Addie antics

So apparently the Lord has a sense of humor.  Either that, or, all my friends who have constantly said, "How did you get kids that skip the terrible twos?" have finally gotten their wishes ;)  Addie is proving to make up for all that we missed out on with the other three.  Even Ellie, with her spunk, is no match for Addie and her infinite mischief.  We are getting our dose and then some with this one, so you can all stop wishing now - thank you!  Don't get me wrong, we love her. and boy does she bring a great deal of life into our home, but golly gee wiz can one kid really do all this?

 

The best part of it all is her innocent little smile when she thinks she can get away with it and her dirty look to end all dirty looks when she's got no where to hide.  I am telling you this kid has been throwing glowering glares since about 13 months old and they are truly something to behold.  Wait, the best part is actually that she can run faster than a jet plane and starts at the first sign you have "seen" her.  

 

Like the other day when she stole Sam's loaded paint brush and took off across the lawn, luckily he was painting outside that day!)  I didn't even try to chase her, because of course it's a game, she came back all sheepish like and then took off again once I reached for the paintbrush. Round two.  Finally, she decided I was not going to be roped in so she started putting it up to her mouth like she was going to have a nice big lick of primer.  She got me.  Game over, chalk another one up for Addie.  

 

Then there is the gingerbread house mystery.  I teach Ellie's 3 year old playschool class on Fridays.  This past Friday we made graham cracker gingerbread houses.  If you ask Addie it is not a gingerbread house but rather a candy store that she should be able to access at any time. She was not happy when I did not allow her to gobble up sisters artwork.  I couldn't really figure out what was going on but the last few days she would suddenly turn up with a slobber candy juice ring around her mouth.  Yesterday, Ellie comes running up the stairs frantically, "Mommy, Addie is eating my house!"  As I look at her from the top of the stairs she starts lovingly petting the gingerbread house and saying, "Ellie, pretty.  No, Addie."  Just innocently kneeling by her sister's masterpiece; with chocolate and candy goobers stuck all over her.  As I am making my way down the stairs she stands up and makes a running jump into my arms with the biggest hug and grin she could muster.   Without even saying anything I headed back to the scene of the crime.  She glowered at me, stared me down within inches of my life and then said, "Addie!"  (it sounded just like me, with all the tone and "uhoh you were naughty" perfectly interjected in the pitch of her voice)  Who can stop from laughing at a 22 month old that tells herself off?  Who knew she can now climb up to the dinning room table (our last refuge for anything needing to be kept safe from Addie) without the use of anything to help her; we do ... now.   

 

Her new favorite thing is to do everything she's not supposed to and then follow it with her newfound reprimand, "Addie!"  Just this afternoon she started with, "Addie! No, no, no, no."  We still can not stop laughing, and she knows it.  All this from a pretty little bald toddler, of which the pediatrician said, "She's kind of quiet, you might want to do some cause and effect exercises with her."  Um yeah, we are pretty sure she's had cause and effect down for a good while now. Cause and effect, now that is funny!  Wouldn't you be quiet if you were about to get stuck with a big needle? Come on over Doc, we'll show you some cause and effect :)

 

So, for our last, we have sure gotten a zinger and it makes me grateful everyday that I don't feel that twinge of "we should have another".  So far, no angels from heaven, and I am not looking for any.  Oops, totally forgot.  The Lockhart volume.  It's a family joke; you see in the Lockhart family it's not about listening it's about being heard.  You just start talking and get louder and louder to drown out anyone else that's speaking.  Sam has tried to pass this off as some sort of genetic thing or hearing impairment.  I've never believed him; that is until Addie.  She will start scream singing just so the other kids can't talk to me; in the van, at the table, around the house, and it really does make communication impossible.  The best part is she really sings the songs and she's in pitch so half the time the kids end up joining her.  The other half, well there hasn't been any bloodshed yet, but I'll just say she doesn't only hear, "Addie!" from me.  She is so loud, how does a little toddler make that much noise?  I still don't believe Sam. It's a conditioned thing.  She wants to be heard and she is going to be heard.  In fact she's going to be heard right now and you are going to listen!  What else are you supposed to do when you are number four, take a number?  Not Addie.

  

Anyone want to babysit?