Big Girls Don't Cry

In the two weeks since my last post we've been through the ringer.  On the second day of school Ellie came home saying, "Adults are bossy, they told me what to do ALL DAY LONG!"   And that "Mrs. May threw away her juice box!!"  I got out of her that she had decided she was saving half of it for home and I had to break the news to her that whatever you don't finish at lunch gets thrown away.  

Well she decides this is not what she signed up for and promptly tries to get me to let her stay home.  Once she figures that aint gonna fly she literally broke down.  The next time we dropped her off at school she went off to play and we walked 20 feet away in the parking lot and waited for the bell to make sure she got in ok.  Well when the bell rang we couldn't find her.  Finally we see her walking up and she is in pieces and tears are everywhere!  Ahhh!  (We found out later she said she realized we left without saying goodbye when the bell rang).   When I go to pick her up from school they said she cried for OVER TWO HOURS STRAIGHT!!

And this is how it goes the next day, etc. etc.  And I knew there was something out there that would work to dry those tears, we just had to keep on trying different things until we figured it out.  So I gave her more hugs and cuddles when I dropped her off (she didn't want a kissing hand, darnit).  And that didn't work.  Some friends suggested to have her take a picture of us so she could feel our love and I asked my sister Emily to come along one morning and help.  So after about two weeks of non-stop tears we figured out the right combination:

1.  Lamby in the backpack
2.  Magic bracelet from Aunt Kahoona that helps stop her tears
3.  Family picture
4.  Mom says goodbye at home and daddy brings her to school

And I won't say she doesn't cry at home, but it's important that she doesn't at school, now.  We knew we would get over it eventually and we'd look back and laugh at this -- but going through it was killer.  Not.  Fun.

Now we just have to get her to start playing with the girls in her class.  She's playing by herself at recess instead of making friends.

{sigh}

It never ends, does it?