You may think that this Got Milk? logo actually says Got Milk? You are wrong.Claire has a new, ongoing, not so endearing habit of wanting to cling to me like some kind of baby monkey. In order to leave the house I have to go through a lengthy routine of good-byes and hugs and kisses. I assure her that there are people in the house who are fully qualified to take care of her in my absence and that I will, in fact, return.
At friends' houses she could be playing happily one moment, and then crying bitterly the next, all because she suddenly realized that she missed me (sorry Julie).
Sunbeams, which still isn't a smooth transition, is getting worse. In fact, she's probably frightening the other children. (My personal favorite is "Protect me from Primary!" Sorry Primary workers.)
So the other day she sees the signs: closets being opened, shoes removed and put on feet, jingling car keys, etc. She starts in on her usual one-girl protest movement and suddenly pauses to run to her backpack. She comes back with a Got Milk? sticker she got at pre-school, sticks it on my stomach and informs me (with a jab to the stomach to emphasize each word): "This says 'Don't Go Anywhere!'"
This is repeated several times before I manage to get out the door, sharp jabs accompanying each reiteration of her unique interpretation of her sticker.
Why oh why can't she find it impossible to live without someone who's not me?
