The shape of things...

At his birthday party, Auntie Laura gave Jack one of his favorite gifts--a see-and-say-like Elmo toy with colorful shapes tucked into corresponding slots.It became apparent right away that this toy would bring a lot of smiles to Jack but a lot of pain to my butt (well, not literally).

While I've said before that Jack and I share similar personalities, the line has been drawn at organization. I LOVE to organize and have a place for everything. Jack, however, doesn't. I'm hoping it's just because he's one; but he and I have been having a constant struggle with where the Elmo/Sesame Street shapes should go. I prefer them in the toy itself and Jack prefers them.....well, anywhere but where they belong. He'll often crawl by with one shape in each hand, and has been spotted with an extra one clamped between his teeth. I sit and show him how to put the shapes in the toy, and he literally looks right at me and takes them out as fast as I add them.

So far in the last two weeks, Elmo's red square bailed into Luke's truck somewhere (yet to be found), Abby Cadabby's pink octagon tried to hide behind the changing table twice (hooked out both times by a hanger), and Cookie Monster's blue rectangle found safe shelter under the tv stand for a week (where I left it a few days longer than I should have, just to watch Jack lie flat on his belly and try to reach it).

Yesterday I showed up to an all day training course for work and opened up my purse to grab the Tylenol I knew I would need to survive the day. A present! Score! Jack had, at some point the evening before, put Bert's yellow triangle in my purse. An obvious counter to my attempts at cleaning up the living room last night. So like his dad......Thanks, Jack.