Rule Number One of Management: Never, ever go on and on and on about your employee’s good work habits, because the second you do, they change. The Twoville Offices have taken hold of N.Lo’s personality for the time being, and while it turns out that a giant molar is to blame for some of the strife, the rest is just…something to behold.

• Meltdowns are frequent, over small things. Usually due to denied “up” requests by Management. Vexingly, certain chores in the workplace, such as washing dishes and preparing hot meals, require two hands, not one plus a 30+-lb employee. Go figure!
• When asked (in a friendly voice) to retrieve a certain items himself, such as a juice cup, rather than complying, N.Lo now shouts. With a lot of volume and force. “NO. [YOU] GO. GET. IT!!!” I have had to up hold books and such to hide my laughter. Really, little one?
• Diaper and clothes changes are quite a treat. He runs. He thrashes, he squirms. He has refused a shirt change for the past 48 hours. It’s stayed clean, so I’m allowing it, but I’m pretty sure it’s not just because he likes the shirt, which incidentally is a PJ top. Spider-Man.
• He smears, throws, smashes food items/utensils when not pleased with a situation, related or unrelated to the meal. If admonished, he smears, throws and smashes with even more gusto.
• “MINE!” is perhaps the favorite vocabulary word of choice these days. Followed of course by screeching and a completely insulted cry/tantrum.
• Refuses to come inside with the rest of the company for dinnertime. Often hides in the playhouse out back, saying “NO!” whenever you suggest outdoor playtime is over.
• Petitions for attention from whichever member of Management is not present/assisting. For example, every morning, I greet him in his crib, and lately it’s, “I want Daddy.” At bedtime, the CEO usually takes care of N.Lo while I tend to K.Lo, and the response is a lot of screeching and, “I want Mommy.” Mm-hmm…
• He has mastered the pout. And oh, it’s pretty cute. Mouth in a scowl, brow furrowed, heavy breathing through nostrils…. so it goes.

He did receive his first birthday present yesterday, which we opened early, just for fun. Little did I know the box contained a mountain of the dreaded packing peanuts, which K.Lo deemed “marshmallows”… Weee! The Little People fire station (on the coffee table, northwest of K.Lo’s leg) was a lot of fun, too.