The Naughty Round-Up

Most of my posts are full of "Leo is such a joy!" and "I just love this age!" exclamations - and they are true, but I'd be remiss if I didn't also acknowledge that this kid can drive me batty some days.  Here are a few examples of how he keeps me on my toes:

1. The Hat Game:  He puts just about anything - from pants to stuffed animals - on his head and repeatedly sat "ha-*throat-clearing-hard-consonant-sound*" (which is how he says "hat") until I notice and say, "That's so silly, that's not a hat!  Are you pretending your ______ is hat?" and then erupts into giggles.  Adorable, right?  Except at meal time when he pretends the almond butter side of his toast or his marinara covered spoon is a hat.  This is why his hair is almost always caked with food - despite daily baths.  
2. Emptying Shelves and Drawers: I've never had a perfectly organized house - but this is the first time that my entire floor is covered with a layer of clothes, puzzle pieces, books, shoes, pantry items, and whatever else he can pull out of its rightful place.  Our shelves and drawers are bare.  The most frustrating part is that if you foolishly try to make an effort to pick up - within seconds it's back to mayhem. 
3. Hiding Things:  This kind of ties into the previous point, but definitely deserves it's own category.  As he's pulling something off a shelf he will often "put it away" somewhere else.  We've found jb's glasses at the bottom of the laundry hamper (after days of looking), my hairbrush in the toy bin, and our keys in the bathtub.
4. Sippy Cup Water Liberation:  He loves to play with water - and since he's getting better about staying out of the dog dish he's discovered a new way to make a splash.  He can get water out of every one of his sippy cups and make a super fun puddle.  He accomplishes this by squeezing the tip, banging it so the stopper falls out of the spout, or, if all else fails, sucking it into his mouth and then spitting it out.  It only takes him a minute or two to turn the floor/highchair tray/coffee table into a water park.
5. Squeezing/Ripping/Mushing Things:  I want him to creatively and freely explore his world - I do.  But sometimes, when I give him an orange slice and he just squeezes to make juice, or tears a page in a book (usually the oh-so-tempting flap books), or pulls pieces off a basket - I just want to pull my hair out.  I would never describe him as destructive, rather he just likes to see how things work/what their limits are/what they are made of.  Still, not my favorite.
6. Manipulation:  He is very aware of which signs/words I react most quickly to.  "Ouch", "potty", "agua", and the sign for "eat".  Of course, these are all the most basic needs.  So if I'm not on the ball enough for him - or he wants a change of scenery and I'm not responding to his "oh-pah" to open the door - he will whip out one of these trusty words.  If I don't hop to it (or point out that he has a snack or water at hand), he will cycle through them.  Genius.  Evil genius.  

I could go on, but I think you get the idea.  I do realize that he's not actually being naughty (most of the time), just being a curious, precocious one year old.   People ask me if he's a good baby (are there bad babies?) and I answer, "Oh yes, he is such a good boy, he's just also a toddler."