Mr Independence

 His very fake smile, but it is hilarious.

 He didn't want me to help him get his own crackers...so this is what happened.

 I did make him clean it up which he was all to happy to do, I don't know why.

Eating toast on the couch because that is where Mama eats sometimes and so he should be able to as well.  It stinks that he has such a cute smile that I forget to get him in trouble.

 

 

My soon to be not youngest is FULL of life.  I am kind of shocked we even decided to get pregnant with the fourth.  Matthew wears me out completely.  It is a full time job just keeping my house from getting destroyed by him.  He wants to do everything himself and just like his big brothers.  He has always been like that.  He was perpetually mad for the first five months of his life because he couldn't move on his own.  He hated his high chair, baby food, being fed, being stuck in a car seat, being in a crib, anything that hinders his movement and freedom.

He started walking at 9 months old because crawling wasn't fast enough.  We just took his booster seat out to the shed because he refused to sit in it so there was no point in keeping it out.  We took a side off his crib so it is basically a toddler bed.  He loves the freedom, but still tries to sleep in Josh's bed because he thinks it is better than his own.  He climbs on tables and opens doors and tries to wear deodorant and brush his own teeth.  He doesn't want to hold my hand in the parking lot.  He refuses to eat anything but toast and sandwiches without a utensil because that is how grown ups do it.  And he grabs a stool, drags it under the drawer with the silverware, climbs up, opens the drawer, reaches his little hand inside and grabs the first piece he can.  Luckily the ones in his reach are plastic, but I am sure one of these days he will discover something metal or even worse the sharp knives that are in there hidden at the back.

Just today he demanded yogurt and to eat it himself.  Thank heavens for my Caleb who tells me when anyone is doing anything wrong, because I wouldn't have discovered that Matthew was bored with his yogurt and had dumped it on the table and was making beautiful pictures with it.  And before he was done getting cleaned up, he escaped me and ran to decorate the already very "loved" couch.  And that was after he woke me up at five AM since he can leave his room whenever he wants now, demanded cereal and milk, and to have me comb his hair and then play games on Tyson's phone.  It was only 7:30 in the morning at the yogurt fiasco.  I already was counting down to when I would lock him in his room for his nap, which lock I am sure he will learn to bypass in just a few days.

I just keep telling myself, the kid is full of mischief and wears me down to where I feel like a washrag with tattered edges, and that is at the beginning of the day.  But I know his personality will make for a really incredible person as the years go on.  He won't take no for an answer, he will do whatever he has to in order to accomplish his dreams, and I'm sure he will do great things.  I just hope I have enough energy to get him (and his siblings) to adulthood alive.  And to teach him to restrain his temper and passions when necessary.  But in all honesty, most days I just look forward to bedtime when the sheer exhaustion catches up with him long enough to give me a few hours of rest.