Having a kid is like predicting the weather. You can make a good guess on how a day or week might be, but that’s all it’ll be; a guess. You can bring out the Doppler radar, analyze the infrared graphs and check the barometer. You can plan your week, or day, around the evidence you’ve compiled, but you’ll most likely be wrong. And be wrong for no reason.
There was a good month where Ellie was very unpredictable. I had banned her from the grocery store, and then from buggies in general.  Even at home she was a little crazy. She was needy, whiny, and hard to please. But for the past two weeks or so, she’s been an angel. She has just been downright fun. She’s been extremely playful, but calm. I can cook breakfast without her begging me for attention or to be held. She’ll sit by the front door and watch the birds. Then she’ll find her toy cell phone and walk around talking to it. Or she’ll hug her stuffed animals and line them up on the sofa. It’s been great. So with this being the current trend for the past two weeks, why would I expect anything different at our last story time session?
This was the last story time session before the summer session would start. I was excited, but a little bummed it was ending for awhile. I like story time. Even though I probably seem creepy and shy, I still like going. It’s good for the both of us to get out and I’ve even been talking to other moms lately. I even saw a fellow story time mom while grocery shopping the other day and stopped to say ‘hello’ instead of darting down another aisle. (Which I’ve done before) It’s not that I didn’t want to talk to her, It’s just that I can be really awkward in situations like that. With shifty eyes I would probably say something like; I see you’re buying bread too. I like peaches, do you? I creep myself out sometimes.
Anyways, I was assuming Ellie would be sweet and calm for this last session. All the data I had gathered was pointing to that. I didn’t expect her to just sit and not participate, but I wasn’t anticipating slap happy Red Bull Ellie. Which is who showed up. There must have been a drop in pressure as soon as we entered the room. She immediately squiggled out of my arms and ran over to another boy with a smile and touched his arm. Then as other people came in she took it upon herself to be the greeter. “HEY! I’m so glad you could make it! It’s the last class, let’s make it a good one! Hugs!” It didn’t matter if people wanted a hug or not, they were getting one.
Once class started, Ellie just couldn’t sit still. She wasn’t being bad, she was just “active.” She kept getting up and walking back by the door. Then instead of coming back to me, she preferred checking out the other moms. “Suzy, lookin’good… love those shoes, Payless? Sally, loving the hair, mine’s fillin’in. You like it?”
I’d go pick her up and bring her back to my lap. Then she would immediately squirm out of my lap and stand up. Then walk to the center of the room and flash that smile. Then she’d look back at the crowd like, “Who do I want to play with next? Not dad, he’s boring.” Maybe she’d find another kid, maybe another mom lap, maybe the teacher’s. She had choices. I’d hold my arms out and she’d come part way to me, smile, chuckle and move on. “SIKE!!”
Through the whole class and all the activities, she was just a little crazy. She had that twisted sparkle in her eye. She’s usually “on” during story time, but she had cranked it up a few notches. Don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t bad and I’m not complaining, she just wasn’t the same kid who ate breakfast at my house. I kept thinking, wow, what a change from our first class of this session. During the first class she was quiet and didn’t want to leave my lap. Now, she had made herself the center of attention for everyone’s entertainment.
I was expecting a quiet chill afternoon with her, but I guess she had different plans. On our drive home, I started to mentally prepare for a rambunctious afternoon. But just as there was a pressure drop when we entered the library, the clouds must have shifted when we got home. She immediately went back to being calm and content quietly playing with her toys. It was like story time never happened. After playing, she ate her lunch and easily fell asleep for her nap after ten minutes.
Huh, good thing I’m not a weather man. I think my barometer may be broken.