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Whew! Finally completed the moving process. Word of advice to all mothers considering moving with a toddler....DON"T DO IT!!!!!
When we finally pulled into our apartment, my daughter was thrilled with her new environment. She turned circles with delight on the plush carpet. Then she sat down and gave me a look that said, quite clearly, "This was fun. Let's go home now."
Ah, were it only that simple. From that point on, she whined, cried, and fussed more than she ever has in the entirety of her existence on Earth. To make matters worse, she decided that sleep was something we could all do without.
The dark cloud finally lifted when we were finishing the last of our unpacking. I noticed that she wasn't trailing me with tears and protest, per usual, but was instead scurrying from the bathroom to her bedroom. Her little forehead was furrowed with intense concentration as she busily traveled back and forth. What is she up to? I wondered. I quietly observed, not wanting to break this time of happy employment, and noticed her pull something from the bathroom drawer and march to her room. I followed her, turned on the lights, and found little nests of tampons scattered across the room. She sighed with contentment as she placed the file tampon in it's little pile. She looked up at me as if to say, "My work is finished."
Now, I must admit that I'm a little OCD about certain things. I'm not the type of person to allow a brand new box of tampons to be dismantled and scattered about my living space. However, as my daughter happily continued this process each time I replaced the tampons in their right and proper place, I discovered a new truth of mothering. Things don't have to be perfect!!!! If it takes the re-organization of my most embarrassing products to keep my child happily employed while we unpack our assortment of knick-knacks, than so be it!!
And that's my advice to all mothers moving with a toddler. No matter what you do to prepare, it will not go off without a hitch. Someone will get sick, refuse to sleep, bump their head, cry continuously, or beg for Elmo piteously while you search every box and realize he was left behind. But it's ok--because this will pass and you will still be a good mother. In fact, you'll be a better mother. Moving with a toddler is the kind of mothering that puts hair on your chest. And what mother doesn't need that?