Dave the Destroyer

Okay, so Lambchop #2's name is not Dave, but if it were... well, let's just say that Dave the Destroyer would be a perfect nickname for the little guy. I know it's my first time dealing with a toddler-aged boy, but I've never witnessed such innocently distructive behavior in all my life. I say "innocently" and "destructive" in the same sentence like they're words people use together all the time, even though they're not. There's just no other way to describe what he does. He's not a mean kid (and I'm not just saying this because I'm his mother - I do recognize when my children do mean things). He's just really curious. Give him a book, for example - a pop-up book especially - and he'll shred the thing just for the fun of it. The pop-up books are the most interesting, it would seem, because he does it delicately with much attention to detail. Magazines are ripped to shreds just to watch the paper fly.

Then, there's the "decorating". Perhaps that is his future profession. Maybe he'll be flamboyantly waving his arms around people's livingrooms, exuberantly shouting things like, "Yesssss, I see a lovely pink wall here with a darling green chaise here..." (though he'll probably use words like "tea rose" and "pea pod"). "It's all so magnificent," he'll shout as he excitedly claps his hands together just below his chin. Well, maybe not, but he sure has done a number on our house. Not that we had beautiful furniture to begin with, but pre-children, it was at least presentable. The other day, though, I washed no fewer than five chalk-stained surfaces before I found him with the chalk. The thing is, he works so quickly. In the time it took me to dress myself yesterday, he had torn the paper inside a DVD cover and was spinning the DVDs around the livingroom floor when I came back.

This all brings me to a bit of motherly wisdom my mom passed on to me the other day. She said, "Kids'll take you right to the edge, and just when you think you can't stand it anymore - they'll throw you over." Sorry, Mom, if you've been misquoted, but that's what I took from what you said. I have to say, these past few days they've had me dangling by a fingernail off the side of some emotional cliff... which is why I need to constantly remind myself how hilariously cute they can be with moments like the one captured in this photo. My kids have all had little problems with cradle cap (scaly skin on the tops of their heads). From time to time it bugs me enough (though it's pretty much hidden by hair all the time) to apply some oily stuff to remove it. That's what I had just done when I made this mohawk. He loved it. Stared at himself in the mirror for several minutes. Too cute.


And, then there's this little beauty. She must know that Mom is constantly on the verge of heading off somewhere, wrapped in a funny jacket, escorted by men in white coats, because I couldn't have asked for a calmer baby. Well, I suppose she could be a little calmer, but I wouldn't want her to just sit there. I like a girl who expresses herself. It's good preparation for the world we brought her into. After all, she wouldn't be female if she didn't grow up to be at least a little complicated (an act Lambchop #1 already has down to an art).




This last picture is being left in the post, despite my misgivings about it being sideways, as proof of Blogger's craziness. What am I talking about? It was right-side up when I uploaded it. Anyway, at least it proves that I finished something recently. It's the "pull chaussette" (sock sweater) from a pattern book put out by La Droguerie here. I even used the recommended yarn (surnaturel), because I happened to have the perfect amount in my stash (the pink edging is Knit Picks Merino Style, though). It's cute, but a little stupid, because it's got a turtle neck sort of thing going on. And, since baby's are pretty much neckless, it just gets hidden in the folds of skin. Oh well. It's still cute.