Thank You Weather Cat

Today I waited in the carpool line to pick Madelyn up from preschool (after making amazing strides in getting to the gym AND the grocery store!) I rarely do the "drive-through" because it takes so long but it is so much easier to leave Abigail strapped in to her car seat. Today it was rainy and just yuck (and I had just been to the gym) so it seemed like the perfect day to drive through. It seemed to take extra long today. When I was next in line I notice Madelyn's teacher came out of the building and was talking to the car in front of me. It felt like an eternity. I am thinking, "c'mon can you just call her at home to talk this through?" There are several cars behind me probably thinking the same thing. Plus my little angel is (without a hat) waiting for me outside right there. Little did I know that the delay was all related to my little angel.

As I pull up the teacher (poor thing without a coat or hat herself!) walking Madelyn to the car. Not the norm. Uh-oh. As I open the door her teacher gives me the disapproving but still cheerful in a preschool teacher kind of way face and says, "We had a little problem today."

I notice Madelyn is still in the same clothes so I know it was not a bathroom incident.

Nope. She bit someone! Bit someone!! She is the biter. I could have died at that moment from embarrassment. Madelyn is looking awfully sheepish as the teacher explains that it "happened fast" and was some squabble about a candle (I am assuming a paper candle of some sort?) She apparently bit this poor little guy (who has had a very tough year) on the arm. The recipient of her oral outburst was in the car in front of us. I wanted to chase them down and apologize right then and there but that might come across as a bit psycho.

Now Madelyn is not all peace and love. But biting has not been her aggression of choice in the past so why in the world start now?

I made her raise her hand (literally!) and make a pledge not to ever "never, ever" bite again because "it is mean, it hurts and it's kind of gross." Let's hope she holds up her end of the pledge because this is not a trend I would like to start.

It's hard thing being a parent for some many reasons. But today I almost cried over this. One of the hardest things is that these little children go out into the world and they are judged, good or bad, by others. What they do, whether it's fair or not, is a reflection on you in some ways. I definitely do not care if she is the smartest or prettiest....but I sure would like her (and her sister) to be known as the nicest and/or politest.

I did feel so bad for Madelyn though because she really seemed remorseful (she should!). Plus we had been talking up her having a job at school today and I told her I thought she should go for "Weather Cat" because she could dress the cat up in a raincoat. Rain gear is so exciting to her. So her first thing she said was "I got to do Weather Cat!" So after we talked through the situation we did get pretty excited about the job of the day. We have to deal with the negative for sure but not neglect the positive. Thank goodness for Weather Cat or today may have been a total bust.