Not sure what’s up with the comments
Even though I’ve changed my settings, the system is still making me approve them all by hand. I’ll keep messing with it but meanwhile, your comments still come right into my inbox but they won’t show up on the site until I trot myself over and press a button.
Last night we went to a community family fun event, which the children enjoyed enormously. I took Madison into the preschool-play extravaganza — a room full of Little Tikes ride-ons, Playhut pop-up tents and balls in various sizes.
Here’s how these kinds of things went with toddler Noah:
Noah would first survey the room from a safe vantage point — likely my lap. Eventually, lured by brightly colored toys, he would venture forth, checking to make sure that I was no more than two feet behind. He would stop to observe other children at play and if other children stopped to observe him, he would drop the toy and toddle quickly back to hug my legs. If grown-ups spoke to him, he would cry.
Here’s how the event went with toddler Madison:
Madison bursts onto the scene with a waddling determination, going straight for the play mat with the noisy musical toys. Although said mat is already occupied by two larger children, Madison plops herself down, looks into their eyes and gently reaches for the toy already in play. She takes off for the next mat as soon as each toy on the first one has been checked out with nary a backwards glance. If grown-ups speak to her, she grins (unless they’re men, in which case she furrows her brow and thinks about crying) and if the adult is sitting, she will even make a grab for shiny earrings.
Parenting Madison is a whole different experience and for an introvert, such as myself, her friendliness makes our trips much more exhausting. It can be fun, but making conversation with strangers is hard work for me.
Last night one woman said, “Well, she certainly looks just like her mom!” And I said, “Huh, you think so?” But really I thought, “Damn straight — her birth mom, however.” I think it’s ‘cuz we’re both a wee bit stocky, although she’ll likely grow out of it.
Now playing on iTunes: “Braided Hair” from the album 1 Giant Leap by 1 Giant Leap
Last week I was at the park and Milo was trying as hard as possible to engage this dad who was swinging his daughter right next to us. It was so obvious the dad was an introvert as well (with me being the other introvert) and here was my extroverted boy just looking at him and saying “Hi!” over and over while swinging back and forth and me and Introvert Dad feeling shy and embarrassed. Arrrgh.