Good times with Elijah

I feel like the last couple days have been crazy at times, but it's not going to seem like much on...screen.

Yesterday we thought we had a propane leak in the apartment, but we're 99% sure it just turned out to be Elijah playing with the controls on the BBQ, causing the last bit of gas in the pipes to leak out and waft into the room. Still, it meant vacating when I looked like a mess.

And then we got back, and I thought to myself, "Self, if you want to feel decent, you need to look decent!" so I went to put on some make-up. The problem is, our only mirror is on the back of the bathroom door, so the door needs to be closed, with Elijah either in or out, in order to use it.

I opted for leaving it open a few inches so I could still hear him. Mistake.

After a short period of quiet, I hear him coming, and I step back from the door because he likes to smack it open.

This time when it opened, two dusty, brown hand-prints were left on the white door. And there was Elijah, with this cheeky, proud, aren't-you-happy-to-see-me grin on his face.

And he was covered in cocoa powder.

I went to the kitchen, thinking, "please don't tell me he spilt it on the carpet...please, please please..." and he hadn't, but it was still a mess. I cleaned up the floor first, but meanwhile he was playing with toys and just...touching things with his dusty hands, and getting brown EVERYwhere! In his diaper. In his shoes. On my shirt. Ahh!

Eventually it was cleaned up, and it even managed to seem cute by the time lunchtime hit. Except for when he threw random hits because he wanted the (now empty) container of cocoa back.

Then today, I'm in the bathroom again, working on another coat of nail polish when I hear a thud from the kitchen. I pause, thinking, "is he hurt? He'll cry if he's hurt..." but no, he's just playing with something.

20 seconds later, I realize that he's playing with the juice container and lid. The one holding the apple juice. The one I had put in the fridge. And then (stupid stupid stupid!) had forgotten to keep inaccessible by latching the fridge back up.

So of course there was apple juice All. Over. The. Floor. And the fruit flies that we're trying to get rid of were going to town.

It was upsetting, mostly because it's really hard to repeatedly get down on my knees on the floor and scrub, but at the same time, it was the cutest thing ever.

See, I had grabbed paper towels to (unsuccessfully) wipe it all up with. So Elijah demonstrated some more of his skills by yanking open a child-lock (darn him!) grabbing napkins from under the sink, and wiping the floor too. Bless his heart! Then he went outside and wiped the deck. Then he came back and wiped my butt (which, admittedly was in the air, as I scrubbed on all fours.)

And after it all, when I'm still kneeling on the floor, he comes up behind me and gives my back and neck a cute little, I-can't-even-get-my-arms-to-span-your-back, year-and-a-half-year-old hug.

Oh yes, and the protein strike that has lasted for over a week now was demonstrated in full force at lunchtime today, when he licked every ounce of jam off of his PB and J toast, managing to not take in an ounce of anything else.

As an aside, why is there a fruit-fly dive-bombing my face? Oh gross, I just squished it against my nose. Please tell me that didn't just happen.

Anyway, Elijah is such a nut, and so much fun. I want to remember all of his cute little mannerisms and habits, like how as soon as we pull out his highchair, he runs off laughing and hides in the furthest place away that he can find. Or his cute little high-pitched voice that he uses for when he's snuggling a nice blanket or petting a little dog. How he grabs laundry out of the basket, tosses it on the floor, and buries himself in it, or how he tries to sweep the floor and vacuum for me. I love his broad shoulders and barrel chest, and how he looks like a body-builder from the back, with the perfect triangular frame, and how cute he looks when he's running around before his bath with no diaper on. He loves being naked, it's hilarious! He runs up to us, stops, and then slaps his belly proudly.

Oh, there's more, but I'm going to finish this up now, and get some (belated) lunch.