Mischief

It's hard to think that life just goes on after the loss of a loved one, but it does. Monday morning greeted me at home in California with a mile-long list of things to do. Little half-completed items around the house -- that I had left in a hurry seven days earlier -- served as a painful reminder of why those tasks weren't accomplished the week before. Where I felt so sustained through the sleepless nights last week, the past few days have felt like I've been hit by a train both emotionally and physically. And yet life just keeps going, doesn't it?

This week has been especially busy as we've been completely immersed in the details of our move. Getting everything ready for the movers, working on out-processing, figuring out what we'll need for the in-between months, and preparing our on-base house for inspection are tasks that are not to be taken lightly. And things are equally time consuming on the Utah end of this move. We're building a home, did I tell you that? After nearly five full months of searching for the right house, we finally concluded that it didn't exist and we'd just have to build it. The contracts are signed, the permits approved, and we currently have a brand new hole in the ground that is all ours. Since homes aren't built overnight, we're going to be homeless for the first couple months -- which is nothing new to us since we spent the first 6 months of our marriage as nomads. (Oh man, I had never been more excited to see a dresser in my whole entire life than when we finally moved into our home.) This time, homelessness will be a fun treat since we'll be moving in with my family until our house is completed. Par-tay, my friends!

Meanwhile, the thing that is keeping us most busy these days is our curious little 10-month-old. And thank goodness! Jake just keeps getting more and more fun. He is killing me with his messes these days... in a good way! Mostly because of the look on his face when he first gets caught. So mischievous, that one! He explores and makes little messes all day and it is so dang cute.

The mess-making started off innocently enough a few months ago when he'd scoot to his diaper caddy and dump out the contents. Then he started pulling out every single wipe in the container. Then he discovered how fun it is to take DVDs out of the drawer! Oh, and drawers! Those are just the best things EVER. They're full of lids and bowls and lotions and shirts and all sorts of interesting things. Did you know that you can empty the same t-shirt drawer three times a day for a month and never get bored? Clearly, Jake thinks I need more practice folding. And I'm getting it. He also finds the pantry rather interesting, along with our magazine basket and everything else containing paper of any kind.

And let's not forget the magic of bathrooms! Drawers to empty, cabinets to rummage through, easily accessible trash to discover, toilet paper to unravel and eat, and the grand prize -- a toilet! Who knew a toilet could bring a little human so much joy? Needless to say, the toilet is now the cleanest thing in our house-- just in case there's a repeat of that occasion.

Oh, the joys of nagging your husband about toilet seats through a video of your child...

Oh, hi Mom! I emptied the bottom drawer already so I'm moving on to this one, k?

My current favorite mess-making habit that I probably shouldn't love is the throwing of food on the floor. Jake has been guilty of this for quite awhile, either to let us know that he doesn't want that particular food or that he's done altogether. Every time, we've tried to be consistent by saying "No" while shaking our heads and trying our very best to contain our laughter. (But let's be honest, by the third time in a row, it's impossible not to let out at least a little laugh! Matt and I are going to be in so much trouble when it's time to really discipline someday. We'll have to rock-paper-scissors for who has to play the bad cop. And then take acting lessons.) Well, it appears that Jake has been paying attention! Now when he drops his food on the floor, he shakes his head and laughs. Which of course makes us laugh even more. Oh boy.

Ah, I hope you're ready for us, family! Just be sure to keep that toilet lid down, eh?