Just doin' my job!

The other night, after laying Jude down for bed, I started cleaning up all his toys and little messes around the house and I had to smile as I thought to myself that I don't even do it (clean up) so much to keep things tidy as I do to provide more fun for Jude when he wakes up. Because it's no fun to sit in a mess of toys already strewn around the floor, as if the good times have already been had! I imagine it must be overwhelming too; you wouldn't know where to start! Much more fun to crawl over to a brimming basket of toys- just waiting to be played with - with the happy decision of what to enjoy first. With a clean, tidy play area, young Jude is like a little artist approaching a fresh, blank canvas.

He's so adorable these days - crawling around the place doing his "baby job" as I call it... tearing into everything that he can reach and then exploring it fully by turning it over in his pudgy little hands, banging it against the floor or some other surface, tasting it, biting it, pushing buttons (if there are any), etc. And all the while developing that brilliant little brain, mastering the use of his fingers and hands, gaining a better understanding of this world. It might look like mischief or just rough play - but look a little closer. The truth is, he's just doing his important baby job.

If there's a bin of dvd's or nintendo games within his grasp, it's his solemn baby duty to dig them out or dump the entire thing on the floor and then explore them more fully (as previously described).

If I have a basket of laundry out, he has to hurry over so he can quickly empty it by pulling items out one at a time - setting them no place in particular, just casting them aside as he feverishly works to empty the basket. And it might look like fun, but he's working hard! Sure, socks and small items of clothing are easy... he simply tosses those with a flourish! But pants or one of daddy's t-shirts (the big stuff) are more work because they are much longer than Jude's little arms, so he has to flap his arms wildly and pull several times before he finally gets them out and onto the floor. Whew!

And I guess I can see why he feels like he needs to be so busy. After all, he sees Mom moving around the house all day- seemingly making messes. It's like he's watching me, thinking, "Oh, there she goes, tearing stuff out of all those cupboards again. I'd better get busy too!" And he does!

I love watching him - observing all his little mannerisms and listening to his sweet voice chattering to himself. Such a happy, busy baby. Loves "helping" his mama.

p.s. Isn't it a cruel irony that by the time Jude is old enough to actually be helpful, he won't want to help anymore?