Long Days

I don't know that the princess and I have ever been more excited for a Christmas break to come.  About 10 days before the break she came down with some virus that looked a lot like the flu and took her down for 5 days.  The poor girl had to miss her last choral concert in elementary school, a Bob meeting, dinner at the home of one of our pastor's that she had been so looking forward to, and running a very fun 5k with me. Then to rub it all in she had to go back to school for 4 days before the break started.  I'm pretty sure I've never seen her so tired in my life.

Those four days were some of the hardest parenting days I've had to date.  I've had long parenting days before, you know the kind where your kid is up half the night and then won't nap the next day so their mood matched that off a gremlin, but this was different.  This was more like an adult gremlin.  (A gremlin who had over a 100 fraction problems to conquer her first day back.) There were many tears and many angry words and much stomping of feet and gnashing of teeth.  There were demands to be left alone.  But, we survived.  We grew stronger.  And I realized even more that I have so much to learn about being a parent.

After struggling for many days she and I went out together for dinner and I introduced her to a bakery here in town that makes some awesome cakes!  While we were eating and talking she gave me an awesome compliment..."Mom, you do the emotional stuff way better than Dad!"  I laughed out loud.

 I told you she was tired.  She couldn't even make it back home.

And now a week into Christmas break the girl I know seems to have returned.