She's Got Game

I have a sinking feeling that Natalie might be my challenging child. Those of you that know me well know that's not the best news. It's becoming clear to me that for all of Wyatt's willfulness, he's never been one to get into things he shouldn't. Natalie? Well, she really, really likes to get into things. Like Wyatt, she crawls as fast as she can toward an open dishwasher, but unlike Wyatt she also insists on pulling up rugs, yanking shoes out of my closet and playing in the pantry while emptying its shelves.

Today she started a new 'game' and I know she thinks of it that way by her little laugh upon getting caught. Over and over. It starts like this: we're both in the kitchen when she glances at me to see if I'm really paying attention. If she deems herself to have a headstart and/or a slightly distracted mom, she bolts toward the steps as fast as her little bottom will swagger. When she arrives at the large flight of stairs, she begins to climb. As I round the corner and see her she starts breathing in and out really fast, kind of snorting and smiling all at once, while simultaneously attempting to go faster. And then I grab her (usually before she's gotten anywhere) and she cracks up. Then we both head back to the kitchen where she waits for her next big break.

So I'm realizing that we might actually have to childproof this house. I'm thinking that cabinet locks, toilet locks and extra gates are probably in our future. But the upside to all of this? She's got a great laugh.