The Winter of 1.25: A series of cries for help from a stay at home dad

When catching up on life with friends I often find myself responding to the question "How are the boys?"  We have a 4 year old (Kai) and a 1.25 year old (Tate).  I usually can find plenty to talk about for both boys if in fact the person asking is willing to indulge my stories.  After a particularly "full" day today I decided to tell the story through a little different method.  Here are a series of texts I sent to my wife.  They all are a way of telling how our youngest son "is doing."

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I think there is nothing in our house that Tate can not get to and cause trouble.  His insatiable curiosity is exhausting!  Curtains, computers, electrical outlets, things hanging on the wall, anything in a drawer, on a shelf, under a lid, on a counter or table...  The last frontier for him will be opening doors, and I fear we will not be able to hold him off from that much longer.  My hope for surviving this stage with half our possessions in tact is fading! :(

Tate & I (Dec. 2013)

He is magnetically attracted to the fragile and the objects that, when in his hands, can cause maximum harm.  Who is this monster who has overtaken us?  I am constantly loosing ground in this effort to hold our home and my sanity together.  If my white flag had not been hidden, eaten or destroyed I'd be waiving it vigorously!

I hear the ominous music constantly playing in my head.  It foretells my destruction and the eminent doom of all that we once held dear.

....WAIT!  That music is not in my head.  That is Tate stomping on the piano keys with an accent provided by the crash of potted plants he is pulling off the piano lid!!!

I have come to celebrate the moments when things are only being damaged or made a mess of.  At least there is hope for some of those things to be recovered or repaired.  This is the calm in the midst of storms, the breath of fresh air in the turbulence of Tate's wake.

"Yes Tate, please continue to remove all the Tupperware from the Lazy Susan, the pans from below the stove and the pasta and cereal from the pantry.  Most of those things are hard to harm and can be put back away while you are sleeping... and if you spill what remains of the cereal after your last foray into the pantry, Chloe will be glad to help with clean up.  What are dogs for, really!"

And all this with a cute wrinkle nose smile & a contagious giggle.

Is it crazy to love and delight in this instrument of destruction?  He has taken a toll even on my mental capacities.  I am crazed in my delight and fear of this wonder!

Oh Spring, when will you rescue us?  We will love you by spending the entirety of our waking hours outside.  For you are far more able to withstand the fury.  You are built more heartily than this feeble structure we call home.

Did I mention that Kai is here too?  He happens to have some needs as well.

Did I mention that I have needs too?  Right now I'm most aware of the need for a nap... for all of us!

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What was I doing texting while all this was going on you ask?  Well, lets just say it was my way of trying to take deep breaths and maintain some semblance of composure.  I was also hoping to find some empathy in my struggle. :)