BJ and I think that Einstein has OCD. BJ would go a little bit further and tell you that I trained Einstein to be this way, but I'm innocent of these charges! After presenting the evidence, I'm pretty sure that the jury (y'all) will conclude that BJ is right and that I'm guilty as charged. I know how it looks, but it's all circumstantial. I'm innocent!

Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

BJ and I eat in the family room in front of the TV. Yeah, we also have a recliner and a washing machine on our front porch (I kid! I'm just admitting to our white trash ways....). When I finish eating, I'll get up and take BJ's plate with mine and load them in the dishwasher.

There have been occasions in which I've not eaten dinner and if BJ doesn't immediately take his plate into the kitchen after he's finished eating, Einstein starts to cry and get upset. It doesn't stop there, either. If BJ takes his dish to the kitchen and doesn't immediately put it in the dishwasher, Einstein gets upset about that too. Don't EVEN get me started on how Einstein gets if I don't immediately put away the leftovers.

Just like me, Einstein likes things to be tidy I guess! BJ swears that I've somehow trained Einstein to react this way to ensure that BJ takes care of his dirty dishes immediately. Not a bad trick, but I can't take any credit for it.

Einstein also gets upset if we don't let him sniff whatever the UPS (or other delivery) person brings to the house. I'm not sure when this started, but it's now firmly ingrained in his cute little noggin that he must inspect anything that comes in the front door. If we forget this very important step, Einstein will do his best to remind us.

Einstein also notices when things aren't 'normal'. For example, whenever I come into the room after being gone for more than a few minutes- he looks me up and down to see what I'm wearing. If I'm wearing jeans, he immediately jumps to the conclusion that I'm leaving the house (and he's right.) It's really quite funny the way he gives me the once over (more like five times over) whenever I enter the room. It feels like I'm in a bizarre episode of What Not to Wear, with celebrity host Einstein P. Williams judging my outfit.

In Einstein's world, everything has a place. He likes his blanket a certain way and he likes to move his bed around to suit his mood. If I put his bed back where *I* want it, he'll get huffy and move his bed again to where he wants it.

The last bit of evidence of OCD comes in the form of the Christmas decorations. After decorating the living room, he would NOT quit whining and crying until I let him into the living room to sniff everything. After that, he was fine. Today, I started to put some of the Christmas cards we've received around the family room. Apparently, this bothered the neurotic little prince because he wouldn't quit crying until I took the cards down.

Poor BJ. He's surrounded by neat freaks.