Oy Vey

Sometimes, I wish I could peek into the thoughts of my children...just to MAYBE get a glimpse of what's going on in their little heads.

A few posts ago, I mentioned what an emotional sap I've become since having kids. If that's what happens AFTER having children, my poor daughter will need some SERIOUS help when that day comes, since I think she is already WORSE than me.

Paige...Paige...Paige. What are we going to do with you?

It seems that no matter WHAT is happening on any given day, Paige is able to cry about it. Happy, sad, scared, touched, hurt...it doesn't matter what emotion she's feeling, more often than not the emotion comes with tears. Just to list a few examples...

Paige cried during her ENTIRE Kindergarten year...from day 1 when I dropped her off...to her graduation. Let me tell you, by then end of that year, I was SICK & TIRED of the tears. Here's proof...this is her Kindergarten graduation...she's the ONLY ONE crying.

One day I was busy helping Coleton with his homework and Paige needed help with hers as well (a rare occurrence, she's sharp as a tack). She was learning multiplication, and was having a difficult time remembering a few facts, so Elmo took her upstairs to work with her. Pretty NORMAL happening right? After about 30 minutes or so, they came down and Paige was beaming with confidence in her new found skills. She started to show me the method Elmo had used to help her remember...and then began to cry. I asked her why she was crying, and she said, "I'm just so happy that Dad helped me with my homework." Touching, I know, but...TEARS?!

About a week ago, our neighbor came over to ask Paige & Coleton if they knew anything about a broken mirror on his truck. There was a fight between some other boys in the neighborhood which resulted in a broken mirror, but it had NOTHING to do with Paige or Coleton. However, that didn't stop tears from welling up in Paige's eyes. Why you ask? Simply because she felt bad that our neighbor's truck had been damaged.

And the creme de la creme:

Last week Paige & Coleton came home with an announcement from school saying that there was going to be a Thanksgiving Feast November 20th that parents/siblings could attend with their children. Both of them wanted me to go, but since the 20th is a month end date at work, I simply couldn't miss it. I sent the slips back with them with a "0" tally for attendance, and both kids were very upset...Paige even cried. The next day, when I told Elmo about it, he said that he could take the day off and eat lunch with both of them. (He is probably more excited than they are...2 Thanksgiving meals in 1 day!!) I asked their teachers to send home another tally slip so that I could change the "0" to "1", and Paige & Coleton were super excited. Last night after dinner, Paige came downstairs visibly upset. Automatically assuming that Coleton had done something to upset her, I said, "What now?" (It had been a day full of aggravating between the two) The conversation went something like this:

P: Remember how when you drop me off at school or visit me during the day I always cry when you leave?

M: Yes....

P: Well (tears start to fall), I don't think Dad should go to the Thanksgiving Feast with me.

M: Why not?

P: Because I know I'll start to cry when he leaves

M: Paige, you're 9 years old now. Don't you think that you should be able to control your emotions a little better by now?

P: But Mom, I know I'll cry because I won't want him to leave

M: You begged us to go, so Dad said he'd go. Don't you want him to go anymore?

P: Yes, but I know I'll cry. (At this point she was sobbing)

So, it seems that no matter what we do, we simply CAN'T win. Tears for every occasion, event, story, emotion, and future occurrence.

Lord, please help my emotional daughter gain control of her emotions...and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give me the strength to make it through her hormonal TEENAGE years with my sanity still intact. Amen.