The Perils of Motherhood, part I

This is a hard job.

And so much harder with two kids inside the house, because you can't lie to one of them without them telling the other.
Lilly: I get the pink plate!
Fia: (crying) I wanted the pink plate!
Mommy: (to Fia, quietly) The blue plate is actually better, because it comes with a larger cupcake.
Fia: (to Lilly) You can have the pink plate. Its okay. The blue plate has a big cupcake.
Lilly: (now crying) I wanted the bigger cupcake!

School began this week for both girls. And both girls have such different personalities, such different reactions to change and to new people. Juggling their experiences this week confused me and became exhausting.

New people make Lilly nervous, and the prospect of so many changes at one time made her feel sick. She faced the new school with serious trepidation. We needed to choose our words very carefully this week, staying away from discussing the new house and her old school. But the easing-in process worked its magic for her, and by this morning she walked confidently into school and said good-bye to me with a smile on her face. And this afternoon she pointed out that many people move into new houses. Her friend Jill has a new house, and its really fun. Her old teacher has a new house, and it has a swimming pool. Discussing new houses and people from her last school of her own volition, and with a smile on her face was the sign I needed that she's okay with where her life is right now.

Fia, on the other hand. Well, Fia is a social animal. She has no need for other people, but people often want to be around her. She walks into a room, and she does what she wants. She has that confidence and too-cool-for-you attitude that makes people like her. She doesn't worry about much, this kid. And so I was proud, but not particularly surprised, at how smoothly her first two days went this week. Playing for a few hours with a bunch of new kids and a bunch of new toys, while mom hangs out in the corner? Fine with her. Then the poor kid pulled a fever of 103F and slept for two days in a row. On her return this morning, I expected the same cool attitude and was met with resistance. I'm just going to the fabric market for a little while, okay? I'll be back soon, I explained. Miss Lucy stood there, ready to guide her away to music class. But Fia's response? Tears filling her eyes, heels dug into the ground, Don't leave, Mommy. I wanna be with you. I can go to the fabric market. I really like the fabric market. I don't want to go to music. Tough kid that she is, tears never spilled from her eyes as I walked out. But sucker of a mom that I am, they certainly came to mine.

I returned after about one and a half hours, to find both kids smiling and fully immersed in their play. So much so that it took the promise of pizza with Daddy for lunch to get them out the door.