My wife and I spent 15 minutes of last night laughing hysterically at our son.
He now has the ability to stand and walk on his own, unaided by first sinking his amazingly strong little fingers into furniture, clothing or flesh and clambering to a standing position. It was one of those, "Oh man, why didn't I have a camera in my hand," moments when he did it for the very first time last night. Both eyes and mouth open in shocked and astonished pleasure at an unexpectedly successful feat of feet.
The next short while had my wife and I rapt in the living room as Declan played the game of pushing himself up from prone to a squatting position, leaning back just far enough to remove his hands from the floor (at which point he temporarily transformed into a two-foot tall sumo wrestler just before charging his opponent), and then slowly pushing himself up to full homo erectus status.
He would remain standing, wobble, walk a few steps and then collapse onto his ass and tumble over onto his side, thinking the whole process great fun.
I don't think I've ever seen anything so hilarious as a toddler laughing hysterically, his bum hoisted high in the air and face pushed into our living room carpet as he strained to heave his torso back to a squatting position so he could stand, wobble, walk and fall dozens of times in succession.
He didn't even have to be taught that the only thing to do after falling down was just to get right back up again. It came naturally to him. It now seems apparent that apathy, resignation and an acceptance of failure are learned behaviours and humans actually have a naturally ingrained propensity towards striving. Who knew?!
*****
In other news, the past two days of team building with fellow members from The Company at a nearby retreat/lodge have been an enjoyable success. We ate together, defined objectives, shared expectations, described visions, fleshed out roles and job descriptions, established structure, monitored progress, beat on drums and danced naked around campfires wearing fig-leaf epaulettes and a single woolen sock.
(I'm lying a bit there. We didn't eat together.)
All in all, progress was made.
My own role here has been better defined and I am now sporting a title so new and shiny that the edges gleam if you say it just right: Manager of Planning and Corporate Forecasting. (Ensure you have a lungful of air before attempting it.) It may be modified in the short term, but change is good.
My boss despaired a little bit at the new title and enhanced responsibilities that came out of these two days, though he helped define it. "There goes my budget, Simon. You're going to want a raise now, aren't you?"
To which my sardonic rejoinder was, "Just now?"
Don't despair of your tragic limp quite yet, Tiny Tim! Hope springs eternal and there just may yet be a Christmas.
*****
So my son has achieved independent upright locomotion and prospects at work are both positive and fraught with potential. Fraught, I tell you! Fraught!!
Today, dear friends, I am feeling both ruly and gruntled.
Congratulations Oh Shiny One (and maybe Count Forethought, Master Planner fits as a moniker after all?). Congratulations as well to the little shiny one. I always loved that bottoms-up approach to standing my kids went through too.
Paula
Posted by: Paula | Friday, 02 September 2005 at 09:01 AM
Sounds like things are looking up all the way around. And just think, in a few years, when your work responsibilities have you overloaded and exhausted, you can spend your Sunday afternoons sitting on the porch, beer in hand, watching Declan mow the lawn for you. PARENTHOOD ... membership has it's rewards. Tina
Posted by: Tina | Friday, 02 September 2005 at 12:08 PM
Ruly and gruntled! Why didn't I think of that? Brilliant.
Declan is the chewy yummy caramel center of some perfect truffle. What a neat little guy -- congrats on all the toddling going on at your house.
Posted by: Jenn | Tuesday, 06 September 2005 at 05:22 PM