gleefully bad

Dennis didn't get the memo that Santa is watching him to see if he's naughty or nice. He's been rejoicing in naughtiness all day long. Of course this means he is feeling lots better, and for that I'm glad, but wow what a day we've had.

All day long, I've being saying "Dennis don't touch that" or "Dennis, leave the ornaments on the tree". And as I just typed that, he brought me an ornament--the bottom part of a Christmas ball without the top or hanger, which I presume is still attached to the tree somewhere. We've had two ornament casualties now. The first was a styrofoam snowman--we found a head on the floor, and after further search, found the two other styrofoam balls that made up his body on the tree skirt, one with the button pulled off.

It isn't just the tree that has caused the trouble. He's also refused to leave the stereo buttons alone despite repeated warnings. Tonight he watched the Nativity Story with me, and I was thinking what a sweet little angel he was as I watched him watching Mary and Joseph with wonder in his eyes. Then, with one line left in the movie, he climbed down from the couch, ran over to the dvd player, and ejected the dvd.

I put him down for naps three times, and each time he refused to take one. I needed one myself today (trying to keep from catching his cold) and every time I would be just about asleep, I'd hear awful screeching from his crib. He'd thrown out his necessary crib implements (Froggy and the pacifier) and wanted down to get them. He was very demanding about it. After an hour and forty-five minutes, I gave up and let him run about the house again, destroying everything he could get those quick little hands on. We are cooking supper now, and I highly suspect that it will be an early night (He's walking through the kitchen right now, leaning his head back and gargling his milk, so I'll have some mopping to do in just a minute). The picture shows him having just climbed down from the couch with his milk, ready for more demolishing. I just turned around and saw him drinking mouthfuls of milk and then spitting it out with gusto onto the hardwood floor. And he just grabbed the entire roll of paper towels and split for parts unknown. I suspect he isn't headed off to clean the mess he just made. Seems like a good time to end the post.

I hope Santa doesn't bring him coal.