Where's the fear?

Dan is now 18 months old and in full-blown toddlerhood. I've read some articles recently that suggest toddlers can develop fears and anxieties. So far, unfortunately, Dan has exhibited none of these traits.

I've mentioned swim lessons here before. He would just scoot off the side of the pool into the water, didn't care if he went under. In fact, once he just simply let go of the side and sank like a stone while I was right there. When I hoisted him up, he didn't seem scared and didn't even cry. He just grinned.

Yesterday, I heard him screaming pitifully in the next room. I rushed down to the TV room and though I could hear him, didn't see him anywhere. Rather frightening feeling for a mommy. Turns out he had climbed up on the sofa and fallen between the sofa and the wall. He has a nice bruise and scratch on the side of his face to commemorate the occasion. (Yet another reason there are few toddlers in public ... someone probably would assumed your beating the child when they see a dirty, snotty, bruised little toddler.)

Other articles and "parent tips" I've read suggest that other children are a bit calmer than my son. One parent offers, "My son loves to do collages. First I cut out pictures he likes from a magazine. Then he uses a glue stick on the back of each photo and slaps them on some construction paper." Are you kidding me, you fruitloop? My son would cut his hair with the scissors and eat the glue, that is, if he could sit still for one hot minute.

As you can see, keeping up with him is a full-time job. Even outdoor activities like gardening are fraught with peril. He's pulls up my watering stakes and has denuded my cherry tomato plant more than once. Dear child, though, tried to put a tomato back on the vine once he was caught.

And speaking of full-time jobs, I pulled back to part-time at work. It just wasn't worth the hassle and I was about to have to pay for a few hours of child care a week. What a ripoff that is. Economically, it makes no sense whatsoever. I would literally work half of every hour I'm there for child care. I'm way too tired these days anyway. In addition to chasing turbo tot, I'm pregnant. Yes, that's right, I'm pregnant and due sometime in January. Boy or girl, doesn't really matter to me right now. What I'm really hoping for is a much calmer child.