Wisdom From a 14 Month Old

Life is a Jungle Gymn - Climb It! We have a monkey in our midst, and he is climbing on everything! Tables, chairs, couches, the computer desk, window sills . . . you name it . . . he's trying to climb it. He has taken express pleasure in climbing onto the living room table and undoing the Star Wars puzzle we have been working on. He also likes to climb up and stand on the stools in the bathrooms. He admires himself in the mirror, sometimes fixing his hair with the combs or brushes laying out, sometimes talks or laughs at himself, sometimes uses James' toothbrush. It all depends on how much time he has in there before we discover him. I have resorted to locking the bathroom doors, which helps, except in James's case. When you gotta go . . . you gotta go! Everything Has a Button - Push the Button! He has learned that everything has a button - push that button - and something amazing happens. Not emotional buttons - that skill comes around the age of 5 or 6). This does include belly buttons, though. Isn't technology great?! He's already technologically savvy. Life is Playing a Song - Dance! Jalen Andrew finds music wherever he goes. There is a rhythm to everything, and he can find it. The dishwasher, the clothes washer, the twitter of birds, the chime of the clock, the click of the keyboard keys, the sound of running bath water. He loves to dance, doing a little bounce with the feet, and a jig with the head, and he finds every opportunity to do so. Besides the everday dance sounds, his favorite dance music is Polynesian. He joins Christine in dancing the hula everyday. If the Universe is Quiet At the Moment - Make Your Own Song! He likes to hum to himself. Sometimes he hums songs that he just heard, but often he makes up his own little ditty. He has a sweet little voice, and such a happy, content face, especially when he's singing. When Life Gives You Lemons - Bite Them Okay, I thought it strange when he started begging me for samples of my daily grapefruit, and I laughed when he said "Ooh!" in surprise, gave a shudder as he swallowed it and then begged for more, but I sat in shock when he bit into a busted open lemon that he found on the ground outside, over and over, and over again. Speaking of biting, he now has 12 teeth. Pencils Are For Writing - When You Find One - Write! Need I really say more? Counter, desk, wall, door, floor, self . . . (Notice the pen in the hand, and the turn of the head, which means he's "hiding") Life Is Fragile - Handle With Prayer! He is so good about folding his arms for prayer at mealtime, and for our family prayer in the evening. He's so into, in fact, that he folds his arms again after every couple of bites, and makes a sound as if to say "Amen." Life is Hard - Bring Your Own Blankie! He still just LOVES his blankies. He seeks them out when he's tired, and refuses to leave his crib when he wakes up, without them. He is most snuggly when he has a blanket in his hands, or next to his face - he still likes to pull them over his face before going off to sleep.