The toddler sat in the family room, surrounded by toys. The television was on, but it did not have her attention. Dolls, teddy bears, toy furniture all lay abandoned around her, played with and forgotten for the moment. She was struggling to make a tower out of blocks, and it was a daunting task.
The girl had assembled a structure two feet high, composed of rectangles, cylinders, and arches; it was tall and thin and shaky. She placed a square block on the top of the tower. It slowly swayed from one side to the other, then it crashed to the floor. The girl grunted softly in frustration and pounded her little fists on her knees. Then she began her task again.
Watching from the hallway, the girl’s mother smiled, uncrossed her arms, and walked quietly back to the kitchen.
Previous vignettes:
Vignette #2: Brown Socks With Black Shoes
Vignette: First in a Series
