Hide and Seek...

Braden has just recently decided that playing Hide and Seek is a lot of fun. Chris and I personally do not feel the same way. :) Especially when he likes to play it a lot..and he becomes a better hider every day!! You get where I am going with this.

It started out really innocent around bathtime in the evenings. We would let him run around with just a diaper on upstairs. When it was time for his bath we would call him and tell him to come into his bathroom. We would not hear him coming after multiple calls...so we would go on the hunt. Well he was always very easy to find. He would consistently be hiding on the other side of our king sized bed. He is almost tall enough to see his blond hair over our very high bed, and he was never very good about being too quiet when he was hiding out. So obviously we would find him over there with his little back, head, and neck pressed up against the mattress. He would think it was so funny that we came looking for him..and he would laugh or say "Boo"! :)

Well that was how things went for a couple of weeks......until one day before Christmas when we had just come in from picking him up at school. This was the same time that we were doing a massive overhaul on our house, so we literally had things everywhere!! The closets were open and our belongings were pretty much strewn anywhere that they could be. We got home and I was starting dinner while he was playing. Chris was picking up a few things around the house, and after about a minute we did not hear him playing in the living room anymore. So sure enough we knew we needed to check things out. We started calling his name over and over again...but nothing. Really? So after about a minute or so (which seemed like at least 10-15 minutes), I start to freak out a little bit. I knew that the front door was locked but the garage door was not. I kept thinking that I never heard the garage door open though...so surely he could not be out there. I did my due dilligence and checked the garage...and nothing. I called Chris by this point to help me out b.c I was getting rather worked up.

Chris started searching nooks and crannies...and finally VIOLA!! There Braden was in the VERY back of our downstairs guest room closet in the dark (with the door partially closed). That little stinker heard us calling him for awhile and never even made a peep!!! And once again while he was in the closet, he was in the perfect hiding position...his entire body pressed firmly against the wall (including his head and neck). I seriously have NO IDEA where he learned that pose but it freaks me out! He is only 16 months old for heavens sake! I thought he was not supposed to be giving us a coronary until at least 2! The worst part is that he is so proud of himself when he hides, and it irritates the fire out of me (now that he is so good at it!).

Since then we have found him in a few new places as well. He really seems to like the pitch black pantry (with the door closed). Go figure. As well as the tall curtains in our master bedroom. Those are his two new favorite places to be "alone". :)

I sure as heck wish I had a picture of him in hs hiding pose b.c it is priceless. However, I ride a fine line with that one b.c if I take a pic of him then he knows that I am excited and encouraging that behavior. I don't want him to think it is ok to hide from us (even though it is very cute at times). I am praying it a quickly passing phase!!

We will let you know if we have to go on the hunt again in the near future. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we don't. :) All I need is two little mischevious boys hiding from me next year! :)