Jack was especially mischievous this month in regards to pushing limits. For example, we were trying to get our yard all spiffed up for Sam's party, and actually purchased and planted quite a lot of flowers right before the shindig. Well, normally we don't bother with flowers because the deer or rabbits or something eats practically all of the buds and blooms anyway. But we were having people over, so we wanted it to look extra nice. Well, turns out it wasn't the deer and rabbits we should have worried about--it's Jack! He can't help but pull off every flower's head whenever we are outside--it drives me bonkers. Well, at least it did in August. This month his obsession is messing with the new landscape lighting we got on our awesome new walkway and under our trees. We had it sitting in our garage for months waiting for our electrician to come by but he was sort of waiting for us to figure a game plan for our new master bathroom (which is now an empty, banged up room with plywood floors and no toilet or sink to speak of) since it also needs electrical work. So, the day after the electricians finally come Jack breaks one--maybe two--of the new lights. Go figure.
Nothing is safe!! The kid can turn over a room, or empty a drawer or cabinet in no time flat all around the house. He will go down to the basement all by himself if someone has left a light on and just play and play. Sometimes it is hard to get him upstairs. Of course the only time he is really happy to entertain himself, it seems, is when it is time for bed or time to go. When I need him to play for a minute if I am, say, making dinner or cleaning a toilet, he wants nothing but to climb up in my arms. And, he makes it known. Jack definitely has an opinion and though he lacks the words for stating it, he is definitely not lacking in communicating it. This kid will yell at me. If he sees me hand Max and Sam their water bottles and then don't immediately give him one he will yell. He does this now (at 13 months) all the time and to a much greater and cuter degree, but he sort of started at about 11 months.
This was also sort of a sad month for me. When Jack turned 11 months old I knew that in only 30 days I would officially have a one-year-old and then technically not have a baby anymore. One more month of babyhood and then never would I have one of my own again. That has been a tough one to swallow through all of Jack's stages, but I think that it has become a little more final for me since we have begun the process of purging all of our baby gear and clothes. What I didn't sell I gave away--it has been a very emotionally tough thing to do. I am doing it, though...
