All Work, Some Play

I'm coming to get you

Now that Martin's a big one year old, I figured it was time for him to get to work. Since he was the one making all the messes, I set him down on the floor and told him to get cleaning. I've found that his petite stature and low ground clearance is perfect for finding dust bunnies I never knew I had. Actually, I did know they were there, but I thought I had them safely hidden. I've learned that nothing is safely hidden from an inquisitive toddler.

Martin seems to excel at tasks related to the floor, because, well, that's where he spends all his time. He's fascinated by the vacuum, so much so that I have to lock him up in kiddie prison (his crib) with Elizabeth while I vacuum or else risk sucking up one of his chubby little paws. He's also a whiz at un-mopping. Don't know what un-mopping is? Martin would love to come over to your house to demonstrate. Basically, un-mopping involves finding soggy food chunks that had previously been part of his last meal, and smearing them across the floor. When mixed with a little glee-induced drool, the end result is a fabulous sheen of muck on the floor. Martin's a pro at un-mopping, which, in turn, has made me a pro at mopping.

Martin's favorite chore is dusting the floor, as seen here. Get to work, Martin!


Martin has also assigned himself the chore of learning to use a spoon. He's got a long way to go, but he's really throwing himself into the task, as you can see here.

Utensils are such hard work.

Lest you think Martin is living in a child labor camp, I have also included a few pictures of Martin at play. Martin got a sweet tricycle for his birthday from Grandma and Grandpa Roach and it was love at first trike. The trike has a cool pushbar and rear wheel steering, so I do all the driving while Martin rides along. He absolutely adores his trike. We trike to the mailbox, trike around the block, trike at the park, trike through the living room. Here's a picture of Martin in trike euphoria and a little video so you see the trike in action.

Best birthday present ever!

Today we went to the park for a while and while he climbed, crawled, and slid, I watched closely, amazed at the transformation he's undergone in just one year. It's hard to believe that a year ago Martin was just 12 days old and barely sentient. Now he's a real boy. It just floors me every time I think about it.

Such a big boy...