Maeve Doit

"We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth. " -George Bernard Shaw

Maeve has a whole new set of challenges in this house, physical and otherwise.  There are two sets of stairs, a sliding glass door, outdoor stairs and fences, and a sloping driveway.  Plus it's a new place, and things don't work the way they did at the old apartment.

But we are also entering a time of life when Maeve likes to do things herself.  She will grab the challenge away from me and say "Maeve Doit" which is my cue to back off.  I offer assistance if she gets frustrated, but mostly I advise her to try again.  

She has a favorite cartoon from Sesame Street of a girl blowing bubbles; when she blows too hard, the bubble pops, and when she blows too softly, no bubble.  So she smiles and says "I'll try again".  This is what I keep telling Maeve.  

In her nature, she is like both myself and Daddy, we were both kids to whom many things came easily, and we hated it when things were hard.  We would get angry at ourselves and give up. And I see it on her face, how she wants to just do it right the first time.  But when I tell her to try again, it rings a bell with that cartoon, I think, because I watch her redouble her efforts and give it another shot.  Determination sets in, and that determination will serve her well, I think.

Of course, she is still dependent on me for many things; some she happily accepts, like snacks and opening doors, some she fights tooth and nail, like diapers and naps.   But in a way, I depend on her, to set my schedule, to give me purpose, to make me feel like a mommy.  So even though she will grow more and more in her Maeve Doit philosophy, and it's my job to facilitate that, I hope she'll eventually look back and see how much everyone relies on everyone, the whole web of the world.

She was fine with me getting her "more chocklit" frosting on her spoon...