Why Did the 20-month-old Climb the Chair? Because it Was There

First, happy 20-month-old birthday, two days late! We have a 20-month-old toddler who is every bit the toddler in every sense of the word.

Brigid has become a force to reckon with lately, running from couch to chair, chair to sofa, sofa to table and back to couch, climbing each one until you take her down and tell her no. She doesn't react negatively, necessarily; she just matter-of-factly moves on to the next climb. She's taken a tumble once or twice. Last night she fell off the cube table in the living room; rolled right off. Landed on her side and looked at me, like "I meant to do that." She then got up and ran to something else to climb.

Buzsh and Woodeee are still among her favorites and clamors for them all the time. You have to hand it to her, she's a die hard fan of anything she sets her sights on. Heaven help us if she turns her attention to the Yanks or the Sox. Shrek hasn't disappeared off the radar; she's just broadening her appreciation for clever dialog and great animation.

BB has been suffering from a head cold and hasn't been 100 percent herself lately, but compared to her condition with the fever, era infection and croup, it's a huge improvement. One thing that we have noticed is a lack of interest in taking a nap. The last two days she's refused to even consider it. That made last night difficult because she was too tired to be cooperative but not tired enough to go to sleep. But she slept through until after 8 a.m., after I had left for work. That means she had no snuggle time in the morning with me. But Daddy said she woke up fine after I left.

I had a mishap this morning walking down the stairs. My foot went out from under me on the top stair and I fell the two steps onto the landing. Hit my back on the edge of one of the stairs and cracked my wrist pretty hard. Wrist seems to be fine; my back is killing me. It's different from the herniated disk pain. All I kept thinking is "Thank God I wasn't holding the baby."

We have report card/teacher conference day Friday for both Patricia and Margaret. We don't expect anything out of the ordinary. It will be nice to sit and chat with their teachers. It heralds the ending of the first quarter of school. Hard to believe a quarter of the school year is over. After Thanksgiving the time will fly until January. Then we have a few weeks until winter break. After winter break the time flies until spring and then, it's summer again. How nice, the year has flown by already.