Welcome to the Circus!

Life is very much like a circus with my little boy. I have never known a child so active and adventurous. I gave up bringing a blanket outside for him months ago. There's no point. Even on soggy ground (like today), I put him down and off he goes. He crawls through wet leaves, wood chips, mulch, grass, mud, dirt, sticks and who knows what else, all in the name of exploration. He stops briefly to greet each plant and tree that he meets, reaching out to touch it and discover whether it is prickly or friendly. He especially adores our neighbor's garden ornaments and visits them over and over again. Inside he fights being restrained for any reason, including sitting in his high chair for meals. As soon as I unbuckle him, he stands up in the chair then climbs onto the tray and right onto our kitchen table. I wonder where he'd go from there? He has taught himself to turn around and go feet-first down stairs and other heights, but a table would be another matter. An open dishwasher door, however, is no problem. He screamed mightily when I tried to close it up after loading it this evening. How dare I close up his current scene of exploration?! At bath time I ended up bathing him standing up because he just would NOT sit. I even have a bath chair to buckle him in but he can wiggle out. So, I held onto him while he stood and explored the faucet, somehow managing to get him clean with my free hand. Then it was Melody's turn and Joseph stayed to watch. The next thing I know, he's leaning over the edge of the tub, up on his toes, then throwing his weight over the top and heading toward the water headfirst! Thankfully I was right there and caught him, but gee whiz! I can barely keep up with the kid! What ever am I going to do in the winter when we can't get outside? Maybe we'll go to the library and let him climb the shelves, ha! What an amazing miracle it has been to watch this boy grow from a helpless newborn to an obstinate 9-almost-10-month-old. Even as he wears me out, I love him every second. Thank you, Lord, for my boy!