Little Rascal

Unfortunately, I have no new pictures to post. The reason for that (we believe) is that Barrett threw away our camera. It disappeared completely a couple of weeks ago - we had transferred most of the pictures to our computer, but we lost a couple weeks worth, and obviously haven't been able to take any since. We had no idea where it could possibly be until we noticed Barrett's new habit of putting things in the big trash can in the kitchen. We saw him trying to throw away a remote control, a bill, and a couple of Christmas ornaments, and unless the camera miraculously surfaces somewhere, we're pretty sure it got put in there at some point and taken away.

He has developed some other adorably mischievous habits as well...

1) He begins to do something he knows he's not allowed to do, and when I tell him "no," he says, "bye bye" and waves at me to leave him to his business.

2) He is an amazing head-butter. If I go to pick him up and take him away from something he's been enjoying, I often look down to see him rearing his head back, preparing to slam it into me - he got me once right behind my ear and I thought I was going to pass out.

3) By far the cutest - he's learned to manipulate us through requests for hugs. If I'm trying to put him down for a nap or set him down to change his diaper, he'll get me into a bear hug that he knows I won't break - he says "hug," so of course I give him one, and if I try to stop, he just squeezes me really tight and keeps saying "hug" and putting his head on my shoulder so I won't set him down.

We'll try to get some good Christmas moments on the video camera.