I'm free!

This is sort of an update to the last posting (a month ago!). DEAN IS CRAWLING. Well, more like a bear walk. He uses his left foot and right knee, and half the time he tries to use both feet sticking his butt way up in the air.


He's always been a fairly independent guy when it comes to play time. He tends to do much better if we set him down with some toys and books and just walk away. He goes into his little world of babble and spit, and could stay content like that for at least a half hour. Our living room opens up into our kitchen so I have been able to block Dean off to that side of the house. I set him down after breakfast and can go about my business of doing the dishes and checking email while he tells himself stories and chases the dogs around. Our dogs have been so gentle and patient with Dean up until this point and they are obviously VERY annoyed by his new found mobility. They lay down just to get up again 2 minutes later to avoid being climbed on by a slobbery little monkey boy. They have gotten smarter though - - they now wait until the very last second to get up (right when he's practically on them) and then go to the farthest corner of the room so they can have 5 minutes of freedom before Dean gets to them again.


We were fairly kid proofed before Dean found his legs, but I never even thought about moving the dogs' food and water. It didn't take him long before Dean found the dogs endless water bowl and quickly flooded the kitchen. Apparently I don't learn very quickly because that bowl is still sitting in the same spot right now.


Now that the days are warm, Dean and I spend most of the day on the porch. We have a great screened in porch with ceiling fans that we treat as our dining room/living room/nap room most of the year. I have to keep the screen door closed so that Dean can't tumble down the stairs, and that door is the first thing he goes for when he's on that porch. He goes right to it to see if there's a weakness in my plan, then plops down and looks out forlornly. You can almost hear him saying, "I wish I could go out there." He blocked me out one day. I went out to check the pool chemicals and when I came back he was sitting in his usual spot, with his feet pushed up against the door. He thought it was hilarious that we were separated by the screen, but had no idea that I wanted him to move. Josh finally heard my cries and came out to free me from my oppressor.