My Mom has always said that just when you think you can’t take any more of what a kid is doing, they grow and change and stop whatever was making you pull your hair out and start something new that causes you to pull your hair out. The new difficult trait is new so it’s a bit different and that somehow makes it a bit better. Clara’s new challenge has to do with the fact that she is pulling herself up to standing, on everything. And I mean everything, chairs, couches, small toys, big toys, beds, cats, dogs, sisters and parents, everything! Now most of the time this has not been a problem, she pulled her self up, stood around plopped back down and went and found something else to stand up with. Every now and then I had to go save a dog she had trapped or comfort her after an especially nasty fall but for the most part we were good.
Then enter the speed crawl and the speed stand. All of a sudden you can’t stop for more than 10 seconds without looking down and seeing this:
and sometimes that’s alright. For instance while outside, watching Ivy play in the sprinkler. It’s great I can say “hi”, take a picture (like my lawn, it’s green, short, even a baby can stand barefoot in it, and it’s made out of creeping charlie), admire her cuteness, and just stand there so she can keep looking around.
In the house while I’m attempting to work on something it’s whole different story. Here are the three ways it can go:
1- She can be occupied elsewhere in the house, usually with Ivy, standing with the assistance of something inanimate which is happy to stay immobile for her.
2- After option 1 gets boring and she comes looking for me, if I’m actively doing things around the house I just start moving faster. When she goes into speed-crawl-hyper-drive-mode (is there a real term for that running crawl?) Clara really flies, but I’ve still got legs more than a foot long and I can out run her around the house. This often requires me pretending that we are actually playing peek-a-boo and not that I’m just trying to run away from her but it get’s the job done. This has the added bonus that sometimes she gets distracted on the way through the house and we end up back at option 1.
3- This is the bad one, and it often happens in the kitchen. This is where I am mostly immobile but need to move, say three feet to the left to get into the fridge and then back. This leaves me with a few options:
A-I can pick her up and carry her.- Bad option when cooking dinner. She doesn’t want to be carried she wants to stand.
B-I can squat down, get her interested in something else, quick move once she’s off and try to grab everything I need on the other side of my kitchen before she notices. – Bad option while cooking dinner. Unless its OK that it takes twice as long, which is not OK ever. When describing myself I don’t throw procrastinator in there lightly!
C-I can plop her down on the floor and listen to her scream about it. -Bad option while cooking dinner. If I’m having a Clara limpet problem while cooking that means I have most likely been on my own with the two girls for 11-12 hours. Screaming at this point makes me insane and causes me to yell at the dogs far more than they deserve.
D-I can walk reeeaaaalllyyyy ssslllooooooowwwllyyy, then she can walk with me. – Bad option while cooking dinner see option B
Anyone seeing a trend here?
The solution, I think she needs to discover stairs, or walking, or something! I’m really tired of this stage and I’d like a new one… before I have to cook dinner tonight…
*Don’t leave me a comment saying that they grow up quick and I should enjoy every minute, I hate that. I think one day soon I’ll elaborate on why I hate that, and then if you do leave a comment like that you’ll end up feeling bad so lets just not go there!*
Behind the Willows 
ok..How’s this.. they grow up and pass through a lot of phases some of which you will love to forget and some of which you will love to remember. All of which I love to hear about knowing that you once were the star of most of them!!
Much nicer thanks!
I think when my littlest (4th) was at that stage, my 2nd child (7 at the time)announced she was never having children because it was way too much work and told me I should not have any more babies because she didnt think I could handle it.
Your mom sounds cool. My mom aways says “this too shall pass” and I sigh. Lately I have been worried that I have wished away their childhoods because I was always thinking it will be easier at the next stage, but I also remember many times thinking this must be the best age because it was so fun or cute or amazing to watch. From reading your blog, it seems to me you are very good at appreciating every minute. I love reading – keep writing.
From reading your blog it sounds like you
Thanks Cara! I might not appreciate EVERY moment but I do try to enjoy a few, right before I think that things have GOT to get easier! 🙂
Oh my goodness, how old is she?!? Kasia (9 months) is doing the *exact* same thing right now… I was so laughing out loud reading your post. Especially the part about the hyper frantic crawl. It’s so funny to watch. I do the shuffle across the kitchen floor with her standing at my knees all the time right now… And she pulled down my pajama pants today trying to scramble up me (which James found really funny). Too funny.
Becca she is eight months old. And my “wishes” have come true since I posted, she found stairs…
Oh Jessie, I laughed too at this one! I have the same thing with Henry. I walk with him standing on my feet. I play the game of chasing or peak-a-boo so I can get just one more thing done. And when he is screaming while hanging on my legs I have started asking myself “Can this job wait? There is no reason why my “LAST BABY” has to scream while I clean eggs or wash my dishes or cook dinner.”