Busy weekend, naughty week

It was a pretty busy weekend (and next weekend looks to be the same, with our family reunion). Friday night my band played outdoors and Cindy & Keith came up to watch Amanda and see me perform with the band. The weather cooperated greatly: showers were forecast but none showed up. It was hot, but not bad in the shade. Amanda kept Aunt Cindy and Uncle Keith moving as they took turns keeping her occupied and walking around the courtyard area with her. Bill & Jess, the married couple in the band, often bring their kids up on stage, so I got Amanda up there a couple of times to dance with me on "Brown-Eyed Girl" and to sing, "Woo-hoo" for "Celebration". She got a bit too antsy during "Celebration" and also wanted to get into everything, so I sent her back down to Aunt Cindy and didn't let her come up again. She was fairly good about it, only trying to climb back up a couple of times. More work for Aunt Cindy! Other kids were playing in front of the stage and she joined in with them, and even brought a couple of older girls over when I was done, saying, "This is my mom." So cute! My friend from college, Patty, came with her family, and we stood around talking after it was over until about 10pm, while Amanda ran around with other little kids, walking around the water fountain and running around the grassy area. She was so hot and sweaty when we got home, but it was so late, so I just gave her a quick shower and then to bed.

Saturday morning, I took Amanda to the park where we're to have the family reunion, to see how much traffic there is in the fairly small parking lot. Amanda had fun on the playground equipment, but we didn't get to check out the new splashpad as it doesn't operate until noon. After lunch and Amanda's nap, we got ready to go to a family wedding in Lincoln. I had plenty of time to get ready, so of course, I squandered it and we arrived a bit late (sneaking in the side door while the 2nd bridesmaid walked in). The reception was very nice, and I enjoyed the atmosphere, which was reminiscent of the old King's Ballroom in Norfolk - large wood floor for dancing, with tables and booths along the sides. Amanda enjoyed hanging out with some of her favorite people, and eating the Hershey's kisses on the tables. She had fun dancing, and Aunt Barb found a little girl for her to play tag with, which was great. It was so funny to watch these two little girls run all around the hall. The other girl, in a purple polka-dot dress, was a bit older and taller (longer legs) and Amanda could never catch her unless we held her every so often. After watching the chase awhile, I called Amanda over and removed her socks and slick Sunday shoes (she calls them her 'click click' shoes, as they make fun noise on the ceramic tile at church). Without the shoes, she at least had better traction for the chase (purple polka-dot had barefeet). Purple polka-dot was like the energizer bunny - not, something else. She was like a machine - never stopping, just one constant speed. She did sometimes hide around a corner and I helped Amanda find her, but still couldn't catch her. It was great fun for her. Barb & I stuck around for the chicken dance and the flying dutchman (which Amanda thought was HILAROUS) and then headed for home, arriving about 10pm.

Two late nights in a row! And, with my gift for timing, I had signed up to cantor at church, so I had to be there early to rehearse, about 7:15am. We got up early enough to eat some oatmeal for breakfast, so I didn't have to bring breakfast to church this time. She did pretty well while we rehearsed, but she has a hard time (as most kids do) with the rhythm of the loud organ music followed by the silence of its absence. During the last part of a hymn, I told her I was going to sing now, so she needed to be quiet. She said ok, and then just as the organ stopped and I got up, she said, really loudly, "Mommy,..." I put a finger to her lips and proceeded to sing, and she started just sobbing behind me. Was she embarrassed? Was I too abrupt with the shhh! and the finger to her lips? Either way, she was crying, but not too badly and I comforted her when I was done with that piece. Then, during the long solo I had, she decided to be really loud with her click click shoes and also walk away from where I told her to stay (we're in the empty choir loft, so lots of perceived freedom to do whatever when Mom's otherwise occupied). During an 8-measure interlude, I brought her back to our chairs and had her sit in a chair by me, and she started really bawling this time. This was early service, and she was with Jessica in the playroom during the late service, so that went a bit smoother for me. (We had a luncheon and meeting after late service, and she was with Jessica in the playroom until 2pm, then home for a nap, so it was a long day at church. We just laid low the rest of the day and rested from the busy weekend.)

Sometimes, her crying is very orchestrated for effect. Tonight, she was in bed talking (she always says, "Look, Mom" and demonstrates sleeping peacefully with her eyes closed like a good girl, but after I leave the room, her resolve ends and she starts talking away). Then, a bit later I heard her crying. Then she was just sobbing, "Mommy, mommy". I went up to see what could possibly have happened to go from fine to distraught, and when I asked her what was wrong, she said, "Mommy, my leg has an owie." (topic covered earlier in the evening - total fake crying). Unfortunately, I think she's a bit too young for the fable of the boy who cried wolf, although I have tried to explain the concept.

The other night she called me in just to tell me that her hair is getting long (which I affirm at least 3 times every day). I need to put the brakes on this.

Naughty week - are you wondering about the title? Last week was not a stellar week for my girl. Every Wednesday, her class has Water Play in the morning, outside with little kiddie pools. When I got to the preschool to pick her up Wednesday afternoon, I found a "behavior" note in her cubby for me to sign and return, describing why she had not been allowed to participate in water play that day. A teacher had told her to line up, and she told the teacher to shut up! That was Wednesday. Thursday morning, I dropped her off at 7am and reminded her to be a good girl so she could go to the movie with her class. I had scheduled some time off work and came back at 9;15 to go along to the movie, and saw Amanda playing outside with a younger class. I found her teacher, who told me she was not going to the movie because of naughty behavior. The little kids weren't able to open the bathroom door and thought a teacher was in there, so they waited. Finally, a teacher came and pushed the door open and found my little angel inside, sitting with her back against the door, laughing. I can't help but imagine her as a teenager, maybe joy riding in a stolen car while the cops chase her (pick your scenario).

(I wasn't pleased that no one had called me so I didn't have to leave work, but understood that they had their hands full as Amanda's teacher, Ms. Nancy, was gone that day. Also, Ms. Nancy was the teacher I had talked to about going along on the field trip, so it was understandable that they forgot me. )

I talked to Amanda about the consequences of missing out on water play and the movie, and that even though something might be fun to do at the time, what happens later isn't fun, but I don't have much hope of it sinking in too deeply. We'll see! Such a little stinker! I think the Thursday naughtiness was due in part to the fact that her teacher was absent, and the younger gal was in charge of her class. I don't know if Amanda really recognizes her authority. I've decided that her motto is: If you're not in control of me, I WILL BE uncontrollable!

Saturday, while getting ready for the wedding, I did what I consider to be a fairly obvious yet maybe common dumb-mom move. I was trimming my bangs, and Amanda asked if I would cut her bangs, and I said, no, your hair is perfect, I'm not cutting your hair. You can already see this coming, can't you?, but I didn't. She tells me all the time that her hair is getting long! (And she wants it long!) So, she went away and I continued to mess with my hair. She came back to the bathroom, smooshing some of her hair against her forehead and asking me what I thought. I asked her if she'd cut her hair and she said yes. Augh! Not a tragedy, especially with her curly hair (can't really tell) but good grief! How did I not see that coming a mile away?!?! I'm convinced she knew it was naughty, but that's her pattern - do something naughty and then come to tell me about it. I was really unhappy with her, and she cried and told me she was sorry. She spent some time thinking about it in her room while I finished getting ready to go to the wedding. Hopefully, Aunt Barb will bring her scissors to the reunion and we will get the front evened up.

I did rescue the few locks from the wastebasket for her baby book. I've been planning to cut a snipet, as I remember my baby book having my locks of hair as I grew, but I hated to cut any of her hair off (and didn't think to take any hair when Aunt Barb gave her a haircut).

Hopefully, this week will be better!