Sophie is just about 2 1/2 years old. And she’s smart in more ways than one. She is extremely verbal, she defends herself well against her older sister, she knows her shapes. She’s even starting to make serious progress on the potty. She dances and sings. And in a true test of her intelligence, she’s started to imitate our behaviors. Most of the bad ones at that..the heavy sighing when frustrated, throwing things when angry (Chloe hasn’t yet mastered the role model gig), slamming doors, etc.

But for every smarty pants thing she does, some of her other actions perplex us, to say the least. Her mastery of colors is still sketchy (I hope she’s not colorblind – it mostly afflicts males, but you never know). There’s only one pair of shoes that she’ll let us put on her feet (this is reminiscent of the Crocs torture we were subjected to last summer). But what makes us laugh is that she climbs into her crib like a monkey on speed. But even though she’s more than capable of climbing out, she won’t even try. Chloe was light years ahead of her on this score; in fact, she was already in a bed at 2 1/2.

I’ve even encouraged Sophie to climb out of her bed. I know, you’re thinking I’ve got to be an idiot to egg her on. But I don’t understand it, really. This is a toddler rite of passage. They climb (or fall) out of bed, and then climb into mom and dad’s bed. It’s supposed to be a game. Sophie usually loves games. Her lack of interest is slightly worrisome.

On the other hand, she’s saving us money for now. The longer we go without having to buy a new piece of furniture, the better. But, still…Sophie, get your act together! A little rebellion will do you good. Discover the joys of the crib escape before you’re too old!