We've been having a few minor behavioral issues with Short Stuff lately. She still gets in yellow at school a lot. We've gotten so used to it that we don't really make a fuss unless she gets in red. When I picked her up from Kindercare yesterday, a staff member told me that they are having problems with my daughter getting on the bus in a timely manner after school. Kindercare transports her to and from school. This did not come as a surprise to me at all. Kindercare was closed on January 2nd and I had the day off, so I took her to school and picked her up that day. When I arrived to pick her up, I parked my car in the lot and walked to the blacktop (where the kids go after the bell rings). As luck would have it, it was extremely cold and windy that day. I stood out there with the other parents, doing a little jig to keep my blood flowing. I watched wave after wave of children emerge from the double-doors and board busses or meet parents. I saw A's friends come out, drag their backpacks across the blacktop, and then climb into waiting minivans. Soon, I was the only parent left. Had I goofed up somehow? Maybe she got confused and got on a bus or something? Just as I was about to become full-on alarmed, my daughter pushed the door open and shuffled over to me. "Hi Mom!" By this time I'd lost feeling in my extremities and my eyeballs had cracked into pieces.
So, I have no doubt that she is keeping the Kindercare bus driver waiting every day. And I can understand why they would be unhappy about it. I tried to have a talk with the kid about it last night. "Can you just try to get your act together a little faster when school ends?" I asked her. She nodded but included a slight eye roll.
Later, when she was in the bath tub (and had been in there for close to an hour), I asked her repeatedly to put her bath toys away because it was time to get out. I returned to the bathroom at least three times to see that Ariel and Sleeping Beauty were still floating face down in the water as various cups and plastic toys bobbed around them.
"Couldn't you, just this once, do what you are asked to do?" I was a wee bit frustrated.
She looked up at me. "If you don't be nice to me, I am going to run away."
I was intrigued. "Where will you go?"
"Chicago."
"Oh, okay. And what will you do in Chicago?"
"Get a hotel room. I'll be gone for two days," she responded.
"And then what will you do?" I asked.
"Eat breakfast and then lunch and then dinner." She stuck her chin out defiantly.
So, basically my little rebel has informed me that she's going to run away, for two days, get a hotel room and . . . order room service? Boy, she's sure gonna show us, eh? We'll be sorry we were so mean to her! And here I was worried about crystal meth and other dark underworld type stuff.
I asked her how she was going to afford Chicago, as it is very expensive. She told me that she would take the money from her piggy bank, but I advised her that I didn't think it would cover all that room service. They add on so many fees and all, you know.
"What if I had a thousand dollars?" she asked.
"For two days in Chicago? That should just about cover it."