Chasing Cyrus--Again

Been around Cyrus much? If so, you have seen firsthand what a wild man he is. At 2 1/2, his shenanigans eclipse Jasper's shenanigans at this age--and that's saying much. As busy and fast and wild as you expect a toddler boy to be, he is more so.

I just made the dumb mistake of trying to take him with me to my volunteer gig reading with kids in Ruby's fifth grade class every other week. There is a reason--a major one that starts with C and sounds like 'ryrus'--that I only agreed to do this on the days I had babysitting. But a friend asked me to trade her this week, and I owed her a favor.

"What's the worst that can happen?" I thought. I see moms at the school with toddlers all the time. And I know Cyrus loves watching the iPad, so that should do the trick--not.

Right when I walked into the classroom he wriggled out of my arms and took off down the hall. And this kid is FAST. We are talking get-up-on-your-toes-pump-your-arms-and-sprint to catch him fast. The teacher asked, "Which student do you need first?"

"Ruby! To chase her brother down the hall," I replied. Ruby took off down the hall, only to find him in the sixth grade classroom.

We made it through a few students with him watching the iPad, eating every piece of gum in my purse, and unraveling a whole container of floss. Phew. Survivable so far, right? This is number 5, and I'm beyond embarrassment for such little things.

But then when he started spitting the gum out on the floor and running away every time I turned my attention to a student, it was too much. The worst of those was just all the way down two halls, trailing floss, with only a janitor and another mom to stare at me as I ran by. After that one I decided to tell Mrs. Thompson it was a lost cause and I'd have to leave. But as I tried to clean up he wriggled away from me and ran away one more time. I put on my best sprinter form and took off after him, but it was too late! I watched him round the corner into the sixth grade classroom and heard the giggles begin. I ran in only to be caught in a ridiculous game of dodge-mom-around-the-desks with Cyrus. The giggles got louder as the kids saw I had no chance of getting to him. Finally I cried "It's not funny! Stop him!" One boy took mercy on me and cornered him. As I picked him up and ran out of the room, I heard the torrent of laughter erupt behind me. I think I heard the teacher say something about how I just made their day. Good thing she saw it that way:)

Just another day's work with Cyrus. This number 5 is giving me a run for my money!