The Toddler Zone

Alice bit the end off of a marker today. I was really confused at first. She handed me a marker with the stub of an end and I couldn’t figure out what had happened. It was one of those special color magic type things where it only works on the special paper. It wasn’t until I found the crumbs of the marker tip on the floor hidden amongst the puzzle pieces, crushed baby crunchies, and DUPLO bricks that I put two and two together. She then later bit the end off of a green highlighter, the tell-tale signs of her non-toxic snack lingered in fluorescent green around her mouth.

I’ve never had a clean house. I grew up in a constant state of clutter. Maybe once a month we would all spend an entire Saturday getting the house back in order, complete with screaming and arguments from us kids who would much rather spend a Saturday playing computer games or riding bikes around the neighborhood. It was a struggle. My dad was doing the best he could and worked long hours. Clutter was what we were accustomed to, and any changes to that routine were resisted.

 

Well, “never” isn’t quite accurate. When my father married a lovely Canadian nurse with a neat streak, we all had to learn how to pick up after ourselves. At that point, resistance was futile. I was a teenager then and completely stuck in my ways, but I learned to tidy up. I learned to put things away. I learned that when everyone helps every day we have way more time to spend on fun things, like going kayaking or out to the movies. That structure was not only a godsend, it was necessary.

Growing up with anxiety and depression, I found that being in a clean environment calmed some of my daily worries. I was no longer embarrassed when friends came over. I could find everything I wanted or needed within minutes and without driving myself into a panic. Over time I learned to really appreciate living in an organized household. It became part of my wellness plan. (Thanks, Mum. You’re the best.)

I find myself back in a constant state of clutter. Toddlers are not the best picker-uppers. Alice loves to “help” me. She throws things away, which is great until you find your socks in the trash. Adding toys to bins is successful until she’s done, at which point she pulls everything out again. She wipes down surfaces with used tissues, mushing snot into the upholstery. Alice even has her own vacuum—a Dyson toy replica—but would prefer to use the real one by “helping” me push it and then throwing tantrums when I don’t take it where she wants to go.

I love that she’s slowly learning to pitch in. I want that to be a part of her everyday routine so that she doesn’t have to learn the hard way like I did. My mental health is taking a hit with my house being in a constant state of chaos. I have a hard time focusing on work and play when all I can see is a mess. And I’m back to being embarrassed when people come over.

I know, I’m a mom of a toddler. It won’t be perfect. I can accept that. I guess I’d just like it to be a little better than it is now. Maybe then it wouldn’t be so difficult to figure out why the ends of markers keep going missing.

Say Rawr!

Geekasaurus is a silly little comic about a geeky family. Specifically, my geeky family, and all the antics and hijinks of my daughter. You’ll read along as we go on adventure after adventure, documenting the unexpected chuckles (and sometimes hard truths) along the way. As my husband and I learn to navigate being new parents, I’ll be sharing the hilarity, one comic at a time.

Kali Moulton

kali@sagesofrpg.com

Subscribe

All Natural

I’ve had a stomach bug. Nausea and all sorts of fun stuff has been happening in my body. I slept for several days and am still dealing with dehydration and headaches, dizziness, and an overall feeling of weakness. My ability to bounce back is...

Cheese Tax

Snack Tax Rules – Taxes are only extracted from loved ones for whom the snack is being provided. The provider of the snack is allowed one bite of “taxes” for the snack given. This does not apply to snacks retrieved by oneself for oneself. When...

No Gin and Juice

Please tell me I’m not the only one …

The Toddler Zone

Alice bit the end off of a marker today. I was really confused at first. She handed me a marker with the stub of an end and I couldn’t figure out what had happened. It was one of those special color magic type things where it only works on the...

Celebrate Rejection

Rejections hurt. Every time someone says, “Sorry, we’ve decided to pass” it is really easy to let those mental gremlins take overs Is my work bad? Am I not good enough? What if I’m never accepted? Maybe I should just give up. I celebrate rejection....

Unfinished Projects

 have a lot of creative interests. I always have. I’ve never really sat down and focused on one thing at a time and I think it’s catching up to me. Between volunteering, working part time, taking care of my family, and taking care of myself, I’m...

Universal Baby Translator

Anyone else need one of these? Alice has a lot of words – cookie, cracker, juice, not yet, no way, up, high five; but she’s also at that age where she strings together “sentences” of nonsense. She knows what she means. We, however, do not. And it’s...

Get it? CLING-on ... Klingon ... 😂🤣😂 Ahhh ... I crack myself up.  To read the latest Geekasaurus, visit GeekMom.Com every Wednesday.  You can check out more Geekasaurus by following me on Instagram. Send me Mom Fuel via Ko-Fi Support Geekasaurus...

Dancing Queen

Alice loves ABBA. This discovery was made by accident when Wayne put on Netflix and scrolled down to Mamma Mia! She didn’t stop dancing.  Normally I enjoy adding comedy to my posts. I like to crack groanworthy jokes in the hopes that it makes at...

Big Shout Out to my Supporters on Patreon

I can’t do it without amazing Geekasaurs like you. You’re better than awesome! 

Wayne Moulton Jr, Lindsey Castellon, Emily Reddy, Lauren Haffner, Daniela Freeman, Celosia Crane, Kasey Darnell, Kristi Fox, and Nancy Vawter. 

Website Design by Kali & Wayne Moulton

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This