Oliver is starting to be that age.

It’s not just that he’s getting into more things, it’s that he is actively TRYING to get into more things. He gets that glimmer in his eye that says, “I’m going to get into trouble” and then he does it. He doesn’t stop when you say no, in fact, he does it BECAUSE you’re saying no. He stops to look back at you first to make sure that you see him getting into trouble. He just has non-stop busy hands. He hasn’t met a book he can’t pull off the shelf, or an item that can be left on the coffee table.

The other day I took him to the grocery store. Well, first off, he figured out how to take off his shoes, so of course he does that whenever possible. Also, he now has the facilities to turn around and reach into the cart and grab things. Of course I know this, so I do my best to keep things out of reach, but even still he threw the lettuce on the floor three times, and one time a stranger had to pick it up because I didn’t notice. He grabbed a block of cheese and bit it hard enough on the corner to leave a big round mouth-mark. Finally, the coup de grâce, he opened a big container of cherry tomatoes and dumped them into the cart. There were tomatoes everywhere, and I was still finding them as I went through the checkout.

It was like Hurricane Oliver passed through my shopping cart.

I remember Evie going through this phase, so it’s not abnormal or anything, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Our house has reached all new levels of destruction, after all, it’s not like Evie doesn’t get up to her own share of mischief. That’s another story unto itself.

Oliver’s still not walking yet, but he clearly could be walking if he so chose. He stands up without holding on (usually to clap for himself), he moves seamlessly from furniture to furniture,  walks up and down the hall holding onto the wall, and has even taken a half step here or there. However, if you ever try to get him to actually walk, he just says, “Hey, I already know how to crawl to get to where I’m going, why bother with this walking thing.”

However, the increased capacity for mischief he could achieve by walking might be just the motivation he needs to finally take those first steps.