Order Please!

It seems that Vivi has decided that her world needs a little bit more order these days. Shoes jumbled in a heap on the floor? Not anymore. They are neatly lined up in a row. A stack of library books piled on the futon in her bedroom? No, they must be put edge to edge to form a concise border around her rug. Groceries tossed in a cart? Not unless they can be organized into a circle first.

This picture may not look like much to you but to Vivi it is a highly organized collection of her belongings.

Initially, I was feeling all self-congratulatory about this change in Vivi's behavior. As someone who prides herself on systems and organization, I just knew that this inclination had to have come from me. She may get her athleticism and facility with language from her dad but, by god, it is Mama who knows a thing or two about keeping things in order!

Then it occurred to me-- people who need to have control are often the ones who feel most out of control. (Ummm... guilty!) I think Vivi, like most toddlers, falls into this category. Instead of chalking it up to a developmental milestone, however, I've been feeling like I haven't been doing a good enough job with consistency these days.

Just yesterday, Vivi woke up from her nap crying. When I asked her what was bothering her, she said, "Mama, I no want a big girl bed. I want to sleep in my crib." She's been in her bed for months now with no problem!

There's no doubt that we have had plenty of changes around our house. Men have been in and out working on our chimney and boiler. My husband has been away a lot for various conferences. Turtle is growing and my expanding belly is garnering a lot of attention. And Vivi and I recently started looking at nursery schools. There's a lot of talk about the future and I think we are all feeling a bit unsettled about it.

So what's a mommy and toddler to do in a situation like this? Well, I'm going to let Vivi organize til her little heart's content. And me? I've got a closet that needs cleaning out.