hold; something he isn’t normally allowed to play with. We have rotated through the Tylenol, vitamin D jar, Vaseline, Polysporin, lotion and any other item within reach. Don’t worry, the only thing he has ever managed to get open is the vitamin D. Whatever he’s holding inevitably is thrown down, hitting the floor if I’m lucky, because it really hurts when they land on my toes! I’m sure that diaper changing is going to get even more complicated as Jett becomes to long for his change tables!

    Getting Jett dressed is laden with similar challenges as changing his diaper. I have a little video that demonstrates this one, so I need not describe it. Daddy is very patient with Jetty here…  I love these boys.

    The other day, I was washing the sheets off of our bed and I think it took me at least four times longer than usual to make the bed! It went something like this: I would put the sheet over one corner of the bed, then run and grab Jetty before he pulled all of my pants off of their shelf. Then, I would put the sheet over the next corner of the mattress before I again ran after my boy and saved the alarm clock that he was about to pull off the stand. You get the picture. Apparently, I have more Jetty-proofing to be done upstairs in our house.

     I do not live in a new house that has a kitchen where you can see into the living room/play area. Our house is 100 years old (I’m not complaining, I do love the house). It is not wide open, allowing me to see out of the kitchen. When I’m working in the kitchen, Jett’s in the kitchen, too. I enjoy having him near me, but I do end up cleaning up my pots, pans, metal bowls, and recycled bottles at least a half dozen times each day. There are certain cupboards that are Jett-friendly and others that are closed up with elastics around the knobs. For some unknown reason, my son thinks that the dishwasher is the best toy in the house. We obviously didn’t know the struggle it would become when we purchased it six years ago, and if we could do it again, we would now pick a different model. Jett can slide his fingers in the side of the washer and open it by himself, so then we lock it. The problem is, our machine has a dial on the front; an easy-turning, apparently very fun dial. If we lock the door, Jett turns on the machine. If we don’t lock it, he opens the door and plays inside.

See for yourself: (at least there’s no dishes in it this time!)

    Getting out a few times a week to socialize and have some fun is important to me, but again, the Jetter has his own way of ‘socializing’. The other day, I was visiting my good friend Jane and her sweet two month old, Olivia. Jett NEVER stopped moving, so I am chasing him and blocking off shelves, books, laptops, etc. all the while visiting. I’m pretty used to it, so it doesn’t interrupt conversation too much, but Jett did pull a plant and spill it all over the floor before I could save it. Other people’s houses just aren’t ready for my 11-month old explorer. Jane also generously gave Jett an orange to play with. Here’s how he 'played':

***Note- The plant behind Jett in this picture is the one that he abused not long after this was taken.

    Anyway… life is not what it used to be. It’s complicated, but it’s also better. Besides having a talent for tearing apart my house, my son is also very affectionate and is generous with his kisses and giggles. I can’t get enough of those. I love my life. I am blessed…. even as I chase, clean, distract, tidy, and play defence.