Special

I have introduced this little person before.  Her name is Maya.  When she was born, she was quiet and sweet and went with the flow.  She snuggled with me and looked at me with her big dark eyes as if to say "You're the bestest mama.".  This lasted for approximately 25 months.  Then I got a better translation of that intense gaze.... "You're falling for it, mama."

This child is special.  I know you're thinking, every child is special.  No no no no.  This child is the kind of special that makes you sure she is protected under some endangered species act... the kind where you will get fined $10,000 if you disturb her habitat.  She does things that make you sure she's been here before and wrote the rules to her own game.

She stockpiles notes from her teacher.  The little "caught being good notes" that they hand out in kindergarten are overflowing from one pocket of her backpack.  Some are months old; but as soon as she gets in trouble at home, she whips one out like it's brand new.  "See, mama, I did good in school today!"

Every day while we walk around to get Eva, I ask her if anything exciting happened that day.  One day last week when I had come in to volunteer in the classroom, her answer was "You were the most exciting part of my day!" aaaaaawwwwwww Half a second later...before I had even finished forming the heartwarmed smile she inspired...as I was mentally reciting the words for my Mama of the Year acceptance speech... "Now who's your goodest child?".  Little manipulator.

Maya goes to the nurses's office at school three to four times a day.  She can't breathe.  She tripped as she was walking and did a complete somersault and hit the top of her head.  She can't find her class.  etc.  etc.  etc.  When I ask the nurse why she keeps letting Maya get away with this, her answer?  "She's just so cute!"  That's how she gets away with this stuff.

I ask each of the girls every afternoon what the best part of their day was.  One day, Maya's answer was "All the boys chasing me."  "Excuse me??!!"  Her explanation was "Yes mama, because I was so fast they couldn't catch me."

 

On Tuesday, she walked out of school looked right at me and didn't recognize me.  When she finally noticed me, she yelled in front of everyone: "Mama, you can't dress nice!  I don't see you unless you're wearing messy clothes."

 

On Wednesday, she walked directly into her classroom and before I had even left the building began telling her teacher that I didn't feed her breakfast.  She repeated this same story to at least two other adults before the office staff called me (presumably as a courtesy before they called CPS).  "No, Maya had eggs, sausage, toast, fresh fruit, orange juice, and a cinnamon roll less than an hour ago."  So, they put my little traitor on the phone.  Why did she tell people this?  She says she doesn't know, I say she thought someone would give her a pudding cup.

 

 

Yes, Miss Maya is special.  She's exasperatingly special.  She's knock your head on the wall special.  She's a roller coaster ride of special.

 

And she's all mine, which makes me kind of special too.

 



Random thoughts

I don't have anything earth shattering to say, but I do have a few miniscule tremors.

• There's nothing like seeing a middle school boy walking around with $250 headphones to make me want to follow someone home so I can shake his parents silly.
• Halloween should be moved to a weekend night.  Whoever decided that is has to be October 31st never tried to get three kids up and ready for school after staying up late covered in face paint sneaking candy out of a plastic pumpkin until their mama started threatening to turn them into ghosts.
• If you have the urge to make a kindergartner feel bad because their mama packs them "weird and inappropriate" food such as chile rellenos for lunch, please remember that this mama isn't afraid to come up and have a discussion about it.  Yes, I'm sure it would be ever so much more sensible to throw a Lunchable into a bag with a half liter of Mountain Dew and a beef jerky.  But my children eat actual food - not something that looks like it came out of a plastic kitchen and would be fed to a Barbie, so keep your comments to yourself.  Or bring them to the crazy lady waiting for you outside.
• The only thing wrong with Tuesdays is that they only come around once a week.
• If you don't have a friend who makes you laugh out loud every time they text you, you're really missing out.
• Skinny Caramel Brulee Latte is my new favorite beverage of choice.
• Taking a step out of your comfort zone is good for you.  Taking a running leap off of your comfort cliff is exhilarating.  Doing it in front of one of the few people who's opinion matters is best done after two margaritas and a sangria.

That's it for now.  Until next time...