Toddler Gone Wild

Despite the fact that we walk a mile and a half home from the Department of Labor every day, the first thing Owen wants to so as soon as we get through the door is go "outsi-i-i-ide." His love of the great outdoors started during the Christmas season when we would admire our neighbors' light displays and has since evolved into running up and down the sidewalk, greeting neighborhood dogs, climbing stairs, pointing out cars and hugging the occassional tree. Allen and I have largely indulged him, weather permitting, because the alternative of Owen lying on the floor, crying while screaming, "Outside! Outside! Outside!" isn't nearly as much fun.

The other day, Owen and I were playing in the yard when a helicopter passed by. Owen watched excitedly until the helicopter moved out of range, at which point he became a bit distraught. He started crying and then began pulling his shirt off. He managed to get one arm out and was working on his head when I brought him back inside and explained that 1) the helicopter had to go somewhere but we'll see another one someday and 2) we can't be outside without clothes. I repositioned his shirt and we headed back outdoors, but the helicopter hadn't returned. Owen started crying and undressing himself again. We returned inside, adjusted Owen's shirt again, discussed that while it was unseasonably warm that day, we still needed to wear a shirt if we were going to be outside and noted that the helicopter had to go "bye-bye," before heading back outside, at which point Owen immediately started stripping off his clothes. I then made the executive call that we'd spend the rest of the evening inside, ignoring Owen's pleas to the contrary and finally distracted him via a marathon handwashing session.

For the life of me, I don't understand why Owen thought taking off his shirt would induce the helicopter to make a second pass. However, given his fondness for showing strangers his bellybutton unbidden, we may have the makings of "Naked Force: The Next Generation" in our midst.