Well, we're one week into the New Year already. One can only dream as to what lies ahead this year.

Brent is walking (and running) like a pro now! He walks himself into and out of daycare, and back and forth to the car when we go out (minus the steps, where he will stand and wait for me to lift him up or down them and kick his feet up in the air all the while). Of course all this walking had me thinking last weekend when we were shopping. Why couldn't I just let him walk instead of riding in the basket, and I would just hold his hand to keep him out of trouble. It was a beautiful plan, with wonderful visions of letting him explore the stores, bright eyed and curious. And then of course on the way home he would nap contentedly from all his adventures.

And as usual, I am always shocked to find out how much I still have to learn about parenting this child. The worst part wasn't the fact that he screamed every time I tried to get him to hold my hand, or that he would lay down in the middle of the aisle and cry if I wouldn't let him touch and destroy everything, or that he kept running away at every turn. I mean, all that happened in the first five minutes. And since my wonderful visions were hopelessly shattered, I knew I would have to go back to letting him ride in the cart. Only...and THIS is the worst part...there IS NO GOING BACK. Riding in the cart is not acceptable anymore, now that he's seen all the adventures that wait for him on the floor. So now I've lost one of my cherished items, the well-behaved shopping experience. He was such a joy to take out anywhere, and now I've ruined it. Well, hopefully it is repairable, but it will mean some public battles, which I'm not looking forward to.

But otherwise, I do love his curiosity and sense of adventure. And everyone that passed looked at him like he was the most darling thing, with his staggering heavy walk and wide eyed expression. And who could resist, anyways. He is adorable, even when he's being a little devil. Sometimes, though I hate to admit it, he is most adorable at those times, with his mischevious expression and sneaky eyes.

The toys he loves most these days are his wooden animal sound puzzles, which he plays with for at least an hour every night, and his VERY LOUD drum synthesizer machine, which my Mom (God love her) gave him for Christmas. The drumsticks are out in the living room, as they are best used for smacking people in the leg, or the television screen. And his favorite things to do is carry cans of food from the kitchen and put them in the dryer, one by one...or take the gloves we use for the woodstove and take them down the hallway to deposit them into the bathtub. I haven't figured that one out yet, but they are pretty dirty, so maybe he's onto something there. He's also teaching me to fold the clothes and put them away when they're done, as when they're left on the floor in a laundry basket, he will go over and just start throwing them in every direction.

It's a good thing he makes up for all these things though. When I pick him up first thing in the morning, he will lay his head on my shoulder for a few minutes and just let me hug him. And when I walk through the door at day care, he will drop whatever he's doing to run over to me, with his head leaned back, and his eyes squinted, and a cute little goofy beaver-kind of smile on his face. Those are the best times. They make up for a lot. In fact, he could probably be even be a little more devilish, but don't tell him that :)