What I've learned this week, and it's only Tuesday...

* another way to make a sock dirty: take it off while eating and wipe your sweat potato covered high chair tray with it. Congratulations, it's now dirty.

* a cheerio found on the driveway is fair game.

* if you want to clean, or fold laundry while the toddler is awake- you have to accept the reality that you are sacrificing your space to other smaller messes created by toddler. These are now tripping hazards really... a visual still life collection of random crap that reads "baby was here"

* that re arranging her room, i.e.- moving her little table into the center, divides up the room into little nooks which allows for renewed exploration! (adapting a room now that she is more stable at walking was a little light bulb moment, I wouldn't have done this until now- too many hazards... plus for about a  month just the act of walking was entertainment enough, now she needs more activity available to her...)

* that I can successfully put our 14.5 month old down for her nap without nursing (well as of today, knock on wood. Everyone else can, obviously, it's just a little hard when the milk maid attempts...)

* that corduroy is an unforgiving tattle tail when it comes to food spills, letting everyone know what you and the baby have been eating for the last three days. (mental note, time to change your pants)

* to piggy back on to that, if you are going to wear what you have lying around or hanging on a bathroom hook (classy lady, you) then at least look down and make sure it's not all olive green, or faded black, add in a pop of color... you know, because you don't want to offend the driveway during your outside playtime.

* that "outside play time" or "recess" or (my favorite) "institutionalized play outside time"- is great now that she is walking. So much fun to be had, acorn tops to attempt to eat, ice to smash, geese to flap our wings at, mailman to observe... it's fun to watch her learn and to see how excited she gets and how peaceful she is... She's going be very helpful when we plant tomatoes this year. My fondest childhood memories were playing outside, nice to start this with her early.

* and finally, it's sad but true the baby only naps for an hour and no longer. Ie: she's awake... see yah!