Yes, as an older parent I had seen this behavior with my siblings and friends, but understanding it doesn't make it sting less in the moment. Kids!

I'm assuming I can't read that today, Nora, but love to you for whatever it is.

Thanks, Hec and everyone else. ltc was horrible the rest of the day yesterday, even for her grandparents. She was also pulling at her ear and babbling in her sleep last night. So, I think yesterday was a particularly bad teething day. I do feel bad when other kids are clinging to their mothers in the morning, and mine doesn't even notice if I leave, and never wants to leave with me at the end of the day.

What Jessica said, too. The reason kids feel comfortable giving their parents (or other close relatives/caregivers) the very worst of their behavior is because they know what to expect from them. They know that if they tantrum or scream or whatever, you will still be there, which is -- as Jessica noted -- horrible to go through, but pretty good when you think about it.

The other thing is that a parent's goal (in my eyes) should be raising a capable, caring human being who can survive on their own. And that's what ltc's love of school shows -- she's confident enough to know she enjoys it and wants to stay, and not quite mature enough to reasonably articulate how much she'd rather play more than come home. It's absolutely not a reflection on you.

::hugs Suzi, and smonster, and everyone else in this bar::

I was, I think jokingly, told by ltc's teacher today that maybe I shouldn't show up early anymore because the minute I arrived ltc was awful.

Others have addressed this, but I wanted to just +1 that this is absolutely normal behavior. I noticed a major change in behavior in S when he turned 5. F is currently in a terrible stage (hitting kids at school - uuugghhhhh), and I'm really hoping the same will hold true for him. He'll be 5 in April. You are doing great - this parenting thing is no effing joke!

I need to go to a psychologist, I know this, but when I'm going to be able to schedule it and whether or not I could make regular appointments seems like an insurmountable barrier.

Preach. I've been sitting on several referrals for MONTHS, know I need to move on it, but I am just in a place of depression and rage and don't-wanna.

Considering this is a chain based in the south east and prices itself on being the place for Southern women to shop I was pleasantly surprised. The information also explained the difference between gender identity and gender expression. It probably could have been better but it was cool to see.

Wow! This makes me so happy - thanks for sharing it.

Hi, everybody. Just a quick meara drive through.

Also happy to hear about Belk's policies, horrified to hear about Nora's former colleague, and say I was never homesick at camp either? I was utterly disgusted with my friends who were crying, at age 11 or so. :)

Oh, Nora, how terrible!

Nora, that is horrible! Humanity has really got me down.

ION, my freelance coordinator just told me that they're increasing my rate in 2018. I didn't even have to ask. Time for gold-plated lobsters and champagne! Or maybe just some sushi.

Nora that is horrible.

My nephew is staying over tonight and last night i was up there helping with his homework at his request . They are doing multiplication and division and the poor kid ends up in tears. I tried to give advice and help and not get too frustrated.

Before he got to tears he didn't want to and wouldn't try. They had 8x9=72 and then 72÷8= i tried to show him to check the multiplication first but he wouldn't even listen.

He also did a few choruses of "why do grown ups have all the power !! It's not faaaaiirrr". I agreed it is not fair.

Oh, Nora, that is heartbreaking. My workplace very occasionally sees patients who have survived something like that (I mostly don't see it; the last one I remember personally was back when we were on Table Talk), and it is deeply upsetting for everyone. It's got to be so much worse to struggle through that emotional storm without a group of current co-workers who get it exactly. Much love to you and to that girl's mother, and her, and all her family. What a godforsaken mess of sorrow and horror.

When we picked the kids up from sleepaway camp this summer, A emphatically did not want to come home. She denied missing us at all and wanted to live at camp forever.

Matilda wasn't that bad, but she was VERY happy at sleepaway camp and cried about leaving the camp and no tears when we dropped her off. She could have happily stayed another session.

And she resents us utterly for not providing her with a big sister, so after being spoiled rotten by the older girls in her cabin I can understand why coming home to her family would be a let down!)

Matilda's pretty happy with her older sib situation, but she definitely was thriving on having Super Cool Big Sisterly Counselors. But she also does well in a mentor role and always has. Indeed, she was very excited to go back to her elementary school today for the first time (now that softball is over) and see her former younger classmates.

Now that I think about it, she's SO much more socially and emotionally aware and capable than anybody else in our family. Certainly for her age she's ahead of where I or Emmett or JZ was at her age. But even just in general and throughout our extended family she's one of the most emotionally and socially adept .

Congrats Teppy! Lovely to get a raise without having to push someone to recognize how awesome you are.

Oh Nora, how horrific. I....there are not words.

Askye, sounds like someone at Belk has a clue. Good on them.

i was up there helping with his homework at his request .

I spent the day at Kelly's yesterday. CJ and his girlfriend came over for dinner while Haley was working on her math homework. CJ, the kid who STRUGGLES with school, sat down to Haley to help her through her math homework. Kelly and I just sat off to the side and boggled.

State of the Suzi - I'm still feeling jangly and just want to shut down and sleep. Yesterday I got an ultrasound on my chin (with a very awkward tech, to the point I complained to my doctor). There is a mass of some sort, so a CT is up next. My doc assured me that I would end up with a different tech for that imaging. I'm trying not to freak out about it. I made the mistake of googling "calcium concentration mandible". Ewwwww. Plus I really doubt the result is what I have as other stuff doesn't match, but ewwwwww.

So now that is circling the brain along with everything else. I have a discussion post due tonight for work, four papers due this weekend (two of which I can push into next week if needed). Work is going through busy/slow cycles, workload changes, policy changes, pre-acquisition changes, one of my big projects is ending and I just don't feel as solid as I have in years past.