I’d like to say this post is all about showing off Lydia’s cuteness. But, it’s not. I’m totally proud of myself for making this totally cute shirt for the Lyds. And, yes, I’m showing it off. Seriously–it’s so darn cute.

I’m really not a negligent parent.

Honestly.

I was in the next room on my computer and Lydia disappeared for maybe 2 minutes.

Honestly.

Then, she brought me an egg carton….wet…with egg yolks. I noticed her clothes were also wet…with egg yolks. And, I rushed into the kitchen to find…this

I was forced to leave the “mess, mess, mess” there and just quickly wash her up and change her because we had to go pick up Drew from preschool. When we got home, while I’m cleaning up egg goo, I turn around and see this…

She has taken her pants off and put on Drew’s boots and was shuffling around…looking for more trouble to get into, I’m sure.

In my defense, I am really not a negligent parent. This girl is just plain crazy.

Two days ago, she propelled herself out of her crib. No kidding. She was supposed to be napping when I heard a crash and crying. Rushing upstairs, I found her on the floor. The side of the crib was still fully up. How does that happen? How is that possible? When we were in China, we worried because the crib the hotel provided was very shallow and had side rails maybe a foot high. It was really more like a bassinet. Totally not safe for a toddler. But, she was just fine in there. Just laid there. BUT, that was 10 months ago.

On Tuesday, her Community Bible Study teachers asked me if I had a harness for her. Yup. Not making it up. They said she is all over the place and “not only on one plane.” I know. She is a climber. And a runner. And an egg thrower. And a monkey.

We took this video clip in November.

Granted, you hear us encouraging her in the clip. That was November. That was before she darted away from us at Drew’s school Christmas program, forcing Mark to stand on bleachers and yell, “HEY! I can’t find my daughter! She’s a little (pause) Chinese girl!” — a quote that the other three thought was so darn hilarious that they continue to say it around the house. Nice. That was before she sling-shotted herself out of the crib. That was before her teachers suggest I use a leash for her.

And, we’re going to Disney in 21 days.

I just ordered tattoos that will have our cell phone number on them.

I gave into peer pressure. Okay, I admit, I thought it needed a trim too. But, I just did not want to cut it. I was hoping we’d wake up and miraculously the front of her hair would have grown so that we wouldn’t have a mullet any more. But, alas, that did not happen.

So, we did it. Last night, we took her and the rest of the family to get preChristmas hair cuts. In 35 minutes, 4 children and one grown man all got clean cuts–one of which was fully documented on camera. It was her first haircut afterall—well, first hair cut home at least.