on toby, and WHY

Just got done laying Toby down for a nap. He has been steadily collecting blankets as they make it through the dryer, and he now has 4 or 5. Luckily, it's still pretty cold here. 

Now, some people in my marriage tend to be a little obsessive. We jokingly call it OC, but in reality it's just a little obsessive, not all the way to an actual condition. So I worry, sometimes... that Toby might be obsessive to a fault, and I keep an eye on it. So when he started demanding that his blankets be layered in a certain order, facing a certain way, I took note. Next he collected 3 pillows, his "twinkle star" pillow that I made, and then 2 throw pillows from my room, and he laid them in his bed. This is how it works, Twinkle Stars is for his head, and then the two other pillows lay by his side with the patterned side showing, not the black side. And the blankets can cover the lower pillow, but not the upper two. His cup goes in the corner, between a specific slat. And his boots can't stay in his room, they have to go out for him to sleep. 

Hmm. Maybe I should worry. 

Not too much, though. One night he screamed for about an hour about some random detail, and I googled obsessive compulsive disorder toddlers. The links that came up basically said 3 year olds are learning patterns and routines, and it's normal. The actual OC quizzes were really sad. He isn't tortured like that, at all. In fact, if I talk him through it, (like, your blanket is in the wash) he can even sleep without his stuff, or not have ketchup with his fries, or whatever. He just has to have a reasonable explanation or he will form a one man picket line.

No question these are some genetic traits, not from me, if you know what I'm sayin. The good news is, he should be a very passionate, driven and productive person someday, if I figure out how to channel him.

Now, I have to pack for 5 people for 10 days and leave my house for the realtor to show it whilst we're in Texas. Sheesh.