It is Like My Holiday Never Happened

Sometimes walking back into life-as-you-know-it after a two week holiday, is just like you never left. Yesterday was a day just like that.

My daycare family walked back through the door yesterday morning. Any hint of missing each other and their life here, over the past two weeks, was erased by stepping back in and recreating life-as-they-had-left-it.

One little one really wanted to cry when her mom left (but was too distracted by the different assortment of toys in the living room.). Another one really, really wanted me to notice how imperfect her playmates were (unfortunately, she recreated their imperfections [times ten] in her reaction to their actions). The third just walked in like it was any other day, oblivious to the actions and reactions of the others.

Within the first half hour, one was sitting in the kitchen in a quiet effort to make her stop 'doing unto others' that had been 'done unto her'. Otherwise known as a time out.

Forty five minutes after that, I looked longingly up at the clock and wished it was nap time. These guys were tired. No, they were exhausted.

I was grateful for the absence of the little dynamo that challenges me on a minute-by-minute basis. These three little girls (acting like sullen teen-agers at the ages of one and two years!) were enough of a challenge on my first day back.

What happened while I was away?

One mom said that the daycare her daughter attended in my absence was without rules or structure and the kids ran wild. Her daughter came home acting in ways that the mother did not condone. This mom was openly grateful that I was back.

Another mom said that though her daughter had lots of fun hanging out with Grandma and relatives, too much of a good thing (lack of routines, structure, regular meals, etc) was not good on a long term basis. She was glad I was back.

The third mom didn't say a lot. Her daughter was the most 'out of control'. I think (perhaps??) her daughter was not happy to be back to her life-as-she-knew-it, here at daycare. Her family starts their three week vacation tomorrow. Perhaps we must all just 'turn the other cheek' for these two days and hope that things are better when she returns from her own vacation.

Today is a new day. I think that it is going to be a busy one. I believe that we will be up to 'five' today [change that to 'four']. Hopefully a few extra playmates [darn, I don't think the one extra that is coming will make the difference that I was hoping for] will help divert the negative energy into positive. I am not holding my breath, but a girl can hope. Can't she? [maybe not]

Perhaps it was just me. I was distracted as I tried to come up with thoughts, words and memories for (yet another) sympathy card that I wanted to send off yesterday morning. All of my energy was not directed towards my daycare crowd.

My day-as-I-expected-it is changing as I sit here. Next Monday-as-I-thought-it-would-be has also taken an unexpected turn.

When life doesn't go according to plan, one must simply go with the flow of wherever it takes you. There really isn't a choice. We can make all the plans in the world and what inevitably unfolds is what is meant to be. That can be a good thing some times.

I'm hoping for the best. May your unexpected turns take you to a better destination today! Let's check in again tomorrow and swap stories. Please?