"Busy"

"Busy" is the word people use to describe toddlers who are all kinds of crazy. It is a loaded word choice because though it is short and simple, there is much implied. Like, "WOW, that Ander is busy." really translates into, "WOW. I am SO glad he isn't mine!" 

In the last 6 weeks Ander has undergone an incredible change. He has become certifiably "busy". Everyone comments on it. Everyone is right.
He is.
I know what a normal 2 year old is like, and it's a lot of work, for sure. And I have heard horror stories of children that were unusually destructive, active, and all over the place and I'd say Ander falls somewhere not too far from them. Thankfully though, I realize it could yet be worse.

Part of the predicament seems to be that he problem solves rather quickly. He figures out how things work, like the sling shot, for example, and then we all pay the price. I'm often simultaneously impressed and loathing that he has discovered how to make something work... like, say, the car. 

He is not deterred by normal toddler limitations, he simply figures ways around them. I don't have a lot of persuasive picture proof because I rarely can/should stop to take a pic when I happen upon him in the middle of a mission of madness. 

We noticed when he was as young as 10 months old that he had figured out how to leverage his weight to his advantage. He has spent the last year and a half honing this skill, not to mention that he is crazy strong. The combination has enabled him to scale counters, dressers, fridge shelves etc. 

We have these cement lights in our yard. They are as tall as Ander is. He pried the heavy stone lid off of the top of one and proceeded to throw rocks at the exposed light bulb until it shattered. He repeated the process a few days later, then sliced open his foot on the broken glass. Completely undeterred, a day later he lifted off the 13 lb lid again and this time accidentally dropped it on his toe. Is it bad that my reaction was that maybe, just maybe, it might slow him down for a few days?! No such luck. He just scampered around on his heel with his swollen, black and blue big toe in the air.

It's not all bad all of the time. He plays a lot more with the older three now, he speaks more clearly each day and still snuggles up with me on occasion.

But then I will walk into my room and find my 3 month old laptop like this...

For the record, you can't just clip the keys back on. You have to buy the whole bottom piece which is $275. Thankfully it was somehow covered or I might have sold Ander off to the lowest bidder.

Usually you can at least say they are cute when they are sleeping, right? Ander newly transitioned into his big boy bed in Kohen's room. He now gets up at 6am with the rest of the family. It sucks. I know that's not a nice word, but believe me, it's fitting.
Fun story:
I had a bad bought of bronchitis a few weeks ago and one day after I got the babies down for naps I laid down to try and get some much needed rest before the older three came home. An hour later, my neighbor Brandie is peeking in my bedroom door saying "Erin?! Are you ok?!"

Ander had woken up, pried the toddler proof thing off of his door handle, gone downstairs, climbed in the pantry to get a snack, put the snack down at the front door where he let himself out, went over to the van where he opened the trunk (as he can't quite reach the door handles) climbed in and proceeded to change every setting, turn on and off every possible button and finally he opened the big gate to our house/yard. So he started walking down the lane and eventually Brandie heard him crying and went out to find him wandering barefoot down the lane. She knew I was really sick and panicked thinking maybe I had passed out or something so she came to make sure I was alright.

I was fine, just sleeping while Ander roamed the countryside! The really scary thing is that at both ends of our short lane there is an extremely dangerous road. We are working on ways to ensure he stays in the house, and if he gets out, to ensure he at least stays in the yard. But even then who knows, I am willing to admit this kid is giving us a run for our money.