Monkey Man

I haven't posted for a couple weeks because life has become ridiculous. I am beyond busy at work and working overtime so when I get home Connor needs me to make up for not being there. I need my vacation to get here NOW! I'm so close to crashing and I know I'm becoming less productive which makes it all the more disheartening. Connor is an active child regardless, but now that he feels the need to make every moment with mommy count, if I stop to wash the dishes or do laundry he climbs something. His room being monkey themed seems more than appropriate now. He is my little monkey and he has the best monkey impressions ever...so freaking cute! The climbing is getting to be a bigger problem though. I got home from work and after a bit of play time decided I needed to get the dishes done. I reached into the dishwasher for some plates, stood up, and he's sitting at the really high bar stool at the kitchen island!! A three foot drop to hardwood...I shrieked and ran around to grab him before he fell and he just gave me his little evil grin as if to say...did you think I'd let you empty that dishwasher lady??! He proceeded to climb the couch and balance on the arm well calling "mamma" in this little testing voice and then climbed over his highchair and was stuck upside down on that when I reached him. We moved into the playroom and I got distracted putting a couple of the toys away and when I turned around he was standing on the arm of the chair climbing over it onto a rocking horse giving me his little devil grin. It is unbelievable how fast they can appear on the top of something! He is also now moving objects so that he can get leverage to climb other items that he otherwise couldn't reach. He carried his little singing table into my bedroom and used the edge of my bed to climb onto it so that he could stand in the middle of it and reach the TV. Un-freaking-believable!!! There is no safe "out of reach" area now. Everything from the top of dressers to the table are fair game if there is something he wants. The best part of it all is that he's got the mommy manipulation down to an art! If he knows I'm getting mad he'll come over wrap his cute little arms around my neck, give me the best little smile, say "mamma" in a loving little voice and give me a huge kiss. Now tell me how you are supposed to stay mad at that?!?!? This is definitely the most work of any age I've encountered yet but also the most fun. He loves to be going and laughs continuously. It is amazing...and frustrating!