Top 5 Rules for putting Mischiefmaker #2 to bed

#5 Try your best to resist his cute dimples and charming personality and do NOT let him talk you into strapping on his winter boots so he can walk around the house in them. Nor should you allow him to smack his brother across the forehead or poke him in the eye while he tries to sleep. The best thing is to separate him from his older brother. Tuck the big one away, pop a couple of vitamins and then brace yourself for juggernaut.

#4 The rambunctious firecracker should not be fed anything sweet within 4, no 5 hours of bedtime.

#3. If you have acid reflux, it's best not to try to rock the "baby" to sleep. He will jump and hop all over your neck and stomach because he is still active from the watered down apple juice you let him have an hour ago. You will eventually throw up. It's best to put said rowdy child in his crib and let him ball himself to sleep.

#2 You should not leave aforementioned "baby" alone upstairs while you read a bedtime story to the older one downstairs. When you go upstairs, you will find that the baby has rummaged through your make up kit and has rubbed watermelon pink eyeshadow all over your bedroom floor, has slathered hair oil into the office carpet, is himself covered in glops of Vaseline and has sprinkled half a cannister of powdered toilet cleaner all across the bathroom vanity.

#1 When all else fails, resort to the "guilt trip method" which entails nagging the child's daddy to "help you out for once" and warm up a cup of milk. When he complies, hand over said active baby and demand that he does the honors of ushering said active toddler off to dreamland.

On the upside, I'm happy to report his word count is soaring up to the 150s and he is also putting 2-3 word sentences together. He can recognize several shapes and colors.

Also, because we are now dealing him licks once in a while, he is slowly learning that he cannot beat up all the kids and manhandle all the little girls in his daycare. Slowly, but surely, he will learn to understand that it is NOT OKAY to pimp slap his big brother all the time. Of course, we are sending mixed messages, but that's a fish to fry another day.

His peppery personality and determined ways earned him a soft spot in the hearts of several relatives he met for the first time in Trinidad. He even tamed the wilder beast of a dog (uh pet?) Dave's father has tied up in the back of the house. When we caught him mid embrace with the dog, we feared for the safety of the dog. *snicker*

That's my Mischiefmaker!