Sprout's Been Cleaning Up

Zeke is a busy busy boy these days. He runs, he destroys, he chases after the pets, he opens and empties drawers and cabinets, he closes the TV cabinet, he throws food, he races down steps, he climbs chairs and stools, he sprints down Target aisles. He is almost always in motion.

Frankly, it is very exhausting. But, being with Zeke has never been more fun. He is mischievous, fun loving, affectionate, highly communicative, strong willed and independent. (Mostly -- Zeke is still a mama's boy and likes me to be immediately near by when he is not running across the street and climbing onto the neighbor's porch.)

Zeke knows how to make a mess, but he is also starting to take an interest in cleaning up, too. It is not enough to make up for the messes, but it is charming. For example, he will throw away his diaper after I change him. He will put things away in drawers (though usually not the right drawer). He likes to push the Swiffer around and will not let me sweep with it, forcing me to clean the floors when he is asleep. (Here you see him pushing around his toy vacuum cleaner.) He tries to brush the animals. He will wipe up his drink when he spills it (on purpose). He seems driven to make sense of things and put order to them. I appreciate this immensely and feel he must come by some of this honestly -- I can remember reorganizing my dresser drawers when I was in preschool for the fun of it.

Something we have been doing in past three weeks is going to a music class. The teacher plays songs, everyone sings and the children get to play with different instruments. Zeke likes it and has been known to clap and dance. His favorite part, though? By far, it is when it is time to put instruments away. Last week, he wouldn't play the shakers, but when it was time to put them away, he took away other children's so that he could put them away. Then, he was upset the whole song where they play sticks, because he couldn't put them away!